Position Summary
The Senior Engineer, Innovation is an advanced, engineering and project leadership role responsible for designing, developing, and implementing complex pharmaceutical distribution centers and pharmacy fulfillment centers. FFF Enterprises business unit operating teams rely on this position to translate operational strategy, data analytics, facility requirements, material handling equipment design, and third-party execution plans into highly reliable, compliant, scalable, and efficient operational environments.
The Senior Innovation Engineer serves as a senior subject matter expert in facility design, operational engineering, automation, process design, and end-to-end project execution. This role leads complex initiatives from concept and business case development through facility construction, equipment design, installation, commissioning, operational readiness, and stabilization. The position requires extensive hands-on experience managing general contractors, material handling equipment providers, automation vendors, and other third-party resources while influencing cross-functional teams through major physical, system, and process changes.
Essential Functions and Duties
It is essential that the Senior Innovation Engineer have advanced, hands-on experience designing and leading the implementation of pharmaceutical distribution center, pharmacy fulfillment center, automation, material handling, and operational technology solutions. This position must be proficient with engineering, project management, process design, data analytics, facility planning, and operational readiness tools and must have practical experience working with ERP, WMS, WCS, automation controls, and related enterprise systems.
- Leads the design of complex pharmaceutical distribution centers and pharmacy fulfillment centers, including facility layout, process flow, equipment specification, automation concepts, labor models, capacity planning, and operational readiness requirements.
- Develops facility and process designs from concept through implementation, including business case development, engineering analysis, budget support, timeline development, vendor coordination, testing, commissioning, and transition to steady-state operations.
- Manages large-scale facility build and improvement projects from ground-up construction or major renovation through operational launch, stabilization, and post-implementation performance validation.
- Directs and coordinates third-party resources, including general contractors, architects, engineers, material handling equipment providers, automation vendors, fabrication partners, installation teams, and other external service providers.
- Designs, evaluates, and implements advanced material handling systems, automation solutions, storage systems, workflow technologies, and custom equipment fabricated by third-party partners to meet unique operational requirements.
- Uses advanced data analytics to evaluate operational performance, model capacity, forecast labor and equipment requirements, identify constraints, quantify improvement opportunities, and validate investment decisions.
- Partners with Operations, Quality, Compliance, IT, Finance, Customer Service, Pharmacy, and other stakeholders to ensure facility and process designs support regulatory requirements, customer expectations, business continuity, safety, productivity, quality, and scalability.
- Develops detailed project plans, resource plans, risk registers, issue logs, communication plans, and executive updates to ensure complex initiatives remain aligned, visible, and effectively controlled.
- Creates and maintains process flows, facility layouts, equipment concepts, operating assumptions, requirements documentation, standard work, test plans, training support materials, and transition plans for current-state and future-state operations.
- Calculates labor, material, equipment, capital, operating cost, throughput, capacity, and overhead impacts associated with current and future-state processes and presents findings in a clear, actionable manner for senior leadership and project stakeholders.
- Performs the role primarily as a remote position while maintaining the flexibility and availability to travel up to 50% as required to support facility design, construction, vendor coordination, equipment installation, operational readiness, and project implementation activities.
- Operates office equipment: computer, scanner, printer, copier, fax, 10 Key, calculator, and phone.
- Adheres specifically to all company policies and procedures, Federal and State regulations and laws.
- Display dedication to position responsibilities and achieve assigned goals and objectives.
- Represent the Company in a professional manner and appearance at all times.
- Understand and internalize the Company’s purpose; Display loyalty to the Company and its organizational values.
- Display enthusiasm and dedication to learning how to be more effective on the job and share knowledge with others.
- Work effectively with co-workers, internal and external customers and others by sharing ideas in a constructive and positive manner; listen to and objectively consider ideas and suggestions from others; keep commitments; keep others informed of work progress, timetables, and issues; address problems and issues constructively to find mutually acceptable and practical business solutions; address others by name, title, or other respectful identifier, and; respect the diversity of our work force in actions, words, and deeds.
- Comply with the policies and procedures stated in the Injury and Illness Prevention Program by always working in a safe manner and immediately reporting any injury, safety hazard, or program violation.
- Ensure conduct is consistent with all Compliance Program Policies and procedures when engaging in any activity on behalf of the company. Immediately report any concerns or violations.
- Other duties as assigned.
Education, Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Required Education:
- A four-year college degree in engineering is required.
- Advanced knowledge of facility design, industrial engineering, distribution operations, pharmacy fulfillment operations, automation, material handling systems, project management, and data analytics is required.
- Lean / Six-Sigma certification, PMP certification, or other relevant engineering, project management, or continuous improvement certification is preferred.
