"Alerted.org

Mechanical Engineer III, Albuquerque, NM

Build your future at Curia, where our work has the power to save lives

Curia is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with over 30 years of experience partnering with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to provide life-saving treatments to patients. At Curia, we are on a mission to advance our customers’ therapies from curiosity to cure and ultimately to improve patients’ lives.

We proudly offer

+ Generous benefit options (eligible first day of employment)

+ Paid training, vacation and holidays (vacation accrual begins on first day of employment)

+ Career advancement opportunities

+ Education reimbursement

+ 401K program with matching contributions

+ Learning platform

+ And more!

Summary:

The Mechanical Engineer III is responsible for ensuring the reliable operation, optimization, and enhancement of pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment and related systems. This role supports manufacturing operations both on and off the production floor, with a strong focus on hands-on troubleshooting, equipment reliability, and continuous improvement.

Working with minimal supervision, the Mechanical Engineer III leads complex engineering projects such as equipment modifications, capacity expansions, and technology transfers. The role applies advanced technical expertise to resolve recurring or high-impact equipment issues, conducts root cause analyses, and implements sustainable corrective and preventive actions. In addition, the Mechanical Engineer III provides technical mentorship to junior engineers and mechanics, reviews and approves engineering documentation, and collaborates with cross-functional teams to ensure compliance with GMP, safety, and regulatory requirements. By driving equipment performance and improvement initiatives, this role directly contributes to efficient, compliant, and safe pharmaceutical manufacturing operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

+ Lead and support multiple manufacturing engineering projects from conception through completion, including equipment modifications, upgrades, capacity expansions, and technology transfers.

+ Partner with technical operations to strengthen and optimize production tools and systems, improving uptime, reliability, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

+ Provide advanced technical support and troubleshooting for pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment such as filling lines, capping and stoppering systems, sterilizers, autoclaves, and associated utility systems (compressed air, nitrogen, and process vacuum).

+ Conduct root cause analyses for recurring or high-impact equipment issues and implement long-term corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).

+ Collaborate with cross-functional teams—including Production, Quality, Validation, and Facilities—to design, modify, and qualify equipment that supports cGMP operations and product development.

+ Ensure all engineering activities and projects comply with GMP, safety standards, and regulatory requirements, including familiarity with NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, NFPA 70B, and NFPA 79.

+ Prepare and maintain engineering documentation, including equipment specifications, cost estimates, facility drawings, engineering change orders (ECOs), and work orders, ensuring accuracy and compliance.

+ Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior engineers and mechanics; review and approve technical documents and project deliverables.

+ Plan, prioritize, and track assigned projects to ensure completion within defined timelines and budgets, while balancing multiple priorities.

+ Collaborate with internal stakeholders, external vendors, and contractors to support the design, fabrication, installation, and qualification of equipment and facility systems.

+ Identify and lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce downtime, improve manufacturing efficiency, and enhance equipment reliability.

+ Read/interpret SOPs to ensure compliance

+ Maintain up to date trainings

+ Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience:

+ Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field of study

+ Minimum of five (5) years mechanical engineering experience in production, manufacturing, and/or cleanroom environment

Supervisory Responsibilities: This role does not have supervisory responsibilities, yet it may involve mentoring, guiding, and advising.

Language Skills: The ideal candidate should have the ability to read and interpret various documents, such as safety instructions, standard operating procedures, technical procedures, and governmental regulations. Additionally, they should possess strong written and verbal communication skills, along with effective presentation skills.

Mathematical Skills: Proficient in executing arithmetic operations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division across various units of measurement, employing whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages. Candidates must possess a strong grasp of algebraic and geometric principles.

Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills: The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical foundation and proven capability in effectively utilizing diverse software tools to streamline the organization's daily functions. Essential skills encompass adeptness in manufacturing and internet software, alongside proficiency in Microsoft Office tools including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook.

. Other Skills and Abilities:

+ Provides guidance and mentorship to team members

+ Fosters a collaborative and positive work environment

+ Champions change

+ Promotes a safe and healthy work environment by actively identifying and addressing potential hazards, following established safety protocols, participating in safety training programs, and fostering a culture of awareness and responsibility among team member.

+ Demonstrates strong attention to detail

+ Excellent Communication skills, both verbal and written

+ Ability to organize time to successfully manage multiple projects and priorities

+ Ability to read, understand, interpret, and implement technical writing and instructions

+ Effective interpersonal relation skills, while maintaining the adaptability to achieve company goals

+ Verbally expresses ideas and facts in a clear, logical, concise, and accepted grammatical style

Other Qualifications:

+ Must pass a background check

+ Must pass a drug screen

+ May be required to pass Occupational Health Screening

+ May be required to obtain and maintain gowning certification

+ May be required to obtain and maintain media qualification

+ May be required to wear a respirator

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The essential physical demands will vary for each Curia position. All positions may require regular or occasional lifting, pushing and pulling up to 10 pounds, frequently; up to 25 pounds occasionally; and up to 50 pounds infrequently. Additionally, all positions entail regular sitting, standing and reaching, with some roles requiring prolonged periods of time for each activity. Visual acuity, both close and distant, along with depth perception is necessary in each role, with or without corrective lenses. Please note that employees are prohibited from wearing contact lenses in work areas with exposure to cleaning agents. Hand and finger dexterity are integral to all positions, with specific activities varying from typing to manipulating maintenance tools or operating keypads, switches, and buttons. Occasional stooping, kneeling, twisting, crouching, crawling and balancing are also part of each position’s physical requirements. Certain roles may involve climbing and working at elevated heights as well.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics, described below, are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The working environments will vary for each Curia position. The employee may be required to work in an office, manufacturing, or warehouse environment.

The office environment is designed for comfort and productivity, with room temperature settings maintained for optimal working conditions. It is common to hear conversational noise in the background.

The pharmaceutical manufacturing environment is sterile. Therefore, aseptic gowning is required. Personal protective equipment (nitrile gloves, clean room socks, face-shields, safety glasses, aprons, steel-toed shoes and powered air purifying respirators) is necessary, depending upon the task at hand. The employee may be exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, confined areas, and refrigerator or freezer temperatures when working in a sterile environment.

The warehouse environment is typically set at a controlled temperature but the employee may be exposed to refrigerator or freezer temperatures when retrieving materials.

Some positions may occasionally be exposed to moving mechanical parts, elevated heights, airborne particles, electrical activities and vibration. In addition, some positions may work with or be exposed to, compressed gases and must wear ear protection.

All environments may be subject to working with or being exposed to cleaning agents.

Education, experience, location and tenure may be considered along with internal equity when job offers are extended.

We do not accept unsolicited assistance from any headhunters or recruitment firms for any of our job openings. All resumes or profiles submitted by search firms to any employee at Curia, in any form without a valid, signed search agreement by an authorized signatory in place for the specific position, approved by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Curia. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Curia because of the unsolicited referral.

All interested applicants must apply online. Please be aware of scammers. Curia will only send offer letters and requests for sensitive personal information from a curiaglobal.com email address. Curia 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, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Curia is an E-Verify employer.