Field Service Representative
Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Among some of the earliest innovators in driverless technology, Forterra focuses on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in the industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, harnessing the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.
About the role
The Field Service Representative (FSR) is a senior individual contributor who operates with full independence across all aspects of field service — technical execution, customer relationship ownership, and cross-functional contribution. Reporting to the Field Service Manager or Director of Customer Success, the FSR owns a portfolio of customer accounts, exercises independent judgment in the field, and serves as the trusted technical authority for both customer stakeholders and internal teams. The FSR assesses situations, determines the right course of action, and is accountable for the outcomes of those decisions.
The FSR owns the customer relationship end-to-end and resolves complex, ambiguous, and non-routine situations through advanced knowledge and independent judgment.
Responsibilities
- Account & Customer Relationship Management
- Own the end-to-end customer relationship at assigned accounts — managing operational readiness, navigating complex customer situations with independent judgment, and serving as the trusted technical authority for customer stakeholders.
- Proactively manage account health, surfacing risks and issues to internal teams before they affect customer satisfaction or contractual compliance.
- Navigate difficult customer conversations — including escalations, unmet expectations, or contractual tensions — independently and in a way that strengthens the relationship.
- Represent Forterra professionally and credibly in all customer-facing settings, including high-visibility engagements.
- Technical Expertise, Troubleshooting, and Maintenance
- Diagnose complex hardware-software issues, perform advanced repairs, and lead technical execution at customer sites with full independence.
- Identify trends in system performance and translate them into structured, actionable feedback for engineering and product teams.
- Exercise sound judgment in deciding when to escalate versus resolve in the field — and is accountable for those decisions.
- Training Delivery & Development
- Lead delivery of customer and internal training programs, ensuring customers are proficient on equipment operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
- Contribute to improving training materials based on firsthand field experience and customer feedback.
- Help develop FST I and FST II colleagues into more capable and independent contributors.
- Documentation & Product Feedback
- Produce detailed technical summaries, field reports, and customer communications that serve as models for junior team members.
- Proactively surface field observations, account risks, and product feedback to internal teams without being asked.
- Identify systemic product or process issues and communicate them clearly to engineering, product, and program leadership.
- Field Planning & Execution
- Plan and manage site visits across multiple customer accounts with a high degree of independence.
- Anticipate customer needs, proactively coordinate with internal teams, and adjust plans in real time when field conditions change.
- Contribute to broader Field Service planning by surfacing account-level insights that inform resource allocation and scheduling decisions.
- Mentorship & Team Development
- Serve as the go-to mentor for the team across technical, customer relationship, and field execution topics.
- Develop FST I and FST II colleagues into increasingly capable and independent contributors, helping them understand not just the how but the why behind field service decisions.
- Champion process improvements and follow up to ensure the team executes to standard.
- Travel & Field Operations
- Manage a complex portfolio of customer accounts across multiple sites, including potential international assignments.
- Ensure compliance with all safety standards during travel and field operations.
- Ability to travel up to 75%, including internationally and in hazard zones.
Requirements
- 5+ years of experience in a field service or customer-facing technical role, ideally supporting hardware-software integrated products.
- Demonstrated track record of owning customer relationships and delivering results independently.
- Expert-level ability to diagnose and resolve complex hardware-software issues without guidance.
- Proven ability to translate field observations into structured product feedback for engineering and product teams.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
- Ability to travel up to 75%, including internationally and in hazard zones.
Preferred Qualifications
- Relevant degree in engineering, electronics, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent professional certification.
- Experience mentoring and developing junior field service staff.
- Prior experience supporting autonomous systems, robotics, or defense-related platforms.
- Familiarity with military or government customer environments.
Benefits
- Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.
- Insurance: Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
- Holidays & Time Off: Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December. Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
- Parental Leave: A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.
- Professional Development: A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
- Perks: Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with Celsius energy drinks.
- Retirement: 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.
- Equity: Equity in Forterra is included in most full-time, high-demand roles.
Pay
The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and other factors. Equity is considered part of Forterra’s overall compensation package.