Senior Field Applications Engineer - South Central Region

Uponor is rethinking water for future generations. Our offering, including safe drinking water delivery, energy-efficient radiant heating and cooling and reliable infrastructure, enables a more sustainable living environment. We help our customers in residential and commercial construction, municipalities, and utilities, as well as different industries to work faster and smarter.

The Senior Field Engineer is primarily responsible for performing advanced, complex onsite and product evaluations regarding failure or performance issues that have occurred involving all Uponor products. They must apply technical expertise and knowledge of both residential and commercial buildings while working as part of a highly focused team. Also, they will use analysis techniques and tools to help determine probable mechanisms, contributing factors and primary root cause point of occurrence of complex and unique customer problems. This individual will deliver exceptional customer service in an equitable manner to our customers when performing investigations. While leading the field portion of the investigation, this individual will perform timely and accurate analysis, prepare reports, and present findings to both internal/external stakeholders for efficient and effective resolution of the issue. The Senior Field Engineer will manage and investigate several projects simultaneously while proposing customer remediation plan(s) and reduction of risk and cost to Uponor and the customer. This person will demonstrate teamwork within the Product Quality team, and collaborate regularly with other cross-functional departments including warranty, sales, training and marketing a providing detailed reporting of onsite and/or product failure assessments and learnings.

This role is considered a REMOTE position. The ideal candidate will be located in the South-Central region of the US.

What will you do?

• Prepare and oversee the preparation of approved onsite and joint examinations by scheduling with necessary stakeholders and providing required protocols and sampling plans to conduct physical assessments of property and/or products.

• Provide expert forensic analysis while performing detailed field and onsite inspections, property and installation assessments by conducting walk-through surveys and documenting the accessible and visible major Uponor related systems. Confirming as-built system design, layout, materials, equipment and their respective condition.

• Lead and manage the project resolution for Uponor plumbing and/or building mechanical products and systems installed in various types of single family and commercial building types.

• Conducts interviews as necessary with the owner (or their on-site representative), tenants, service providers, contractors, and other individuals knowledgeable about the subject property and the history of incidents.

• Performs field testing and other applicable field measurements necessary to help understand and solve the issue.

• Apply a practical working knowledge of building practices and operation to systematically obtain and review all pertinent construction documentation to properly ascertain if Uponor and other peripheral components have been designed, installed, and maintained properly while following local and state codes as well as Uponor guidelines and industry best practice.

• Collect written and photo documentation on structures representative interiors, common areas, exterior walls, fit and finish, etc.

• Assist with onsite, external and/or Uponor laboratory invasive forensic testing as needed.

• Prepare detailed written onsite and joint inspection reports and assessments outlining the risk profile, contributing factors, inspection briefings and management presentations as needed.

• Compile, store and organize inspection and failure analysis data in proper database for reporting, later analysis and report creation.

• Maintains project-by-project communication with various stakeholders keeping them informed of any actual or potential problems, including updates of when reports will be complete.

• Provide proactive solutions to resolve customer issues and address their concerns.

• Work with Product Quality engineers to coordinate extra sample testing to evaluate the state of the Uponor components throughout inspection site and building (i.e. various suites, floors and areas of building)

• Effectively communicates product performance learnings from onsite and joint inspections to aid in relevant corrective actions, technical product/system training and technical literature support development.

• If necessary, manage investigation and litigation support projects (e.g. depositions, trials, mediation and arbitration) and provide expert testimony as needed for assigned projects.

• Advises management on necessary action regarding possible litigation.

Seeks out opportunities to contribute to the business success through proactive involvement in team initiatives.

What will you need?

• This position requires a minimum Bachelors Degree (B.S.) in engineering or relevant technical discipline with 10-15 years of experience.

• Minimum of 5+ years combined in one or more of the following areas: forensic engineering/ building sciences or investigation, building or facility management/engineering, construction consulting and design (mechanical or plumbing), field/onsite engineering

• 5+ years onsite inspection experience is required

• Exceptional problem solving and failure analysis skills with strong, demonstrated attention to detail. Ability to solve complex, multi-faceted problems using various problem-solving techniques. Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

• Strong data interpretation with established proficiency at both technical and business writing; effective report writing is critical. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form, including construction designs, drawings, codes and standards literature, etc.

• Strong project management, organizational and analytical skills with attention to detail with a high quality of work in a dynamic environment. Utilizes a proactive and persistent approach and demonstrates a sense of urgency in accordance with the issue. Must be able to efficiently manage time when under pressure to meet deadlines while balancing the needs of multiple projects and customers at one time.

• Direct experience dealing with difficult or emotional customer situations.

• Excellent leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with clients and employees at all levels of the organization, with ability to make rational decisions and exercise good judgement when onsite and in front of customers regarding observations, analysis methods and communication of results.

• Understands business implications of decisions; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process.

• Strong and demonstrated computer skills and experience with MS Office software (including Word, Excel, Outlook, Project, Power Point). Proficient in (or able to learn) SalesForce, Monday.Com, Microsoft Teams and other digital collaboration and reporting tools. Ability to use and skillfully operate an electronic tablet efficiently in the field for live data collection will be essential to this position.

• Proficiency in photography and video

• This position requires an individual with the flexibility to travel to jobsites and external labs within the US and Canadian locations (likely up to 50-75+% travel). Work flexible schedule during periods of peak business demand. Ability to be reasonably on-call as necessary to support our customers which may include evenings and weekends. On-sites typically are one or two days per visit, but can occur up to one continuous week at a time As a general expectation, travel and on-site work is anticipated and expected.

Preferred:

• Professional Engineering (P.E.) license in applicable field. Ability to become licensed in additional states or Canadian provinces if necessary (NCEES).

• Familiarity with various plumbing and building codes - IBC, IMC, IECC, IFGC, IPC, NFPA, ASHRAE 90.1, ASPE, etc.

• Demonstrated hands on lab experience using both analytical and mechanical lab test equipment.

• Experience in MEP consulting, design, and building engineering services environment and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the on-site duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to:

• sit

• stand

• walk (for most of an 8-hour work day and up to 3 to 4 continuous hours at one time)

• climb steps

• Climb ladders (including vertical ladders up multiple stories) and/or steep roof stairs (for each building assessed, at least once per on-site assessment)

• Ability to travel, on average, approximately 50% to 75% of time to client sites across the U.S. and Canada via plane and/or driving.

• balance

• stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl (to observe basement and grade-level crawl spaces, and/or to read equipment data plates when necessary)

• talk and hear

• occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds

• use hands to finger, handle, or feel

• reach with hands and arms

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus

What will you get?

Competitive salary and benefits

Four weeks PTO + 10 paid holidays

401k match up to 4%, fully vested on day one of enrollment

Join us to connect ideas, build solutions and inspire curiosity together. Apply today.