Plant & Reliability Engineer

About Forge:

Forge, a member of Ajinomoto Bio-Pharma Services, is a gene therapy development engine, focused on enabling access to life changing gene therapies and helping bring them from idea into reality. We partner with innovators in the gene therapy community: scientists, physicians, biotech/pharma companies, and patient groups. We bring expertise in gene therapy manufacturing and therapeutics development to the table, helping to champion teams that are navigating the long road from the lab bench to the bedside. Our goal is simple but vital to patients living with disease, and we take it seriously. With a patient-first approach, we are forging new models for working together to better accelerate these transformative medicines to reach those who need them the most.

Forge is based in Columbus, Ohio, in a 200,000 square foot facility known affectionately by team members as, the Hearth. The Hearth, is a custom-designed cGMP facility dedicated to AAV manufacturing and hosts scalable, end-to-end manufacturing services.

About The Role:

The Plant & Reliability Engineer provides foundational support to ensure the performance, reliability, and compliance of GMP and non-GMP equipment and facility systems. Working under the guidance of more senior engineers, this role helps monitor asset health, troubleshoot systems, and support maintenance planning to minimize downtime and maintain operational readiness. This position is a key contributor to asset performance initiatives and supports the Asset Responsible Care strategy.

What You'll Do:

• Assist with day-to-day operational support for GMP and non-GMP equipment, including troubleshooting and issue tracking.
• Participate in monitoring and maintaining health scorecards for critical equipment and assets.
• Support the development and execution of preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.
• Collaborate with Facilities, Maintenance, Quality, and Operations to support equipment availability and reliability.
• Help evaluate asset performance data and participate in continuous improvement efforts.
• Contribute to deviation investigations, change controls, and CAPAs related to equipment and facility assets.
• Assist with documentation tasks, including updating SOPs, work instructions, and maintenance plans.
• Support planned shutdown activities and coordination of maintenance work.
• Participate in FAT/SAT activities and equipment commissioning efforts as needed.
• Monitor trends and alarms from Building Automation Systems (BAS) and cleanroom environments under supervision.
• Aid in evaluating contractor maintenance work and documentation for completeness and compliance.
• Provide technical support during audits or inspections, under the guidance of senior engineers.

What You'll Bring:

• 2+ years of experience in plant engineering, reliability engineering, or similar engineering maintenance support role; preferably within a regulated manufacturing environment (ISO, FDA, GMP)
• Bachelor's or Associate's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field
• Exposure to maintenance strategies such as preventive, predictive, or reliability-centered maintenance.
• Willingness to learn and grow in a highly regulated, fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams and communicate effectively with stakeholders.
• Experience with CMMS, BAS, or QMS tools is a plus.
• Familiarity with GMP operations, cleanroom environments, or life sciences manufacturing is a plus.
• Nice to have: CAD experience.
• Ability to provide after-hours troubleshooting and support as needed, including participation in an on-call rotation to respond to building management and monitoring system alerts.

Physical Requirements:

• May be required to lift up to 50 pounds of materials or equipment.
• Requirement to gown into Classified Areas of the facility (ISO 7 and 8 sterile gowning)
• The ability to move safely over uneven terrain or in confined spaces
• The ability to safely climb ladders while carrying 40 pounds
• The ability to wear personal protective gear correctly as required

Work Environment and Physical Demands

This position works in both a warehouse and typical office environment where the physical work demands will vary depending on the specific tasks and duties required of the job. The noise level in the work environment ranges from moderate to occasionally loud. Must be able to lift, carry, push, and/or pull objects weighing up to 35 lbs. Ability to frequently operate a computer, and communicate with others in person, over the phone, and via other devices. Must be able to move about the facility for moderate to extended periods of time. Ability to wear task dependent personal protective equipment as needed.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned.

Forge Biologics is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce.Forge Biologics, provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Life at Forge

We are a team of diverse, driven and passionate people working together to trailblaze a new model for how we make medicines to treat patients with genetic diseases. Our team members use their creativity and talent to invent new solutions, meet new demands, and offer the most effective services in the industry. Forge's core values lay the foundation for H.O.P.E. It provides us a common purpose that we all understand, work towards and live by.

HARDWORKING - We work hard and smart, making a persistent and determined effort toward success. Working hard, with focus and desire is the key.

OPEN - We strive to be approachable, actively listen and encourage others to contribute and speak up. We positively offer and receive constructive feedback.

PURPOSE DRIVEN - We are passionate about working towards and delivering on our mission to manufacture gene therapies.

ENGAGED - We are fully absorbed by and enthusiastic about our work and take positive action to further Forge's vision, mission and goals.

We've Got You Covered

• We take the health and happiness of our employees seriously and are consistently evaluating new ways to make our benefits truly UnFORGEttable.
• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance that starts on your first day at Forge, with 90% of premiums covered for team members as well as dependents
• Competitive paid time off plan
• Annual bonus for all full-time employees
• 401(K) company match
• Fully-stocked kitchen with free food/drinks
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave - additional discount programs include childcare support & dependent care
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellness benefits (financial planning services, mental health counseling, employer paid disability)
• Onsite fitness facility
• Professional & Personal development resources