Senior Pilot Plant Engineer

• Job title Senior Pilot Plant Engineer
• Function R&D Product Development
• Sub function R&D Process Engineering
• Category Senior Engineer, R&D Process Engineering (ST6)
• Location Geel / Beerse / Belgium
• Date posted Jun 03 2026
• Requisition number R-078920
• Work pattern Hybrid Work

Description

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at jnj.com.

As guided by Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson is responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world. We provide an inclusive work environment where each person is considered as an individual. At Johnson & Johnson, we respect the diversity and dignity of our employees and recognize their merit.

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Job Description:

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com

About Innovative Medicine:

Our expertise in Innovative Medicine is informed and inspired by patients, whose insights fuel our science-based advancements. Visionaries like you work on teams that save lives by developing the medicines of tomorrow. Join us in developing treatments, finding cures, and pioneering the path from lab to life while championing patients every step of the way. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/innovative-medicine

We are searching for the best talent for a Senior Pilot Plant Engineer located in Beerse/Geel, Belgium (hybrid) in our Chemical Process Research and Development (CPRD) team in Belgium.

Purpose:

We operate three pioneering pilot plants in Beerse and Geel that support the development and scale-up of new chemical processes and the production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), primarily for clinical trials. These APIs are further processed in pharmaceutical manufacturing into tablets or other final dosage forms.

In Beerse, the Chemical Development Mini Plant (CDMP) and the Chemical Development Oligonucleotides Plant (CDOP) are co-located with the chemical development teams. CDMP enables first scale-up of new processes, while CDOP is dedicated to the synthesis of oligonucleotides.

In Geel, the Chemical Development Pilot Plant (CDPP) is co-located with the Launch & Growth commercial production facilities. This plant is a critical link in the commercial supply chain, delivering robust chemical processes, producing most clinical trial material, and supporting small-scale commercial API manufacturing.

The pilot plants continuously advance their technology and data infrastructure to support future development and product needs. In this role, you combine hands-on pilot plant engineering with advanced process modeling and digital solutions to accelerate scale-up and enable data-driven process performance across pilot plants.

You will be responsible for:

Process Scale-Up & NPI Support

• Representing pilot plants in New Product Introduction (NPI) projects in close collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Leading scale-up activities from lab to pilot scale, including process transfer, troubleshooting and process optimization.
• Driving plant readiness for NPI introductions in alignment with process safety, quality, and technical requirements.

Process Modeling & Digital Solutions

• Developing, deploying, and scaling mechanistic, hybrid, or data-driven models to support process design, scale-up, and performance.
• Integrating models into plant systems and applying model-driven insights to optimize pilot plant operations.
• Collaborating with Chemical Process R&D teams, data engineers, automation teams and PAT specialists to ensure robust data flows and model lifecycle management.

Onboarding and training will include building a strong understanding of both pilot plant environments. Flexibility to work across Beerse and Geel is required.

Education and Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, or equivalent expertise demonstrated through impactful project contributions
• A degree (MS/PhD) in chemistry, chemical engineering, bio-engineering, or equivalent experience in chemical operations or development.
• Innovation and Technology: Experience with PAT tools and/or process simulation software (e.g. Dynochem, Aspen, gPROMS) to support process development and scale-up.
• Data Skills: Experience with scientific programming or data science (e.g. Python, R, Julia), preferably applied in process development or manufacturing environments.

Skills and Expertise

• Background in chemical development operations environment, with a strong focus on technology and process improvement.
• A strong safety, quality, and compliance approach: understanding of Process Safety Management and cGMP requirements is an asset.
• Proven ability to manage numerous projects and priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Hands-on experience with process modeling and data analytics in an industrial setting, including deployment of solutions in practice.
• Good understanding of data flows, PAT systems, and integration into process control or monitoring environments.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to translate complex technical concepts into practical solutions.

Benefits

We offer a competitive salary and extensive benefits package. The health and well-being of our employees is a priority, we have a flexible working environment as we value work-life balance. We offer career development opportunities for those who want to grow and be part of our organization.

Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies are equal opportunity employers, and all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any other characteristic protected by law.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform important job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

#LI-Hybrid #DPDS

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Benefits:

In addition to base pay, we offer the following benefits*: an annual bonus with set target (% of pay) depending on pay grade / location, where the actual amount is based on the employees’ and companies’ performance of the previous calendar year, or sales commissions. Moreover, we offer vacation days, parental leave for a minimum of 12 weeks, bereavement leave, caregiver leave, volunteer leave, well-being reimbursement, programs for financial, physical and mental health. We also offer service anniversary and recognition awards, and subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees - and in some location’s eligible dependents - can participate in several insurance plans. For more information, visit Employee benefits | Supporting well-being & career growth | Johnson & Johnson Careers.

*This is for informative purposes only. Amounts and actual benefits may vary by location and are subject to change.