Director of Field Services and Technical Support- Automation

Working at Knobelsdorff (KE)

Along with building state-of-the-art projects, we build meaningful careers, lasting opportunities, and teams of dedicated individuals who truly own their work. As a leading turnkey specialty contractor specializing in Automation, Electric, Energy, and Power Services, our team tackles challenging, cutting-edge projects that provide opportunities to build new skills, confidence, and gain valuable hands-on experience in a variety of different industries. We tackle industrial electrical installations, advanced automation systems, and renewable energy solutions.

Since our founding as a family-owned company in 1988, we've grown while staying true to our core value. Starting your career with KE means joining a culture that values your contributions, moves quickly, takes calculated risks, and celebrates team members who step up and own their work.

If you're ready to join a team where your voice matters, your growth is supported, and your impact is celebrated, KE is the place for you.

Job Purpose

This role supports KE Automation's Customer Service and Field Services teams by leading field service operations, technical support, and workforce development. You'll be responsible for building strong teams, coordinating service capacity, improving field operations, and ensuring reliable customer support from project commissioning through ongoing service agreements. Success in this role means developing capable leaders and teams, delivering dependable service, maintaining safe field operations, and supporting sustainable business growth while upholding KE's commitment to Safety, People, Passion, and Performance. If you're someone who takes pride in developing people, building strong operations, and delivering exceptional customer experiences, this position is built for you.

What You'll Do

You'll be part of a team that gets things done, works with purpose, and takes pride in the results. Your day-to-day responsibilities may include:

• Lead and develop field services and technical support managers and team leaders through coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Develop workforce and service capacity plans that align staffing, skills, and resources with project demands and customer support commitments.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, training, and professional development to build a skilled, dependable, and deployment-ready workforce.
• Coordinate workforce priorities with project leadership and operations teams to support project commitments, service needs, and customer expectations.
• Partner with KE Safety and field leadership to promote safe work practices, ensure proper training and site readiness, and address safety concerns.
• Establish consistent field operations processes for workforce assignments, travel, accommodations, expenses, communication, and timekeeping.
• Oversee the transition from project commissioning to hypercare, warranty, and ongoing contracted support, ensuring clear responsibilities and customer handoff.
• Develop and improve service intake, dispatch, incident response, escalation, and customer communication processes.
• Ensure service coverage plans align with available workforce capacity, technical expertise, and customer service commitments.
• Manage field services and support budgets, including labor, overtime, travel, tools, and subcontracted resources.
• Lead significant customer service escalations and operational recovery efforts, ensuring clear communication, accountability, and timely resolution.
• Identify opportunities to improve service delivery, workforce efficiency, customer satisfaction, and operational performance.
• Partner with Business Development and company leadership to evaluate new service opportunities, workforce needs, and operational costs to support business growth.

Qualifications

What You Bring

You're Someone Who Shows Up Ready To Lead, Develop Others, And Build Operations That Deliver Consistent Results. Successful Candidates Typically Bring

• 10+ years of experience in operations, field services, technical support, or distributed workforce management.
• 5+ years of experience in people leadership, including managing managers or team leaders and overseeing a distributed or multi-site workforce.
• Bachelor's degree in operations, business, engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing workforce plans, including recruitment, onboarding, employee development, performance management, and succession planning.
• Experience overseeing service operations, customer escalations, workforce coordination, and transitions from project delivery to ongoing support.
• Strong financial and commercial understanding, including workforce budgets, labor costs, overtime, travel expenses, and resource planning.
• Experience promoting safe work practices and partnering with safety teams to ensure field readiness and compliance.
• Ability to lead and develop technical teams while collaborating with engineering leaders and respecting established technical decision-making responsibilities.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and drive accountability.
• Ability to build strong customer relationships and communicate effectively with employees, project leaders, customers, and senior leadership.

Pay Range

We believe in paying for the value you bring to the team, and we aim to be competitive in every market we hire in.

Pay Range: $176,084–$192,979 annually.

Total Rewards Statement

As a full-time employee at KE, you'll have access to a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and future.

• 100% employer-paid health and dental coverage for employees
• HSA contributions to support your medical expenses
• Company-paid life insurance and disability coverage
• 401(k) with competitive company match
• Paid weekly with competitive wages
• PTO, six paid holidays, and education reimbursement
• Exclusive employee discounts through Working Advantage

We believe your work should be rewarded with more than just a paycheck. At KE, we invest in your total wellbeing.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be provided for individuals with disabilities.

Typical Requirements May Include

• Perform computer-based work for extended periods, including reviewing operational reports, workforce schedules, budgets, and technical documentation.
• Participate in meetings and site reviews that may involve periods of sitting, standing, and walking.
• Navigate manufacturing facilities and customer project sites, including stairs and uneven surfaces, as required for operational oversight.
• Occasionally carry a laptop, project documents, and other materials needed for meetings or site visits.
• Use required personal protective equipment when visiting manufacturing or project-site locations.
• Travel to customer and project locations as needed based on business requirements.

Accessibility: If you need accommodations as part of the employment process, please contact KE Human Resources at HR@KEway.com.

If you need accommodation during the hiring process, let us know and we'll work with you.