System Engineering
Charles River Laboratories International
For nearly 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.
Job Summary
We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Systems Engineer to support our Research & Development (R&D) team throughout the product development lifecycle. This role will focus on facilitating cross-functional collaboration, documenting system requirements and workflows, and ensuring serviceability and risk mitigation are addressed from concept to launch.
Key Responsibilities:
· Lead Product Requirements Document (PRD) review sessions with R&D subject matter experts (SMEs) and managers.
· Collaborate with Product Management (PM) to clarify product requirements and expectations.
· Document System Requirements and Technical Specifications (SRTS) by translating PRD items into actionable technical tasks (“how” responses).
· Provide ongoing technical and documentation support to R&D throughout development.
· Ensure cross-functional team members (R&D SMEs, PMs, Technical Services) have the information they need.
· Lead cross-functional technical discussions as needed.
· Gather and integrate input from internal stakeholders (Field Service, Production, Service Depots, etc.) to ensure products are designed with serviceability in mind.
· Capture and document user workflows with input from SMEs to ensure user needs are clearly understood and incorporated into design.
· Lead Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) work sessions to ensure risks are documented, mitigated, and validated through testing.
Job Qualifications
· Bachelor’s degree in engineering, or related technical field.
· 3–5 years of experience in systems engineering, product development, or technical project coordination.
· Proven ability to translate business and user needs into detailed technical requirements.
· Experience working with cross-functional teams in an R&D environment.
· Familiarity with FMECA, risk analysis methodologies, and serviceability planning.
· Excellent communication, facilitation, and documentation skills.
· Detail-oriented, proactive, and comfortable managing multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
Preferred Skills:
· Experience in laboratory analytical devices.
· Understanding of product lifecycle processes, from concept through manufacturing.
· Azure DevOps.
· Strong analytical thinking and systems-level problem-solving skills.
Compensation Data
The pay range for this position is $85,000 to $95,000. Please note that salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, and location.
About Microbial SolutionsOur Microbial Solutions business group has a comprehensive portfolio of endotoxin testing, microbial detection and microbial identification products and services is unlike any other, and has been purposefully designed to meet the complex and ever-changing needs of the industry. We help clients to ensure product safety and quality with easy-to-use yet robust testing solutions that satisfy regulatory requirements, support critical decision making and improve operational efficiencies.
About Charles RiverCharles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.
With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.
At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.
We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Charles River is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, family status, pregnancy, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.
It is unlawful in some states (including Massachusetts) to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
If you are interested in applying to Charles River Laboratories and need special assistance or an accommodation due to a disability to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the resume submission process, please contact a member of our Human Resources team by sending an e-mail message to crrecruitment_US@crl.com. This contact is for accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.