Facility/Utility Project Engineer

Are you ready to take your career to the next level?

Join a company where your skills and passion can make a real difference. At A-BIO we are looking for driven individuals who want to grow their expertise, help us expand, and contribute to improving the lives of patients worldwide. If you are ready to be part of a team that values growth, collaboration, and meaningful work, we would love to hear from you!

About A-BIO

A-BIO is an owner's representative consulting firm focused on project management and technical services within the technical operations of biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Our clients range from start-up cell and gene therapy companies to multi-national major pharmaceutical companies, with projects spanning the construction, retrofit, and operations of biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. A-BIO has been serving the life sciences sector since 2014, leveraging decades of owner's-side experience to identify the right resources and expertise to support client needs — from concept through operational readiness.

Position Overview

As a Facility / Utility Project Engineer at A-BIO, you will combine hands-on facility and utility engineering expertise with the project leadership skills to drive complex initiatives from concept through commissioning and operational readiness in cGMP-regulated environments.

In this role, you will serve as A-BIO's owner's representative on client engagements, managing and supporting facility and utility systems across their full lifecycle. You will develop productive working relationships with client teams, vendors, and contractors, facilitate design reviews and project meetings, and ensure that construction, turnover, and qualification activities meet the highest standards of quality, compliance, and performance — whether leading a project end to end or providing embedded technical support to a client's internal team.

This position supports client projects in the Gaithersburg, MD area, with the opportunity to work across diverse biopharma modalities including mAbs, gene therapy, cell therapy, and vaccines.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management & Delivery

• Manage or provide facility / utility engineering support across all project phases — conception, design, implementation, qualification, and operational readiness.
• Develop and manage productive working relationships with project team members and stakeholders, including client staff, vendors, and contractors.
• Facilitate facility / utility project team meetings, including scheduling, planning, and progress tracking.
• Serve as owner's representative — oversee vendors and contractors to ensure deliverables meet technical, quality, and schedule requirements.
• Proactively identify project risks and issues, devise mitigation strategies, and escalate critical concerns to stakeholders when necessary.

Utility & Facility Technical Services

• Facilitate and participate in utility system design reviews.
• Perform field survey and data collection supporting utility engineering projects and initiatives.
• Support Factory and Site Acceptance Testing (FAT, SAT), startup, and commissioning activities as required.
• Manage engineering drawings including P&IDs, redlines, revisions, and as-builts.
• Review and specify clean utilities, process utilities, and facility support systems in alignment with site standards.

Construction & Field Execution

• Develop and execute field plans for construction, contractor oversight, shutdowns, tie-ins, and other project activities.
• Manage and deliver contractor turnover packages.
• Oversee contractors during field installation and ensure adherence to project specifications, industry standards, and regulatory requirements throughout all project phases.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, or equivalent combination of education and demonstrated experience.
• Technical background in the life sciences industry, specifically biopharmaceuticals.
• Utility engineering experience in a regulated manufacturing, laboratory, or process environment.
• Ability to review and interpret design documents, drawings, P&IDs, and engineering documents.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional efforts; well-organized.
• Ability to engage on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Willingness and ability to travel based on project location.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Beneficial Qualifications

• 3–10 years of utility engineering and capital project experience.
• Prior experience with clean utilities, process utilities, facility utilities, or manufacturing support systems.
• GMP experience.
• Capital project management experience; PMP certification or equivalent is a plus.
• Active engagement in biopharmaceutical industry organizations, reflecting a commitment to professional growth and staying informed on industry trends.

Core Competencies

Technical Engineering

• Clean & process utilities (WFI, clean steam, process gases)
• Facility & mechanical support systems (HVAC, chilled water)
• Utility system design review
• Field survey & data collection
• P&ID, redline & as-built drawing management
• FAT / SAT, startup & commissioning
• Construction oversight & tie-in execution
• Contractor turnover package delivery

Project & Program Management

• cGMP project lifecycle management
• Owner's representative / vendor oversight
• Scope, schedule & progress tracking
• Field, shutdown & tie-in planning
• Cross-functional team coordination
• Risk identification & mitigation
• Stakeholder & client communication
• Engineering documentation management

Why A-BIO?

• Work on high-impact, diverse projects across the biopharmaceutical and life sciences sector — an industry where your work directly supports the development and manufacturing of critical therapies for patients worldwide.
• Access A-BIO's team of process engineering, automation, and project management experts, with over 200 years of combined biopharma operations and capital project experience.
• Exposure to cutting-edge modalities including gene therapy, cell therapy, mRNA, recombinant proteins, and vaccines across a variety of client environments.
• Collaborative, owner's-side culture that values technical depth, professional growth, and meaningful client relationships.
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and professional development and certification reimbursement.

Work Environment

• Client site environments including biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, cleanrooms, mechanical and utility areas, and laboratories; PPE required where applicable.
• Regular travel to client sites in the Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Frederick, MD area; occasional travel to vendor or contractor facilities for FAT and related activities.
• May require flexible hours during commissioning, startup, shutdowns, or critical project milestones.

Equal Opportunity Employer

A-BIO, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. This job description is intended to convey the general nature and level of work required and is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills.

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