Senior Technical Support Specialist

Waters Corporation • Wood Dale, IL

2d

About The Position

Waters Corporation is seeking a Senior Technical Support Specialist based at its Wood Dale, Illinois office in the greater Chicago area. The role provides advanced scientific and technical expertise in liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and informatics software, primarily supporting pre-sales activities and occasionally providing post-sales support. Working with Territory Account Managers, district sales teams, and customers, the specialist identifies technical requirements, develops application-based solutions, and delivers product demonstrations to support customer needs and business opportunities.

The position provides technical guidance and application support to laboratories across industries including Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences, Chemical Materials, Food, Environmental, Academia, and Government. It also oversees day-to-day operations of the District Demo Laboratory, keeping instrumentation operational, maintained, and ready for customer demonstrations, evaluations, and other technical activities. The role calls for technical proficiency, independence, problem-solving ability, collaboration, and strong communication skills.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• At least 5 years of hands-on experience with liquid chromatography (LC) and/or liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) instrumentation, including method development, optimization, and troubleshooting.
• Strong working knowledge of chromatography technologies, including HPLC and UHPLC.
• Experience with chromatography data systems and scientific software, such as Empower, MassLynx, waters_connect, or equivalent platforms.
• Understanding of scientific laboratory workflows, including instrument control, data acquisition, processing, and data management.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex analytical challenges, develop effective solutions, and work independently with minimal supervision.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to present scientific and technical information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Ability to prepare technical documentation, demonstration reports, scientific presentations, and application-related materials.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, including managing multiple priorities and coordinating laboratory activities.
• Ability to collaborate with customers, sales teams, and technical colleagues, share knowledge, and support the development of others.
• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 10–20%, including local and overnight travel.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Waters instrumentation and software, including ACQUITY UPLC, mass spectrometers, Empower, MassLynx, and waters_connect.
• Working knowledge of advanced separation and mass spectrometry technologies, such as SFC, Preparative LC, QDa, single quadrupole, tandem quadrupole, and time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
• Experience conducting customer demonstrations, delivering technical presentations, or providing applications support in a commercial environment.
• Experience managing or coordinating laboratory operations, including instrumentation maintenance, inventory management, and equipment readiness.
• Familiarity with scientific informatics systems, including CDS, SDMS, LIMS, and ELN.
• Knowledge of regulated laboratory environments, including GLP, GMP, GxP, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and computerized system validation.
• Experience in mass spectrometry and other separation techniques.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to sales targets by providing technical expertise and application support throughout the sales process.
• Work with district sales teams to identify customer requirements, develop application-based solutions, and introduce and demonstrate Waters laboratory products to prospective customers.
• Present and demonstrate the features, capabilities, and benefits of Waters products and application solutions to diverse audiences.
• Develop, optimize, and document chromatographic and LC-MS applications to address customer needs and support sales opportunities.
• Troubleshoot complex LC and LC-MS application issues and provide technical guidance to customers and internal teams.
• Coordinate with customers and internal stakeholders to support successful implementation of application solutions and customer satisfaction.
• Manage the District Demo Laboratory, including instrument inventory, daily operations, equipment readiness, maintenance coordination, and availability for customer demonstrations and evaluations.
• Collaborate with Technical Support Specialists, Field Service, and internal technical teams to resolve challenges and deliver customer solutions.
• Maintain current knowledge of Waters products, separation sciences, vertical market dynamics, emerging application trends, and relevant competitive technologies.
• Apply scientific and technical expertise to address customer challenges and expand market opportunities.
• Develop reusable, well-documented technical resources, such as application notes, scientific posters, and technical presentations.
• Provide feedback to Product Management and Marketing to support business development initiatives, product launches, and continuous product improvement.
• Share technical knowledge with team members to strengthen the capabilities of the TSS organization.
• Independently manage technical priorities and customer engagements using sound judgment and problem-solving skills.
• Participate in district strategic business planning by contributing technical insights and identifying business growth opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior