Customer Support Engineer - Test Systems

About Averna powered by Spherea

Averna powered by Spherea is a global engineering and technology business specialising in test, quality and validation solutions for complex and safety-critical products and systems.

With a heritage spanning more than 70 years, we support leading aerospace, defence and technology organisations throughout the complete product lifecycle – from engineering and development test through production and manufacturing test to in-service support, MRO and obsolescence management.

Our capabilities range from individual automated test systems and specialist test equipment through to complex integrated test facilities, supported by engineering services, software and instrumentation expertise.

The combination of Averna and Spherea brings together approximately 1,800 people worldwide with engineering, manufacturing and support capabilities across Europe, North America and Asia. In the UK we have a particularly strong heritage in aerospace and defence test and support and work closely with major OEMs, defence primes and equipment manufacturers.

Job Description

The Role

We are looking for a practical, technically capable and highly customer-focused Customer Support Technician to become our primary day-to-day representative at a major customer site near Cheltenham.

This is much more than a traditional maintenance or technician role. You will be embedded within the customer's operation and will develop a detailed understanding of their test systems, equipment and day-to-day challenges. You will provide first-line technical support, undertake hands-on electrical and mechanical work and act as the link between the customer and Averna's wider engineering organisation.

You will not be expected to know the answer to every problem yourself. An important part of the role is having the technical judgement to investigate issues effectively, recognise when additional expertise is required and engage the appropriate specialists from across Averna.

Just as importantly, you will build relationships across the customer's organisation. Working closely with our Account Manager and engineering teams, you will help us identify where equipment, processes or support could be improved and turn those observations into potential engineering solutions and new opportunities.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to become a trusted technical partner to the customer rather than simply somebody who repairs equipment when it fails.

Key Responsibilities

Customer and Technical Support

• Act as Averna's primary day-to-day representative at the customer site and build strong working relationships with engineering, production, maintenance and other customer teams.
• Provide first-line support for test systems and associated equipment including both Averna-supplied systems and equipment originally supplied by others.
• Investigate faults and operational issues and establish the appropriate course of action.
• Diagnose faults to module level and, where appropriate, component level using standard electronic test equipment.
• Work closely with Averna engineering specialists to escalate more complex problems and bring the appropriate expertise to bear.
• Develop a strong working knowledge of the customer's equipment, systems and operating environment.
• Help identify recurring issues, weaknesses and opportunities to improve equipment reliability, maintainability, usability and performance.
• Provide a responsive and pragmatic service while recognising the limits of your own knowledge and seeking specialist support where appropriate.

Hands-on Engineering

• Undertake electrical wiring, modification, repair and rework activities in accordance with customer requirements and approved engineering information.
• Carry out wiring, looming, crimping, terminating and soldering activities to an appropriate professional standard.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring schedules, general arrangement drawings and other engineering documentation.
• Follow calibration, test and diagnostic procedures accurately and use the results to identify potential equipment failures.
• Use standard instrumentation including DMMs, oscilloscopes and LCR meters to support fault diagnosis.
• Undertake basic mechanical and fabrication activities associated with test equipment including drilling, panel modification, removal of damaged fasteners and thread repair.
• Work with the customer and Averna engineering teams where modifications or repairs require additional design authority, specialist knowledge or engineering approval.

Customer Development

• Work closely with the Averna Account Manager to understand the customer's wider objectives, priorities and challenges.
• Identify opportunities where Averna's engineering, test, support or obsolescence capabilities could improve the customer's operation.
• Recognise potential requirements arising from recurring faults, ageing equipment, capacity constraints, process inefficiencies or new programmes.
• Help engineering and sales colleagues understand and develop these opportunities by providing practical insight from the customer environment.
• Support site visits, technical discussions and requirements capture activities where appropriate.
• Contribute to making Averna easier to work with and continually improving the customer's experience of our business.

Wider Field Support

Although the role will be predominantly based at the customer site near Cheltenham, there may occasionally be a requirement to support Averna test systems installed at other customer locations.

This may include:

• Supporting ATEC and other test systems at customer sites elsewhere in the UK.
• Occasional travel to European customer locations.
• Working closely with engineering and support colleagues in France and elsewhere within the Averna Group.
• Occasional travel to Toulouse for technical training, knowledge transfer and team activities.
• Occasional visits to Averna's UK operation, currently based in Bournemouth.

The Cheltenham customer site will remain the principal place of work and travel is expected to represent a relatively small proportion of the role.

About You

Technical capability is important but personality, judgement and customer skills are equally important to this position . You will be comfortable working independently within a customer's organisation and will naturally build relationships with the people around you. You will be curious about how things work and why problems occur rather than simply addressing the immediate symptom. You will have the confidence to take ownership of problems while also having the judgement to recognise when you need help. Averna has considerable engineering expertise available across the wider organisation and we want someone who will make effective use of that expertise rather than feeling they have to solve everything alone.

You will ideally be:

• Outgoing, approachable and comfortable dealing with people at different levels within a customer organisation.
• A good communicator and conversationalist who naturally develops strong working relationships.
• Practical and hands-on with a strong problem-solving mentality.
• Able to work independently and use your own initiative.
• Sensible and pragmatic with good technical judgement and common sense.
• Curious and willing to investigate problems rather than simply follow instructions.
• Confident enough to take ownership but self-aware enough to recognise when specialist expertise is required.
• Customer-focused and motivated by finding better ways of doing things.
• Commercially aware and able to recognise when a technical issue or customer challenge could represent a wider opportunity.
• Comfortable working collaboratively with engineering and sales colleagues across different locations and countries.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role will mean that the customer sees you as their first point of contact when they have a test equipment problem or need help finding a better way of doing something.

You will solve many problems yourself and know when to bring in Averna's wider engineering capability for those you cannot. You will understand the customer's equipment and operation well enough to spot issues before they become major problems and identify opportunities for improvement.

Above all, you will help build a strong day-to-day relationship between the customer and Averna – combining responsive local support with access to the capabilities of a much larger international engineering organisation.

Qualifications

Technical Skills and Experience

We would expect you to have a good foundation in electrical/electronic engineering with practical experience of maintaining, supporting, manufacturing or modifying complex electrical or electronic equipment.

Ideally you will have:

• An HNC/HND or equivalent qualification in electrical, electronic or a related engineering discipline. Relevant practical experience may also be considered.
• Experience of fault-finding on electrical or electronic systems to module level with component-level diagnostic capability advantageous.
• Confidence using standard electronic instrumentation including DMMs, oscilloscopes and LCR meters.
• Strong practical wiring skills including looming, crimping, terminating and soldering.
• The ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring schedules, system diagrams and general arrangement drawings.
• Experience working to recognised wiring and workmanship standards with IPC-WHMA-A-620 certification desirable.
• Good basic mechanical and fabrication skills associated with the modification and repair of test equipment.
• An understanding of automated test systems and the ability to run and interpret test programmes as part of system fault diagnosis.

Experience in one or more related engineering disciplines such as control systems, power electronics, electromechanical systems, instrumentation, RF or communications would be advantageous but is not essential. Previous experience within aerospace, defence, manufacturing, test engineering or another highly regulated engineering environment would also be beneficial.

Additional Information

We offer:

• A collaborative and supportive team with true international reach
• An attractive salary package with benefits such as generous pension scheme (4% employee / 8% employer, full family health care plan, family health cash plan, 27 days holiday + bank holidays, Life assurance & income protection insurance
• Opportunities for continuous learning and professional growth
• Be part of a company that puts ESG at the heart of its mission, for people, planet, and performance.