Travel Field Service Technical Specialist

As a Travel Field Service Technical Specialist at John Crane, your main responsibilities include providing hands-on service for turbomachinery products, conducting onsite inspections, removing and reinstalling gas seals in turbo compressors, and helping customers with equipment upgrades. You will also conduct site surveys to evaluate commercial opportunities and create detailed customer reports of all activities, observations, and recommendations. Training customers on gas seal and system-related subjects will also be an essential part of your role, alongside extensive travel support.

To qualify for the Travel Field Service Technical Specialist position at John Crane, you need a high school diploma (college preferred) and a minimum of 3 years of field service experience, particularly with turbomachinery, compressors, and turbines. Practical experience in operational gas seal inspection and build, as well as the ability to read general assembly drawings, is vital. Effective communication skills and a proven ability to travel at short notice are also essential for this role.

In the role of Travel Field Service Technical Specialist at John Crane, you should be prepared for extensive travel, potentially up to 80% of your time on the road. This includes visits to customer sites both onshore and offshore, and sometimes even in remote locations outside the US. Flexibility and readiness to travel at short notice are crucial components of this position.

John Crane actively promotes diversity and inclusivity among its workforce, including those in the Travel Field Service Technical Specialist role. The company runs employee resource groups (ERGs) like the Veterans and Women@Work Networks, to foster a supportive environment where employees can connect. John Crane values different perspectives and backgrounds, believing they contribute to creating innovative solutions in the workplace.

At John Crane, there are ample opportunities for career development for our Travel Field Service Technical Specialists. The company encourages employees to expand their skill sets and expertise through on-the-job training and mentorship within the global Turbomachinery team. Recognition of excellence is also a part of the company culture, with awards that celebrate outstanding contributions and promote internal advancement.

When answering this question, highlight specific experiences related to turbomachinery, such as hands-on roles involving compressors and turbines. Discuss any relevant projects, detailing your troubleshooting and installation experience with gas seals, as well as your ability to understand technical documentation and assembly drawings.

Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answer. Describe the situation, your specific task, the action you took to resolve it, and the positive outcome. This showcases your problem-solving skills and highlights your technical expertise.

Talk about your approach to understanding customer needs, maintaining clear communication, and following up after service visits. Highlight any instances where your actions led to positive feedback or enhanced customer relationships.

Discuss any prior experience you have in training roles. When explaining your approach to training customers on gas seal and system-related subjects, emphasize patience, clear communication, and the importance of tailoring content to the audience’s knowledge level.

Provide examples of past experiences when you successfully managed high-pressure scenarios or tight deadlines while traveling. Highlight stress management techniques you employ and how you stay organized to maintain efficiency.

Detail any experience you have performing site evaluations, discussing how you gather data and assess opportunities for product and service upgrades. Talk about how you communicate your findings to enhance customer relations and business growth.

Discuss your systematic approach to troubleshooting, including understanding the problem, conducting thorough inspections, and applying knowledge of turbomachinery principles. Provide an example of how this approach led to a successful outcome in a past role.

Mention your ability to be flexible and adaptable in varying situations, including cultural differences and operational challenges. Share correlating experiences you’ve had in different environments and how you utilized those to adjust your work approaches.

Use the STAR method to discuss a specific project, the challenges faced, and the actions taken to improve efficiency. Be sure to share quantifiable results to illustrate your effectiveness.

Share your personal motivations, such as a commitment to quality service, the satisfaction of customer support, or professional growth. Connecting personal values to professional responsibilities will demonstrate your dedication to the role.