Field Service Engineer I

About the role

Asahi Kasei Bioprocess America, Inc. (AKBA) provides pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers with a comprehensive suite of tools to maximize safety and improve yields of biotherapeutics during research, clinical and commercial-scale production. Planova™ virus-removal filters anchor a diverse product portfolio defined by quality, consistency and scalability. Additional areas of expertise include liquid chromatography, inline buffer dilution and oligonucleotide synthesis. We are a growing team (150+) of professionals excited about what we do and our ability to impact healthcare delivery systems worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Execute scheduled preventive maintenance and customer support for products covered by warranty and service contracts.
• Respond to customer complaints, deliver effective problem diagnosis, and implement corrective actions.
• Support custom and standard capital equipment used for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical product manufacturing (example equipment types include chromatography, buffer formulation, virus filtration, oligonucleotide synthesis).
• Possess in-depth knowledge of controls, instruments, design, construction, electrical, operation, and automation of such process equipment.

Routine Support

• Communicate with customers, by phone, via e-mail, and in person regarding service visits: planning, scheduling, scope, expected duration, shipment of parts and/or tools, and expected resources the customer may need to supply.
• PM parts tracking in coordination with OFT.
• Perform mechanical, electrical, and software routine maintenance and repairs safely at a customer’s site with no direct supervision, and while positively representing AKBA.
• Observe, diagnose, and repair a broad range of mechanical, electrical, or controls-related issues with automation assistance. Independently diagnose problems, research solutions, and leverage a wide array of resources such as product/instrument user manuals, testing with service utilities, contacting a component manufacturer directly, personal professional networks & experience, etc.
• Perform equipment Site Acceptance Testing, start-up, and training of new products and perform end-user re-training as necessary, independently or in assistance alongside a Project Engineer.
• Maintain service support database including service history files for customers and AKBA.
• Follow-up on routine support with visit report and ensure closure of any open action items for both internal and customer items.
• Maintain Field Service assets and ensure consistent calibration status.
• Facilitate tracking and renewing of service contracts.

Emergency / Off-Schedule Support

• Serve as first point of contact for an emergency product failure in the field – calm the customer, clarify the problem, collect relevant historical perspective, identify root causes and propose solutions. Take corrective action required to minimize customer downtime.
• In cases when remote support is unable to resolve an issue, be available to travel on short notice to a customer’s site to remedy the problem.

Relationships and People

• Serve as the first point of contact for customer complaints and problem resolution by documenting the customer’s concern; attempting remote diagnosis based on experience, context, technical knowledge, and customer feedback; and developing and communicating a corrective action plan, ensuring delivery on all commitments.
• Schedule customer visits for maintenance and repairs, arrange travel, parts shipments, and customs clearance, and ensure alignment of expectations.
• Maintain a strong working relationship with Sales, promoting renewal of service contracts and helping educate the customer on maintenance best practices and available service capabilities.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Act as an ambassador of the organization.
• Adopt a 5-S and safety-first mentality throughout workspaces and responsibilities.
• Promptly submit service reports and preventative maintenance datasheets to the customer.
• Document corrective actions and share with Engineering, Quality, and Sales teams.
• Manage customer complaints in the CRM system.
• Provide input in design discussions of new equipment from a service perspective.
• Participate in new equipment FATs in Glenview as available.
• Perform additional tasks as assigned by management reporting chain.

Requirements

• Ability to travel and work onsite at customer facilities within Americas.
• Technical or trade school degree required.
• Bachelor’s Degree in life science field preferred.
• 1+ years’ working with process equipment (preferably in pharmaceutical industry).
• Exceptional ability to troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, and automation issues.
• Familiarity with pumps, valves, instrumentation (flow meters, pressure transmitters, conductivity sensors, pH measurement, UV optical absorbance spectroscopy), fittings, and analytical measurement tools.
• Familiarity with Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001:2015 preferred) and current Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Awareness of personal strengths, weaknesses, and impact of decisions on wider team, department, and company.
• Eagerness to learn new technical information, new processes, and new skills.
• Willingness to assist outside of everyday responsibilities when required.
• Demonstration of these qualities: energetic, positive, strong interpersonal communicator, detail-oriented, ethics-minded, problem-solver, adaptable, team-oriented, customer-focused, and self-motivated.

Physical Demands / Environmental Conditions

• Travel to visit domestic and international customer sites for maintenance, verification, training, ad-hoc service, emergency service, equipment installations, or other activities as required (50-70% of working days).
• Occasional exposure to pressurized liquids, live electrical circuits, and/or chemical solutions requiring proper personal protective equipment (provided).
• Ability to lift 50 lbs. unassisted.

Pay

The base compensation range for this role is $75,000–$83,000. Base compensation is influenced by many factors including, but not limited to: time in the role, previous experience, skills, knowledge, performance, work requirements, internal equity, and business / economic conditions.