Fives Industrial Automation, UK - Automotive Sector
Location: Birmingham, England (frequent travel across automotive production sites).
Position Summary
As a UK Field Services Technician within the automotive sector, you will support Fives Industrial Automation’s installed base across major UK automotive manufacturers and suppliers. You will act as the frontline technical expert ensuring high-performance operation of critical production equipment (filling, sealing, testing, assembly automation), where uptime, responsiveness, and customer proximity are essential to avoid costly production disruptions.You will play a key role in maintaining strong relationships with automotive OEMs and Tier suppliers, contributing both to operational excellence and business development.
Key Responsibilities
Health, Safety & Compliance
- Guarantee strict adherence to Fives and automotive industry safety standards during all interventions.
- Promote a strong safety culture for both yourself and subcontractors in high-risk industrial environments.
Customer Proximity & Relationship Management
- Conduct regular visits to automotive customers following BU strategy.
- Develop strong relationships with plant engineers, maintenance teams, and production managers.
- Act as the primary technical point of contact on-site (single point of contact approach).
Customer Support & Operations (Automotive Production Context)
- Provide Level 1 technical support on Fives equipment installed in automotive production lines (e.g. filling systems, sealing stations, testing machines, automation systems).
- Remotely troubleshoot issues rapidly to minimize production downtime in high-volume automotive environments.
- Perform on-site troubleshooting, corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance, repair, and calibration.
Technical Advisory & Business Development
- Act as a trusted advisor to customers by understanding production challenges and proposing adapted technical solutions.
- Promote Fives solutions such as retrofit, upgrades, new equipment, and performance optimization.
- Identify opportunities linked to installed base evolution, obsolescence, or production changes.
- Identify and raise opportunities for new project to back offices, considering local markets, main actors and global product strategy.
Escalation & Continuous Improvement
- Escalate technical issues to back-office experts (Level 2 support) and ensure efficient follow-up.
- Share field feedback, customer needs, and innovation ideas to improve products and services.
Commercial & Technical Support
- Support cost estimation and preparation of technical solutions for customers.
- Participate in presenting technical and commercial offers alongside Sales Engineers.
- Contribute to service contracts, retrofits, and long-term maintenance agreements.
Installation & Commissioning Management
- Supervise subcontractors during installation and commissioning phases within automotive plants.
- Support the Project Manager by ensuring compliance with project specifications, industrial constraints, and safety requirements.
Qualifications & Skills
- Technical qualification or equivalent experience in Automation, Electrical, Mechanical Engineering or related field.
- Experience in automotive manufacturing environments (OEM or Tier supplier) is highly desirable.
- Strong knowledge of automated production systems and industrial equipment.
- Proven expertise in troubleshooting and maintenance within high-volume manufacturing.
- Ability to work under pressure in environments where downtime has significant financial impact.
- Strong customer interaction skills and business awareness.
Additional Requirements
- Frequent travel across UK automotive plants (Midlands, North-East, South-East, etc.).
- Full UK driving licence.
- Flexibility to respond to urgent call-outs or production incidents.
What Makes This Role Unique
- Direct exposure to leading automotive OEMs and cutting-edge production technologies.
- Critical role in ensuring production continuity in high-stakes environments.
- Combination of technical expertise, creation of strong customer relationships, and business development.