Field Service Engineer I

About the role

The Asahi Kasei Group operates with a commitment of creating for tomorrow. Our business sectors, Material, Homes, and Health Care, contribute to the development of society by anticipating the changing needs of those around the world. We look for candidates that offer a fresh perspective and a variety of skills to help us achieve our commitment.

We are currently seeking applications to fill the following job opening at Asahi Kasei Bioprocess where we sell Planova® virus removal filters and develops and manufactures related bioprocess equipment.

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. 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.

As an Asahi Kasei Bioprocess America employee, you will enjoy

• Strong company culture
• Competitive Compensation with Bonuses
• Great health benefits with the company paying over 80% of insurance premiums
• Wellness Program
• Paid Time Off
• Strong company match to 401(k) contributions
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Giving Program
• Paid Parental Leave

Position Summary

We are currently looking for a Field Service Engineer I to join our team at AKBA! The individual in this role will 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.

Duties/Responsibilities

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 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

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
• Additional tasks as assigned by management reporting chain

Qualifications/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 and benefits

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.

Please note, we will not be providing immigration-related sponsorship now or in the future for this role.

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