Required Experience:
- At least 10 years of applicable experience demonstrating advanced capability in engineering, facility design, distribution operations, pharmacy fulfillment operations, automation, material handling equipment design, and project leadership.
- Extensive experience designing complex pharmaceutical distribution centers, pharmacy fulfillment centers, or similarly regulated high-volume operational environments.
- Demonstrated experience leading facility projects from initial concept, business case, design, and construction through equipment installation, system integration, operational launch, and stabilization.
- Significant experience managing third-party resources, including general contractors, material handling equipment providers, automation vendors, equipment fabricators, architects, engineers, and implementation partners.
- Advanced experience developing and applying data analytics, capacity models, labor models, throughput analyses, cost models, ROI analyses, and performance dashboards to support operational decision-making.
- Hands-on experience with WMS, WCS, ERP, automation controls, process mapping, CAD or facility layout tools, project management tools, and analytical software.
Preferred Experience:
- Experience designing custom or purpose-built material handling equipment fabricated by third-party providers.
- Experience with highly regulated pharmaceutical, healthcare, cold chain, specialty distribution, or pharmacy fulfillment environments.
- Experience leading cross-functional operational transformation initiatives involving Operations, IT, Quality, Compliance, Finance, HR, Customer Service, Pharmacy, and external partners.
- Experience developing capital requests, financial justification, implementation roadmaps, and executive-level business cases for major facility or automation investments.
Required Skills:
- Must have advanced experience and demonstrated mastery in the following areas:
- Pharmaceutical distribution center design and pharmacy fulfillment center design
- Facility layout, process flow, capacity planning, labor modeling, and operational readiness
- Material handling equipment design, automation concepts, equipment specification, and custom equipment development
- Large-scale facility project management from ground-up build or major renovation through operational launch
- Third-party resource management, including general contractors, material handling equipment providers, automation vendors, fabrication partners, architects, and engineers
- Data analytics, financial analysis, business case development, capacity modeling, and performance measurement
- Cross-functional leadership, stakeholder communication, risk management, change management, and executive-level reporting
- Must have strong computer skills and advanced capability with MS Office and relevant engineering, project management, design, process mapping, and analytical software, including several of the following:
- MS Project or similar project management software
- CAD design or facility layout software
- Visio, Lucidchart, or other process mapping software
- SQL-based analytic tools, Power BI, Tableau, Access, Excel, or other data analytics platforms
- Must have strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple complex priorities, vendors, timelines, budgets, risks, and deliverables simultaneously.
- Must have a strong detail orientation and the proven ability to translate complex operational requirements into clear designs, plans, decisions, and implementation actions.
- Must have effective verbal and written communication skills and communicate in a timely manner and with absolute clarity to executive leaders, project teams, operational stakeholders, and third-party partners.
- Must have the ability to work independently with limited supervision while effectively leading cross-functional teams through complex projects and operational change.
- Must demonstrate sound judgment, strong problem-solving ability, technical curiosity, accountability, and disciplined decision-making.
Physical requirements
Vision, hearing, speech, movements requiring the use of wrists, hands and/or fingers. Must have the ability to view a computer screen for long periods and the ability to sit for extended periods. Must have the ability to work the hours and days required to complete the essential functions of the position, as scheduled. Occasionally lifts up to 20 lbs. and occasionally kneels and bends. Ability to travel up to 50% to distribution centers, pharmacy fulfillment centers, construction sites, vendor locations, and project implementation locations. Working conditions include a remote office setting, normal office settings, active operational environments, construction or installation areas, and vendor or project sites.
Mental Demands
Learning, thinking, concentration, problem solving, and the ability to work under pressure, particularly during complex project phases, facility launches, vendor escalations, and operational transitions. Must be able to pay close attention to detail while managing ambiguity, competing priorities, technical complexity, financial considerations, compliance requirements, and stakeholder expectations. Must have the ability to interact effectively with co-workers, customers, third-party providers, and senior leaders, and exercise self-control and diplomacy in project, vendor, customer, and employee relations situations. Must exercise discretion and appropriate judgment when making or recommending decisions that affect facility design, operational performance, safety, quality, cost, and business continuity. Must be proactive in identifying issues, developing solutions, and driving initiatives to completion.
Direct Reports
No
EEO/AAP Statement
FFF Enterprises is an EEO/AAP employer; all business decisions (employment, promotions, compensation, etc.) are made without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected status. FFF Enterprises promotes an equal employment opportunity workplace which includes reasonable accommodation consideration of otherwise qualified disabled.
Acknowledgement
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the incumbent assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required of all personnel so classified.
The undersigned employee acknowledges receipt of the Job Description for the employee’s position and understands the essential functions, responsibilities and qualifications of the position. Furthermore, the employee acknowledges that this Job Description does not include all of the essential functions of this position, and that these essential functions may change as deemed necessary by the manager.
