Field Service Engineer I

Asahi Kasei•Glenview, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

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. We offer a "big company" benefits package and a "small company" culture and work environment. Every employee at Asahi Kasei Bioprocess America can impact our future.

Requirements

Ability to travel and work onsite at customer facilities within Americas
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

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree in life science field preferred

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.
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.
Perform mechanical, electrical, and software routine maintenance and repairs safely at a customer’s site with no direct supervision, and while positively representing AKB.
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 & and 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 AKB.
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.
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.
Be available to travel on short notice to a customer’s site to remedy the problem when remote support is unable to resolve an issue.
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.
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.