Job Description
The Water Systems Engineer is responsible for supporting the reliability, performance, and compliance of critical water systems used in regulated manufacturing operations. This role plays a key part in ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality water used in solution compounding processes, including products such as ChloraPrep.
This position operates within a highly regulated water systems and facilities environment, including purified water, reverse osmosis (RO), and water-based sterilization systems. The role provides hands-on engineering support for water system operations, maintenance activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.
The engineer collaborates cross-functionally with Facilities, Quality, Manufacturing, and external vendors to ensure systems operate within validated parameters, maintain compliance with regulatory standards, and consistently meet production requirements.
In this role, the individual will contribute to system troubleshooting, preventive maintenance execution, validation activities, and capital project support, while maintaining alignment with GMP, FDA, and internal BD quality standards. The position requires strong technical judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to respond effectively in dynamic manufacturing conditions.
Job Responsibilities:
System Operation and Technical Support
- Support the day-to-day operation of site water systems, including pretreatment, reverse osmosis systems, storage, and distribution networks. Monitor system performance through operational data, trends, and alarms, and ensure that systems remain within established quality and process limits. Provide technical support during routine operations as well as upset conditions, ensuring minimal disruption to manufacturing.
- Actively participate in identifying deviations, investigating system abnormalities, and restoring systems to a validated state. Collaborate with operations and maintenance teams to ensure effective response to system alarms, excursions, and production impacts.
Troubleshooting and Problem Solving
- Perform structured troubleshooting of mechanical, process, and controls-related issues affecting water systems. Investigations may involve pumps, valves, membrane performance, piping systems, and SCADA/automation interfaces.
- Apply root cause analysis methodologies to identify underlying causes of failures and implement corrective and preventive actions. Support manufacturing in diagnosing issues that impact product quality or system availability, ensuring timely resolution and clear communication across teams.
Maintenance and Reliability Support
- Execute and support preventive maintenance programs for water systems, including cleaning, passivation, sanitization, and component replacement activities. Assist in evaluating maintenance effectiveness and contribute to improvements in maintenance strategies, including optimization of PM intervals and identification of critical spare parts.
- Work closely with maintenance teams to ensure adherence to procedures and to improve overall system reliability by reducing recurring failures and unplanned downtime.
Validation and Compliance
- Support validation activities associated with water systems, including IQ/OQ execution, documentation, and change control processes. Ensure all work performed aligns with GMP requirements, BD quality systems, and regulatory expectations.
- Maintain accurate and complete documentation of system activities, including maintenance records, deviations, and validation deliverables. Participate in audit readiness efforts and provide technical support during regulatory or internal inspections.
Technical Documentation and Standards
- Develop and maintain technical documentation related to water systems, including SOPs, maintenance procedures, system descriptions, and operational guidelines. Ensure documentation is clear, accurate, and aligned with current system configurations and quality requirements.
- Work to standardize practices across the site by contributing to consistent approaches to system operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
Project and Continuous Improvement Support
- Support capital projects and system improvement initiatives focused on enhancing system capacity, reliability, and efficiency. Activities may include equipment installation, commissioning, vendor coordination, and startup support.
- Participate in continuous improvement efforts by identifying opportunities to optimize system performance, reduce costs, and enhance water quality consistency. Provide input into engineering solutions and support implementation of design or process changes.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with internal stakeholders including Facilities, Maintenance, Quality, and Manufacturing teams to ensure alignment on system performance, compliance requirements, and operational priorities.
- Engage with external vendors and contractors as needed to support system maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting efforts. Maintain clear and effective communication regarding system status, risks, and ongoing activities.
Other Responsibilities
- Perform additional duties as required to support the needs of the business and site operations.
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering.
- 3+ years of experience in engineering roles supporting water systems in a manufacturing environment required.
- Experience working in regulated industries such as pharmaceutical, medical device, or food and beverage manufacturing is highly desirable.
- Experience with validation processes, GMP environments, and technical documentation practices is also preferred.
Knowledge and Skills:
- Strong technical aptitude in mechanical and process systems
- Ability to troubleshoot complex systems in real-time manufacturing environments
- Working knowledge of GMP, FDA, and quality system requirements
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work collaboratively across cross-functional teams
- Strong attention to detail and documentation accuracy
- Self-driven with the ability to manage multiple priorities
On‑site role in a clean, highly regulated, high‑volume medical device/pharma manufacturing facility. Requires interaction with Quality, Production, EHS, Engineering, and Facilities teams.
Why Join Us?
To find purpose in the possibilities, we need people who can see the bigger picture, who understand the human story that underpins everything we do. We welcome people with the imagination and drive to help us reinvent the future of healthcare. At BD, you’ll discover a culture in which you can learn, grow and thrive.
We believe that when people connect in person, we learn faster, collaborate more deeply, and build a stronger culture. Join us and enjoy a culture where face-to-face collaboration supports your learning, your progress, and your success.
To learn more about BD visit https://bd.com/careers
