Customer Support Engineer

PerkinElmer; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 420,000 - 720,000; Full time

Job summary

PerkinElmer in Cape Town, South Africa, is seeking a Customer Support Engineer to bridge their advanced product suite with high‑value customer sites. The role emphasizes on‑site deployment, optimization, and ensuring system integrity across complex instruments.

You will lead proactive maintenance, troubleshoot at an expert level, and collaborate with sales and service teams to promote service contracts. A bachelor’s in engineering and 4+ years of field service are expected, with up to 40%

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required.
• Min 4+ years of field service experience.
• Willingness to travel up to 40%.
• Valid driver's license.
• Excellent customer service and client relations.

Responsibilities

• Install and service complex instrumentation on-site.
• Diagnose and resolve advanced technical issues.
• Maintain equipment and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Coordinate with customers and internal teams to ensure uptime.
• Manage service contracts and SLA adherence.

Skills

Field service experience

Travel readiness up to 40%

Customer service

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

When joining PerkinElmer, you select an experienced and trusted leader in scientific solutions, with the support of a global service network and distribution centers, providing the right solution, at the right time, to meet critical customer needs. With over an 80+ year legacy of advancing science and a mission of innovating for a healthier world, our dedicated team collaborates closely with commercial, government, academic and healthcare customers to deliver our broad portfolio of analytical solutions, and OneSource services.

Job Title: Customer Support Engineer

Location(s): Cape Town, South Africa

Job Description

The Company

The “new” PerkinElmer business, a newly independent company as of March 13, 2023, is a global analytical services and solutions provider with offerings including the leading OneSource Field and Laboratory services business that serve the biopharma, food, environmental, safety and applied end markets to accelerate scientific outcomes. Since 1937, PerkinElmer has served as a trusted partner in laboratory analysis and management and today complements its service offerings with a broad portfolio of atomic spectroscopy, molecular spectroscopy, and chromatography instruments, consumables, and reagents. With a dedicated team of more than 6,000 team members, the Company serves customers in more than 35 countries. Additional information is available at www.perkinelmer.com.

Job Overview

The Customer Service Engineer serves as the critical interface between the organization’s cutting‑edge product suite and high‑value client environments. This role is responsible for seamless deployment, continuous optimization, and rigorous technical integrity of complex systems. By combining deep architectural knowledge with hands‑on technical agility, the incumbent ensures that technology implementations provide maximum strategic value and operational reliability.

Core Functions

• System Architecture & Deployment: Execute the end-to-end implementation of proprietary and third‑party software configurations, ensuring alignment with bespoke customer requirements and industry best practices.
• Infrastructure Management: Oversee the installation, integration, and performance tuning of critical hardware components and peripheral ecosystems.
• Proactive Lifecycle Support: Lead on‑site maintenance initiatives and system enhancements to ensure long‑term stability and scalability of existing technological assets.
• Advanced Problem Resolution: Diagnose and remediate high‑level technical discrepancies through systematic troubleshooting and root‑cause analysis, minimizing downtime and optimizing system throughput.
• Strategic Product Integration: Maintain an expert‑level understanding of internal product roadmaps and diverse third‑party vendor integrations to facilitate the development of robust, future‑proof customer applications.

Responsibilities

• SLA Compliance & Reliability: Ensure world‑class service delivery by strictly adhering to Service Level Agreements (SLAs), consistently meeting response time targets and minimizing equipment downtime for all assigned accounts.
• Precision Technical Support: Provide high‑visibility on‑site support, encompassing the seamless installation, advanced troubleshooting, and complex repair of sophisticated instrumentation and systems.
• Preventive Infrastructure Care: Systematically execute scheduled preventive maintenance programs to forestall equipment failure and maximize long‑term instrument performance.
• Lifecycle Management: Own the end‑to‑end technical lifecycle of field assets, from initial installation through warranty support and post‑warranty maintenance.

Strategic Growth & Commercial Impact

• Revenue Generation & Contract Retention: Drive business sustainability by managing billable service calls and proactively promoting Service Contracts to ensure continuous customer coverage.
• Market Intelligence & Lead Generation: Identify and qualify sales opportunities for accessories and consumables, acting as a strategic partner to the commercial team.
• Productivity Optimization: Develop and implement localized productivity strategies designed to deliver measurable quarterly impacts on regional business performance.
• Data‑Driven Innovation: Extract and analyse field data to provide actionable insights that drive operational excellence and process improvements.

Asset Management & Quality Compliance

• Inventory Integrity: Maintain meticulous records of personal service spares and inventory, ensuring a high standard of accountability and stock readiness.
• Regulatory & Safety Compliance: Ensure all assigned tools and test equipment are maintained to specification and calibrated within mandated timelines to guarantee service accuracy.
• Performance Accountability: Demonstrate rigorous compliance with all team KPIs and organizational targets, ensuring that technical anomalies are reported and resolved with urgency.

Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from relevant engineering faculty/department
• Min. 4+ years of service experience.
• Willingness to travel up to 40%
• Valid driver’s license
• Very good customer service and customer relations

Preferred Qualifications

Technical & Diagnostic Skills

• Multidisciplinary Aptitude: A mix of skills in precision mechanics, fluidics (pumps/tubing), and electronics.
• Systematic Troubleshooting: The ability to logically isolate issues—distinguishing between a mechanical failure, a software glitch, or a chemistry/application error.
• Software Proficiency: Familiarity with instrument control systems and basic IT networking.

Interpersonal & Professional Traits

• Customer Diplomacy: High EQ to manage stressed lab personnel and explain technical downtime clearly.
• Extreme Autonomy: Proven ability to manage a service territory, parts inventory, and a travel schedule without direct supervision.
• Resilience: Staying composed during complex, multi‑day repairs or when facing significant travel delays.

Compliance & Rigor

• Regulatory Knowledge: Familiarity with GLP/GMP environments and the "if it isn't written down, it did't happen" philosophy.
• Protocol Precision: High attention to detail when executing and documenting IQ/OQ/PQ (Installation, Operational, and Performance Qualifications).
• Safety Awareness: Strict adherence to chemical, biological, and electrical safety standards.

PerkinElmer is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics protected by applicable law.

PerkinElmer is committed to a culturally diverse workforce.

Are you ready to help improve the lives of millions of people and create a healthier world?

When you work at PerkinElmer, that’s exactly what you’ll do.

From our dedicated scientists and world‑class operations employees to our innovative R&D professionals and committed sales and service groups, we’re a unique team of 5,000+ global colleagues who come to work every day knowing we’re making a difference.

Through innovation, collaboration, and believing in our mission, we strive to create an inspiring and inclusive culture for our employees, so that they can be their best and, together, create a better tomorrow.

Join us today.