Product Support Engineer

Position: Product Support Engineer

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Director, Technical Support

Job Summary: The Product Support Engineer uses a high degree of technical knowledge and business acumen to support the Lumencor sales organization in responding to support inquiries from established and potential customers, managing demonstration unit deployment, issuing return material authorizations (RMAs), and answering complex technical product questions during and after the sales process.

Essential Functions:

1. Acquire, maintain and disseminate expert-level knowledge of the full Lumencor product portfolio (including both current and legacy products) and their applications.
2. Respond promptly to technical questions submitted by customers or Lumencor sales staff. Technical questions are submitted by phone, e-mail or website chat interface.
3. Log incoming technical questions, and responses provided to customers, in a CRM database (currently SalesForce).
4. Prepare for, set up, attend, and participate in Lumencor Trade Shows throughout the US.
5. Implement the Return Material Authorization (RMA) process to facilitate factory service of Lumencor products. Coordinate with the Service Manager to schedule repairs and outbound shipments. Prepare and send cost quotations for out-of-warranty repairs. Respond to customer questions on progress of repairs and estimated shipping dates.
6. Coordinate the deployment of Lumencor’s fleet of demonstration products, working with the sales team, the engineering service team and the customer service team.
7. Generate support documentation for installation and operation of Lumencor products.
8. Collaborate with sales teams to understand customer requirements, to promote the sale of company products, and to provide sales support.
9. Prepare and deliver technical presentations that explain products or services to customers and prospective customers.

Other Duties

Please note, this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Competencies

1. Customer Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer service. This includes timely response to inquiries and requests, assessment of customer needs, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
2. Information Protection — Ability to recognize and carry out the company’s requirements regarding protection of proprietary information. Understanding of the difference between proprietary (restricted) and customer-facing information. Ability to seek appropriate guidance if boundaries between restricted and customer-facing information are unclear.
3. Written Communication — Ability to assemble technical information from multiple sources into clear, concise standard English text for communication by e-mail. Ability to use tables, graphics and attached documents to enhance effectiveness of written communications.
4. Verbal Communication — Ability to assemble technical information from multiple sources into clear verbal communications to individuals and small groups.
5. Computer Skills — Proficiency with standard office desktop applications including e-mail, voice mail, calendar, word processing, spreadsheets and databases. Experience with video conferencing applications such as Microsoft Teams, Facetime, Zoom or WebEx.
6. Data analysis — Ability to extract data from databases and manipulate and analyze it in spreadsheets or plotting programs. Ability to define conclusions from analysis and present them to colleagues and customers.
7. Engineering and Technology — Knowledge of the practical application of microscopy techniques. Familiarity with life science applications that employ fluorescence microscopy. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures and equipment to the design of basic research.
8. Sales and Marketing — Knowledge of the role of technical support as part of the total value proposition in sales and marketing of technically-oriented products and services to technically-oriented customers. Understanding of warranties as part of a total value proposition and ability to evaluate qualifying and disqualifying circumstances.
9. Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. Ability to probe for missing information and establish full understanding in conversations with customers whose first language may not be English.
10. Troubleshooting — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. Ability to obtain clear statements of the problem by asking appropriate follow-up questions. Does not necessarily involve solving the problem, only recognizing it and producing a clear description for communication to colleagues and customers.

Education Training and Experience

This position requires:

1. PhD from an accredited college or university in Biology, Chemistry, Physics or related fields. Research experience in optics, lasers and/or microscopy preferred.
2. 1+ years of technical support experience, ideally in optics, lasers and/or microscopy.
3. A work history and proven record of problem solving and working independently.
4. Experience in reading schematics, mechanical drawings, assembly documents and test procedures.
5. Familiarity with customer-facing processes for ordering, shipping, returning and servicing of products.

Skills and Abilities

Language Skills:

English language fluency. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills:

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to solve practical problems. Ability to assess weighting of determining factors in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills:

Proficiency as an enduser of database software and programs. Strong proficiency in office suite programs, including Microsoft Office and Apple iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote). Basic knowledge of computer science concepts, including algorithms, data structures.

General Skills and Abilities:

Professionalism, Attention to Detail, Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Time Management, Active Listening, Judgement, Decision Making, Inductive and Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, and Speech Clarity.

Tools and Equipment

Microscope, optical power meter, digital multi-meter, external power supply, spectrometer, frequency counter, oscilloscope.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

Physical Demands

While performing the responsibilities of this job, the employee is required to talk and listen. Continual walking, standing, sitting, stooping, bending, kneeling, and reaching occurs, with some heavy lifting and carrying. The Product Support Engineer will occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.

Gross and fine motor skills, including movement control, finger dexterity, and sensitivity. The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Vision Requirements

The Product Support Engineer will be required to rely on close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, ability to adjust focus, and ability to see color.

Work Environment and Conditions

Due to the nature of the products manufactured at Lumencor, the Product Support Engineer may potentially be exposed to risk of electrical shock, to caustic or hazardous chemicals, to lasers, visible and non-visible light which may be harmful to the eye.

Noise Level

The Product Support Engineer will be exposed to moderate noise level; similar to a business office, or light traffic.