A field service engineer is a person who designs, installs, or repairs technology-related equipment. An engineer, for example, can work in the public or private sector and in the fields of electronics or biomedicine. Instead of working from a single location, people in this profession perform repairs and installations on-site at the customer’s home or place of business. The job description is fairly consistent across the trade, but it varies slightly depending on sub-specializations. A bachelor’s degree from a college or university, or equivalent training, is usually required to work as a field service engineer.
Technically, there is no specific training or education required to work as a field service engineer, and any formally educated engineer who installs or repairs electronics at a job site can likely do this job. Engineers can work in the public or private sectors, but private sector electronics manufacturing companies are the most common employers. Engineers are frequently hired businesses to consult with customers who are looking to buy equipment or install it, as well as to train the customer’s employees on how to use it.
Field-testing and designing equipment are also part of the job. A person in this position may be asked to examine blueprints for potential flaws in a design or to develop installation procedures. Additionally, the engineer’s job description may include installing and operating equipment at test sites to ensure a product’s efficacy.
A field service engineer’s primary responsibility is to identify and repair equipment problems at a customer’s location. Someone in the field is expected to resolve the problem quickly and without interfering with the client’s work flow. These engineers are rarely directly supervised and occasionally supervise the work of repair or installation technicians. As a result, the person hired for this position should be self-motivated and capable of leading others.
Because these engineers spend the majority of their time at the client’s office or job site, anyone interested in working in this field should be willing to travel and have a clean driving record. He or she should also be able to communicate effectively with customers and teach them about the products. The majority of people in this field have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, but some employers prefer people with on-the-job or military experience.