Field Services Engineer

Scope of the Role

As a Field Support Engineer (FSE), this role will oversee the delivery of top quality, professional technical support to all customers who utilize Tait radio products and solutions.  A significant portion of the job is mentoring and training other engineers, customers and dealers.

The FSE is the primary technical interface between the customer and the Tait organization following the delivery of a Tait product or system.  You will provide remote and on-site technical support for Tait equipment, systems and services.  The role is also the Lead technical resource for TAM sales and engineering team in support of sales development activities to generate new orders for Tait equipment, systems and services. 

The FSE encompasses broad and well developed technical skills. The role serves as the Subject Matter Expert and will require the operation and configuration of complex systems and the diagnosis of non-conforming functionality to an operating system level.

Functional Outcomes

Requirements capture

• Field System Support problem diagnosis and network restoration
• Product and System Support telephone assistance
• Provide technical support to customers and take full ownership of those issues until resolution
• Assist with problem diagnosis and resolution in accordance with the Support Contract terms
• Log all new issues onto the Tait issue database as necessary
• Onsite staging, commissioning, installation, and upgrade project plans.
• Specification of FAT / CAT / SAT.
• Sizing and costing of phases, actions and tasks.
• Work with the sales team in defining systems design, build, and commissioning costs
• Understand contractual commercial terms & constraints as they apply to the project.

Build, install, commission, & upgrade systems

• Critical examination & review of system build & design solution.
• Negotiation & on site management of CSO & Third party resources.
• Ensure that customer & relevant Tait personnel are aware of project plan time frames and are updated on progress.
• When on site, manage the project according to the time frames.
• Perform FAT / CAT / SAT.
• Apply technical & commercial experience to satisfy additional requirements without consultation but within the contractual boundaries.
• Facilitate, co-ordinate, deliver customer onsite training as required.
• Plan, facilitate, co-ordinate, participate in product field trials.

Post customer visit & ongoing support:

• Initiate feedback to Product Management, Design Support and Development using the appropriate Tait process e.g. Service Module, TIMS, Trip Reports. Key areas for feedback should include:
• Upon return from field trips provide a report detailing the status of the equipment and customer problems encountered and corrective actions undertaken.
• Raise technical issues taking appropriate corrective actions.
• Additional commercial opportunities identified.
• Assist in the prioritisation by identifying the impact on the customer and or the customer's business.
• Full investigation of the issues, test using appropriate test equipment and systems, verify and classify.
• Follow up these actions within Tait.
• In consultation with other Tait stakeholders provide rapid feedback with possible resolution or offer a work around with final resolution suggestions and target dates.
• Keep an active list of unresolved issues and regularly follow up with involved parties.
• Ensure the customer's expectations of the product are in line with what the product is capable of.
• Proactive monitoring of deployed systems which may include actioning some or all of the outcomes as identified above.

General

• The FSE is expected to assist in setting work standards and in acting as a role model and as a coach for the other members of the team.
• Where new members join the team, the FSE is expected to review their work, assist with their training and act as their support and coach.
• In the absence of the Manager it is expected that the FSE will stand in for the Manager on those occasions
• The position will require the employee to be on call as required to meet the obligations of various support contracts and support operations requirements.

Travel

• The role will require moderate to heavy travel.
• International travel may be required
• Ability to travel at short notice

 Internal Relationships

• Other Support staff in North America
• Tait North American Staff in other departments
• Support staff and the Support Managers in TEL in Christchurch

External Relationships

• Tait dealers and end users
• Third party equipment suppliers

Person Specification

Experience Requirements

• At least 3 years in a wireless communications repair or maintenance technical role
• Prefer at least 3 years experience with Land Mobile Radio equipment, trunking systems and simulcast systems
• A highly developed practical knowledge of radio systems, including RF system design and installation.
• Software skills or aptitude in this field including an understanding of Linux based operating systems
• Strong organisational and leadership ability.
• Project Planning and project management skills
• Highly developed customer service and diplomacy skills
• Aptitude to deal confidently/persuasively with customers.
• Flexibility and willingness to tackle any task

 Professional Engineer:

• Fully developed diagnostic skills that enable the resolution of a broad range of technical issues across a wide range of Tait and competitor products.
• Demonstrates up-to-date knowledge in the discipline by contributions in technical discussions, writing technical papers / studies and delivering presentations as requested.
• Communication skills demonstrated by written contributions and verbal presentations.
• Training and mentoring other engineers in their work. This will be shown by others improving in their performance of skills already held or by the others acquiring new skills.
• Leadership by demonstration of innovation and depth of knowledge.
• Able to assess another engineer's capability for a given task or function.
• Keep up to date with Tait and competitive products and emerging technologies that impact our industry.

Knowledge Requirements

• Detailed knowledge of mobile telecommunications networks and systems
• Detailed knowledge of RF technologies and practices
• Detailed knowledge of Windows operations systems
• Detailed knowledge of network standards, protocols and hardware
• Detailed knowledge of TCP/IP

Personal Attributes

• Excellent communication skills, and the ability to work co-operatively in a close-knit team.
• Empathy for the customer and the ability to communicate that.
• Honesty, integrity and professionalism
• An eye for detail while still being able to see things in a broader context

Educational Requirements

• A minimum of an Associate of Science in Electronic Technology or equivalent military or industrial training.