Field Applications Engineer

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 Field Applications Engineer is primarily responsible for performing onsite evaluations regarding performance issues that have occurred involving all Uponor or GFBFS-AM products. They must apply technical expertise and knowledge of residential homes and light commercial buildings while working as part of a highly focused team. This individual will use analysis techniques and tools to help determine probable mechanisms, contributing factors and primary root cause point of occurrence of unique customer problems. This individual will deliver exceptional customer service in an equitable manner to our customers when performing investigations while onsite. 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 customer issue. The Field Applications Engineer will manage and investigate several projects simultaneously while proposing customer remediation plan(s) and reduction of risk and cost to GFBFS-AM 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 providing detailed reporting of onsite and/or product performance assessments and learnings.

The Field Applications Engineer is responsible for conducting onsite evaluations of performance issues related to all Uponor or GF BFS-AM products. This role requires applying technical expertise and knowledge of residential and light commercial buildings while collaborating within a highly focused team. Using analytical techniques and tools, the technician will identify probable causes, contributing factors, and the primary root cause of customer-reported issues.

Committed to delivering exceptional customer service, this individual will lead field investigations, ensuring timely and accurate analysis, report preparation, and presentation of findings to internal and external stakeholders for effective issue resolution. The technician will manage multiple investigations simultaneously, proposing remediation plans that minimize risk and cost for both GF BFS-AM and the customer.

Additionally, this role involves working closely with the Product Quality team and collaborating with departments such as warranty, sales, training, and marketing, providing detailed reports on onsite evaluations and product performance insights.

This role is considered a REMOTE position which will require up to 75% travel throughout the continental United States and Canada.

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.
• Plan and coordinate approved onsite and joint examinations by scheduling with relevant stakeholders and providing necessary protocols and sampling plans for conducting physical assessments of properties and/or products.
• 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.
• Conduct detailed field inspections, onsite evaluations, and property and installation assessments, including walk-through surveys to document major Uponor-related systems that are accessible and visible. Verify as-built system design, layout, materials, equipment, and overall condition.
• Assist in the project resolution for Uponor plumbing and/or building mechanical products and systems installed in various types of residential buildings such as single-family homes, townhomes and select light commercial properties.
• Support project resolution for Uponor plumbing and building mechanical products and systems installed in various residential buildings, including single-family homes, townhomes, and select light commercial properties.
• Conducts interviews as necessary with the owner (or the on-site representative), tenants, service providers, contractors, and other individuals knowledgeable about the subject property and the history of incidents.
• Conduct interviews with property owners, onsite representatives, tenants, service providers, contractors, and other individuals familiar with the property and its incident history.
• Performs field testing and other applicable field measurements necessary to help understand and solve the issue.
• Perform field testing and relevant measurements to aid in diagnosing and resolving issues effectively.
• Apply a practical working knowledge of building, plumbing and mechanical practices and operation to systematically obtain and review all pertinent documentation to properly ascertain if Uponor/GFBFS-AM products 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.
• Utilize practical knowledge of building, plumbing, and mechanical systems to systematically review relevant documentation, ensuring Uponor or GF BFS-AM products and related components have been designed, installed, and maintained in compliance with local and state codes, Uponor guidelines, and industry best practices.
• Collect written and photo documentation of the installation and equipment as part of the mechanical/plumbing systems and representative property interiors, common areas, exterior walls, fit and finish, etc.
• Gather written and photographic documentation of installations, equipment, and mechanical/plumbing systems, including representative property interiors, common areas, exterior walls, and overall fit and finish.

• Prepare detailed written onsite and joint inspection reports and assessments outlining the risk profile, candidate contributing factors based on the measurements and observations and inspection briefings.
• Prepare comprehensive onsite and joint inspection reports detailing risk profiles, potential contributing factors based on measurements and observations, and inspection summaries.
• Compile, store and organize inspection and performance issue analysis data in proper database for reporting, later analysis and report creation.
• Collect, organize, and store inspection and performance issue data in the appropriate database for future analysis and report generation.
• 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.
• Maintain ongoing communication with stakeholders, providing updates on project status, potential issues, and report completion timelines.
• Provide proactive solutions to resolve customer issues and address their concerns.
• Offer proactive solutions to resolve customer concerns and enhance their overall experience.
• Work with Product Quality Group members to coordinate extra sample testing to evaluate the state of the Uponor components throughout inspection site and building.
• Collaborate with the Product Quality Group to coordinate additional sample testing, assessing the condition of Uponor components throughout the inspection site and 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.
• Clearly communicate product performance insights from onsite and joint inspections to support corrective actions, technical training, and the development of technical literature.
• If necessary, manage investigation support projects
• Manage investigation support projects as needed.
• Advises management on necessary action regarding possible litigation.
• Provide management with recommendations on appropriate actions related to potential 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 bachelor’s degree (B.S.) in engineering or relevant technical discipline with 3+ years of experience OR 10+ years’ direct experience with plumbing/mechanical systems and/or building assessments.
• Demonstrated problem solving skills with strong attention to detail. Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully.
• Ability to write reports that are technical in nature and with an effective communication style.
• 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.
• Demonstrated 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).
• Ability to quickly learn new software technologies such as Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Digital Data Collection forms 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 documentation.
• This position requires an individual with the flexibility to travel to jobsites within the US and Canadian locations (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 competencies that will help you succeed even further in this role:

• Familiarity with various plumbing and building codes and Standards – IBC, IPC,UPC,NSPC ASPE, etc.
• Experience in MEP consulting, design, and building engineering services environment and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Building sciences or investigation, building or facility management/engineering, construction consulting and design (mechanical or plumbing), field/onsite.

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, up 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 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?

• Best-in-class health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
• 160 hours paid time off (combination of PTO and Employee Safe and Sick Time accruals- MN Based Employees)
• For more information: https://www.uponorcareers.com/en-us/employee-benefits

Disclaimers

Applicable to US job postings only (not Canada): The expected compensation range for this position is $88,298-$132,447/year. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant knowledge, training, skills, work location, and/or experience. Internal equity among current employees will also be considered. Please note that this range represents the full base salary wage for the role and hiring at or near the top of the range is uncommon to ensure room for future pay advancement.

Uponor is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, disability, marital status, national origin, citizenship, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Join us to be part of a forward-thinking, people-centered company where your ideas and contributions truly matter.