Senior Materials Characterization Support Specialist (REMOTE US or CAN)

When joining PerkinElmer, you select an experienced and trusted leader in scientific solutions, with the support of a global service network and distribution centers, providing the right solution, at the right time, to meet critical customer needs.  With over an 80+ year legacy of advancing science and a mission of innovating for a healthier world, our dedicated team collaborates closely with commercial, government, academic and healthcare customers to deliver our broad portfolio of analytical solutions, and OneSource services.

Job Title

Senior Materials Characterization Support Specialist (REMOTE US or CAN)

Location(s)

US Remote - AL, US Remote - AL, US Remote - AR, US Remote - AZ, US Remote - CO, US Remote - CT, US Remote - DC, US Remote - DE, US Remote - FL, US Remote - GA, US Remote - IA, US Remote - ID, US Remote - IL, US Remote - IN, US Remote - KS, US Remote - KY, US Remote - LA, US Remote - MA, US Remote - MD, US Remote - ME, US Remote - MI, US Remote - MN, US Remote - MO, US Remote - MS, US Remote - MT {+ 25 more}

Job Description

The Senior Materials Characterization Support Specialist serves as a remote technical expert supporting PerkinElmer’s customers, field service engineers, and internal stakeholders throughout North America. This role is responsible for the rapid triage, diagnosis, and resolution of complex hardware, software, and application-related issues across supported Materials Characterization platforms.

Operating as part of the Technical Assistance Center (TAC), this position plays a critical role in maximizing customer instrument uptime, avoiding unnecessary field service visits, enabling first-time-fix outcomes, and delivering a consistently high-quality customer experience. The specialist applies deep technical knowledge, strong diagnostic reasoning, and the ability to visualize systems remotely—often without direct access to the instrument—to resolve known, repeat, and novel issues.

Location: This is a full-time remote position M-F and can be done either in US or CAN.

Job Responsibilities:

• Serve as a primary technical contact for incoming customer, field engineer, and internal support inquiries via phone and email for PerkinElmer Materials Characterization products. Triage requests ranging from basic product information to highly complex service and performance issues involving hardware, software, consumables, or methodology.
• Perform detailed remote diagnostics of complex electro/mechanical equipment and computer/software systems by interpreting user descriptions, symptoms, error messages, system logs, and/or user generated data.
• Drive issue resolution toward the most efficient and timely outcome: remote fix where possible, or a well-prepared service event where required. When remote resolution is achievable, guide customers or colleagues through corrective actions to restore performance and uptime.
• When field service is required, determine likely root cause(s), recommend corrective actions, identify required parts, and document a clear plan of action to enable first-time-fix. If applicable to customer entitlement status, provide professional, accurate quotations for billable services and/or escalate leads for other PE products/services to appropriate internal teams.
• Serve as a mentor and technical resource for colleagues by acting as liaison between global technical services, training teams, and the North American service organization to disseminate product updates, service notices, lessons learned, and other best practices.
• Support operational excellence by adhering to documented procedures and maintaining accurate, complete, and timely service records. Ensure documentation quality enables effective handoffs, trend analysis, and timely escalation of emerging issues.
• Participate in company offered training and development programs to support continuous improvement of technical expertise and soft skills. Training formats may include virtual or live classroom training, hands-on service location visits, field engineer shadowing, and travel as needed
• Support additional cross-functional or special initiatives based on business needs as interest and workload allow. Contribute expertise in areas such as training/mentoring, SOP/documentation improvement, and/or data analysis.
• Maintain training and compliance in areas of health and safety, security, environmental and operational aspects of daily activities in the working environment.

Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities of this job at any time.

Critical Skills:

• Sound technical knowledge in all Materials Characterization product lines supported, including applications knowledge, and including proficiency in all software platforms of associated supported equipment.
• Ability to apply sound judgment and critical‑thinking skills to complex technical problems, using structured, stepwise diagnostic reasoning and root‑cause analysis, with the ability to mentally model and visualize system behavior without direct access to guide effective remote troubleshooting and resolution.
• Ability to safely and professionally execute technical work in accordance with written and verbal instructions, including interpreting technical bulletins and service manuals, working effectively under time constraints, maintaining focus and situational awareness, and adhering to universal precautions when working with potential electrical, chemical, radiologic, and biologic hazards.
• Proficiency with standard computing tools to document work, analyze information, and generate reports, along with the ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and effectively with customers, peers, managers, and other technical support professionals.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Biology, Chemistry, Electronics, or related discipline
• MUST have expert level experience with Materials Characterization Instrumentation on a repair level as a Subject Matter Expert (5+ years)
• 5+ years' experience with at least two (2) of the following product technologies: FT-IR, UV-Vis, TEA
• Role requires 5+ years of experience in a support, service, or an analytical laboratory environment performing duties of a product end user or service technician using Materials Characterization instrumentation.
• Must be able to travel up to 25% for training (in the USA) and for quarterly field ridealongs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ten (10) years experience in a support, service, or an analytical laboratory environment performing duties of a product end user or service technician using Materials Characterization instrumentation. Experience with all three (3) of the following product technologies: FT-IR, UV-Vis, TEA, is desired

• Certification through company‑provided training on PerkinElmer instrumentation and software products, or equivalent hands‑on professional experience supporting PerkinElmer systems, is desired.

Working Environment:

• Primary work environment is a home office or office based setting, supporting customers remotely via phone, email, and computer based systems for a majority of the role.

• Work is primarily sedentary and computer focused, requiring extended periods of concentration, phone communication, and use of standard office equipment. Must be able to remain in a stationary position more than 25% of the time
• Job pace may be fast moving, with periods of high workload depending on customer demand and escalations.

• Specific vision abilities required by this position include without limitation, the ability to observe details at close range distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus in order to perform the essential service functions of this position.   

• Occasional travel may be required for training, team meetings, or visits to customer sites or company training facilities. During these activities, work may take place in laboratory or controlled environments requiring the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as lab coats and safety glasses.

• When present in laboratory or service locations, the role may involve: 1) Moving between labs, corridors, and adjoining rooms, 2) Standing, bending, squatting, stretching, reaching, or working with instruments, tools, or controls, 3) Lifting or moving items typically up to 25 pounds, with infrequent lifting of heavier items as needed

• Potential exposure to laboratory hazards including chemicals, biological materials, temperature extremes, or regulated waste may occur during training or site visits. All activities are performed in accordance with applicable health, safety, and environmental regulations.
• Depending on assignment, employees may be required to complete medical clearance, respiratory protection training, and fit testing to support work in controlled environments during training or onsite activities.

The annual compensation range for this full-time position is $82,000 to $105,000 USD. The final base pay offered to the successful candidate will be determined by factors including internal equity, work location, as well as individual qualifications, such as job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

PerkinElmer is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. PerkinElmer is committed to a culturally diverse workforce.