Lead / Senior Engineer (Facilities, Utilities & Equipment)

The Opportunity

Esco Lifesciences Group is Singapore's most globalized life sciences company, with annual revenues close to SGD 200M and global operations in over 42 locations and 26 direct countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania.

Esco Aster Pte Ltd is an affiliate of Esco Lifesciences Group and was first incorporated in 2017.

Esco Aster is a contract research development and manufacturing organization founded and deeply rooted by scientists enabling fellow scientists to translate their bench work into commercially available products at affordable prices.

Our scientific work is in emerging and frontier biology utilizing cells as a final product or deriving products from cells which often we use cells as the factory to derive our target product.

Our first commercial breakthrough success is Esco Aster is commercially first in class being first in the world to be certified for cultivated/cell-based meat to FSSC 22000 and by a competent food regulatory body.

We are first in the region to operate an end-to-end integrated full cell line creation/immortalization or engineered cell line, cell culture process development, analytical development for stem cells and exosomes with full cGMP Capabilities from Drug Substance and small-scale fill & finish for final Cell Therapy Product.

The work we do creates a remarkable and lasting impact on our world. We offer you an opportunity to be part of this exciting journey to own your career and firsthand exposure to new emerging modalities supporting translational sciences.

Join us as we redefine BioSolutions for One World and One Health for the current and future generations to come.

Esco Aster.

One World Biosolutions for One Health.

The Scope

You will be part of Esco Aster's Engineering team and contribute to the overall site mission and objectives. You are responsible for operation and maintenance of all clean and black utilities, water system, HVAC and various facilities equipment including fire protection system. This position will involve the startup phase, liaising with the engineering firm on the design and construction of the facility, ensuring that the installations comply to safety guidelines, design intent and quality standards are met.

Reporting to: Head of Engineering

Job Responsibilities

· Serve as the primary engineering point of contact for Facilities, Utilities, and Equipment.

· Responsible for plant utilities operations, facilities (HVAC, electrical, water systems, infrastructure services etc.) and equipment (BSC, Autoclave, incubators, freezers etc.) maintenance within regulatory and good engineering practices.

· Lead Utilities, facilities and equipment commissioning and decommissioning activities through change management process.

· Establish and review engineering and maintenance standard operating procedures and policies.

· Ensure utilities and facilities operate in a safe environment by complying with statutory, EHS, and cGMP requirements.

· Plan and allocate resources to ensure 24/7 continuous system operation, minimizing downtime and ensuring uninterrupted plant activities.

· Execute and implement an effective maintenance and operation program, including work prioritization and compliance with operational, regulatory, and safety standards.

· Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance energy efficiency (water & power), sustainability, and asset reliability while optimizing operational costs.

· Evaluate and drive technical changes through the Change Management Process and implement performance enhancements to minimize downtime and service frequency.

· Lead troubleshooting efforts and failure analysis for facilities and utilities systems, supporting maintenance technicians in addressing issues and improving equipment reliability.

· Lead/participate in discrepancy management, root cause identification, and CAPA implementation to prevent recurrence.

· Lead and develop the Utilities and Facilities Maintenance team, providing training to enhance technical capabilities. Ensure the team complies with GMP and site maintenance requirements.

· Support facility expansion, engineering projects, and site upgrades, ensuring smooth transition from project to operation.

· Participate in facility layout planning, equipment selection, and procurement processes.

· Plan and coordinate maintenance activities across departments, ensuring timely execution with the necessary resources, parts, and vendors.

· Oversee and drive routine calibration & preventive maintenance (PM) and yearly shutdowns, managing outsourced contractors and maintenance service contracts in line with regulatory, quality, EHS, and budgetary requirements.

· Ensure audit readiness by maintaining compliance with regulatory, statutory, and cGMP requirements. Review and approve utilities log sheets, work orders, and maintenance records to meet quality standards.

· Draft User Requirements Specification documents for facilities and utilities.

· Participate in Risk Assessment related commissioning, qualification, validation and maintenance of manufacturing equipment, utilities, facilities and processes, ensuring compliance with cGMP and other regulatory standards.

· Provide guidance and mentoring to junior staff and interns, ensuring knowledge transfer and development within the team.

· Collaborate with internal stakeholders (manufacturing, process development, quality etc.) and stakeholders to achieve company objectives.

· The job responsibilities listed are not exhaustive and shall also include any responsibilities as assigned by the Supervisor and Management from time to time to support GMP Facility and company initiatives.

Requirements

· Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Chemical Process, Mechanical, Marine, Industrial Engineering or equivalent with a minimum of 5 years of experience in a highly regulated cGMP manufacturing environment (Biologics and Pharmaceuticals).

· Candidates with experience in ATMPs (Cell & Gene) manufacturing are highly preferred but not mandatory.

· Self-motivated, proactive and goal-oriented, capable of working independently.

· Strong ability to prioritize work and multitask effectively in a dynamic environment.

· Experience in cell and gene therapy operations is an added advantage.

· Strong knowledge of ISPE Guides, GEP, GAMP, ASTM compliance, including USFDA, EU, PIC/S cGMP, with hands-on audit experience (e.g., USFDA, EU, HSA).

· Hands-on experience in HVAC, central plant utility systems, Building Management Systems (BMS), Environment Monitoring Systems (EMS), and cleanroom technologies.

· Proficiency in CMMS systems, including master data setup, work order execution, preventive maintenance (PM) programs, scheduling, and spare parts management.

· Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) with excellent oral and written communication skills.

· Practical knowledge of chillers, cooling towers, compressed air, diesel generators, cold rooms, process gases, de-ionized water systems, WFI systems, steam, wastewater, and bio-waste treatment plants.

· Excellent communication, interpersonal and organizational skills.

· Ability to speak and write in English.

· Experience in using project management software such as Asana, monday.com will be an added advantage.

· Experience in start-up, commissioning, and qualification of utilities and facilities, with a strong understanding of the necessary documentation and testing requirements.

Interested candidates, please submit a Cover Letter and CV to jobs@escoaster.com.