Associate Field Service Engineer - Southeast Virginia
The Associate Field Service Engineer at Confidential Client supports industrial automation and control systems for critical infrastructure in Southeast Virginia. This role involves hands-on technical work including installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, and customer support, while developing expertise through mentorship and real-world project experience. The position combines engineering skills with customer interaction to ensure reliable operation of essential services and offers a career path in automation and control systems engineering.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Engineering.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
Role overview
Confidential Client is seeking an Associate Field Service Engineer to support automation and control systems for customers across Southeast Virginia (Hampton Roads & Eastern Shore). This is a hands-on, early-career engineering role focused on field service, commissioning, troubleshooting, and customer support. You will learn on the job through structured training, mentorship, and real-world projects while supporting system lifecycle activities from FAT to long-term service.
What you’ll do
- Support customer sites by assisting with maintenance, troubleshooting, and optimization of control systems and related equipment.
- Assist with installation, startup, testing, and commissioning of automation and control systems under guidance.
- Participate in Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and support onsite commissioning and startup activities.
- Help deliver customer training sessions and create clear documentation that helps operators run and maintain systems.
- Contribute to preventive maintenance, system upgrades, and reliability improvement initiatives.
- Record service activities, technical findings, and recommendations in accurate, timely reports.
- Learn and apply Confidential Client’s technologies, engineering best practices, and safety procedures.
- Build strong working relationships with customers and internal teams through regular onsite engagement and clear communication.
Qualifications (minimum)
- Bachelor’s degree (or expected completion prior to employment) in Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related technical field.
- Residence in, or willingness to relocate to, Southeast Virginia (Hampton Roads or Eastern Shore), and ability to travel regionally as required.
- Demonstrated interest in industrial automation, control systems, utilities, manufacturing, or related technical areas.
- Ability to learn new technologies quickly, work collaboratively, and adapt in a customer-focused, field environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail.
Preferred / helpful experience
- Internship, co-op, laboratory, capstone project, military, or other hands-on technical experience.
- Exposure to PLCs, DCS platforms, automation systems, instrumentation, or process control concepts.
- Familiarity with Ladder Logic, electrical schematics, P&IDs, or industrial control systems from coursework or projects.
- Experience in water/wastewater, power generation, manufacturing, or other industrial settings.
- Team leadership or extracurricular leadership experience and previous customer-facing or problem-solving roles.
Location, travel & work arrangement
- Remote work supporting customer sites throughout Southeast Virginia (Hampton Roads & Eastern Shore). Frequent regional travel to customer locations and project sites is expected.
- Candidates must live in—or be willing to relocate to—the Southeast Virginia region to provide timely onsite support.
Compensation & benefits
- Base salary range: $70,000–$80,000 USD per year (commensurate with experience), plus overtime where applicable and a sign-on bonus as eligible.
- Competitive benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), tuition reimbursement, paid time off, parental leave, and employee assistance programs.
- Structured training, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to build a career in field engineering and automation.
Work authorization
- This role requires authorization to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship. Applicants who require sponsorship now or in the future are not eligible.
Why join
- Accelerate your technical career through hands-on field experience, formal training, and mentorship from experienced engineers.
- Work on projects that support essential community infrastructure and gain exposure to automation systems used across utilities and industry.
- Be part of a collaborative, inclusive environment focused on career development and technical excellence.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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