Customer Support Engineer

Wärtsilä Corporation; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO 17 days/year

12 company-paid holidays

Job summary

Wärtsilä North America seeks a Customer Support Engineer to act as the on-site technical and operational representative at customer power plants under LTSA or other service agreements.

You will be the primary technical contact, ensuring safe, reliable plant operations and a seamless transition from commissioning to commercial operation, with a focus on performance, maintenance planning, and asset lifecycle support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics or related engineering.
• 8+ years of experience in power generation, operations, maintenance or commissioning.
• Strong understanding of plant systems and integration across mechanical/electrical/automation.
• Proficiency with engine monitoring and diagnostic tools.
• Clear written and verbal English communication with customers.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Wärtsilä’s primary on-site technical representative and trusted advisor to the customer.
• Support commissioning, start-up, handover and operational readiness activities.
• Provide technical guidance and troubleshooting to plant operations and maintenance teams.
• Coordinate with internal experts to resolve issues and improve plant performance.
• Prepare clear technical reports and communicate findings to stakeholders.
• Maintain strong customer relationships and support long-term service objectives.

Skills

Technical communication

Troubleshooting

Customer liaison

On-site work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics or related engineering

Tools

Engine monitoring tools

MS Office

Job description

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Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Work model:On-site, Monday through Friday

About the Position

Wärtsilä is looking for aCustomer Support Engineer (CSE)to serve as our on-site technical and operational representative at customer power plants supported under Long-Term Service Agreements (LTSA) or other service agreements.

As part of the Agreement Management team, you will be the primary technical point of contact for the customer, helping ensure safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations. You will develop a holistic understanding of the power plant, including operations, maintenance, reliability, performance, safety, spare parts, warranties, and asset lifecycle requirements.

The role may begin during commissioning and start-up to support knowledge transfer, operational readiness, and a smooth transition into commercial operation.

What You Will Be Doing

As a Customer Support Engineer, your responsibilities will include:

• Serve as Wärtsilä’s primary on-site technical representative and trusted advisor to the customer.
• Participate in the customer’s daily operations and maintain a strong understanding of the plant as an integrated system.
• Support commissioning, start-up, plant handover, and operational readiness activities when required.
• Provide technical guidance and troubleshooting support to plant operations and maintenance teams.
• Support minor and unplanned maintenance activities, equipment failure investigations, warranty‑related matters, and repair efforts.
• Coordinate with Wärtsilä’s internal technical experts to facilitate timely issue resolution.
• Monitor plant performance, reliability, and equipment condition, identifying potential risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Support maintenance planning and optimization based on the customer’s service agreement and long‑term operational objectives.
• Assist with outage preparation, spare parts planning, and asset lifecycle initiatives.
• Work closely with the Agreement Manager by providing technical insights, operational feedback, and recommendations.
• Prepare clear technical reports and communicate plant conditions, findings, and recommended actions to relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain strong customer relationships and support a collaborative approach between the customer and Wärtsilä.

Requirements

To be successful in this role, we expect you to have:

• A bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent relevant technical experience.
• 8+ years of relevant experience in power generation, operations, maintenance, commissioning, or technical support.
• Strong operational knowledge of power plants and the ability to understand the interaction between mechanical, electrical, automation, and operational systems.
• Experience with gas engine technologies; knowledge of Wärtsilä SG and/or DF engines is considered a strong advantage.
• Experience with engine monitoring, diagnostic, or plant performance tools.
• Knowledge of maintenance planning, troubleshooting, spare parts management, and equipment failure investigation.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a proactive and customer‑focused approach.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly to customers, plant personnel, and internal stakeholders.
• Professional English communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly for technical reporting and documentation.
• Ability to work on‑site in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Why You and Us

You will succeed in this role if you are a proactive technical and operational advisor who can see the power plant as an integrated system. You build trusted customer relationships, take ownership of technical matters, and identify opportunities to improve safety, reliability, efficiency, and long‑term asset performance.

At Wärtsilä, you will collaborate with customers and technical experts while contributing to the continued growth of our Agreement Management operations in the region.

Candidates for regular U.S and Puerto Rico positions must be a U.S. citizen, national, or an alien admitted as permanent resident, refugee, asylee with valid work permit or temporary resident under 8 U.S.C. 1160(a) or 1255a(1). Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F‑1, H‑1, H1B, H‑2, L, B, J, or TN or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire.

• Eligibility to participate in: the discretionary incentive plan assigned to the level of position upon offer of employment; medical, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) plan and flexible spending accounts, subject to plan terms; Company-paid benefits such as life insurance, short- and long-term disability, subject to applicable waiting periods.
• Paid time off (PTO) is WÄRTSILÄ NORTH AMERICA, INC. accrued on a per-pay period basis in accordance with tenure in the Company; a new hire can expect 17 days per year.
• Twelve (12) Company‑paid holidays.

Individuals hired for positions that require on‑site customer interactions and/or in‑person travel may be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID‑19 or other country‑specific vaccinations, unless otherwise prohibited by law.

Wärtsilä North America values our employees. We offer a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package. Wärtsilä North America is an EOE/AA employer.

At Wärtsilä we value, respect and embrace all our differences, and are committed to diversity, inclusion and equal employment opportunities; everyone can be their true self and succeed based on their job‑relevant merits and abilities.

Effective January 2025, Wartsila companies in the USA have implemented a new hybrid work model. Most employees who live within 40 miles of an office will work 2 days per week in office. This model will provide our employees the flexibility of working from home, while also providing the benefits of in‑person collaboration twice a week. We will be happy to provide more information during your interview process.

Please note that according to Wärtsilä policy, voluntary consent for a security check may be required from candidates being considered for this position, depending on the applicable country.

Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. Our team of 18,300 professionals, in more than 230 locations in 77 countries, shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. Read more onwww.wartsila.com .