Field Service Engineer – Electrical & Controls (USA)
OC area, CA
Permanent
Full Time
Open to all levels
Keep our robotic cells running — and be the one who finds the fault
We're DHR Engineering — an R&D company building game-changing robotics and automation technologies. We don't do off-the-shelf and we don't do easy. We design, build and deploy custom robotic cells for CNC and CMM machine tending, automated 3D printer farms and AGV systems for US manufacturers, from fast-growing hardware startups to suppliers to leading aerospace, space and automotive companies. No corporate layers, no pointless meetings: just real problems, smart solutions and machines you'll be proud to keep running.
Our machines are engineered and built in Europe, then shipped, built and commissioned on our customers' sites. About 90% of our customers are in the United States, and when things get critical we promise to be at their facility in under 12 hours. We are building our US field service team in Huntington Beach, California, to keep that promise.
The role
We are looking for a Field Service Engineer with a strong electrical and controls background who is just as comfortable with mechanical work. We do a lot of integration work: our cells connect robots, CNC machines, CMMs, 3D printers and customer equipment from many vendors, so the fault is not always where the alarm says it is. You will go online with the PLC, trace the wiring, and then pick up a wrench to fix the gripper or the pneumatics behind it. You will debug live with our engineers in Bulgaria over video and remote connection, and work alongside our mechanical-focused service engineer, backing each other up.
Location: Huntington Beach, CA ·
Travel: up to [50–70]% to customer sites across the US ·
What You'll Do
Respond to service calls at customer sites and get machines back to work fast.
Diagnose and repair electrical faults: power distribution, wiring, sensors, drives, motors and safety circuits.
Go online with Siemens PLCs and HMIs, read and modify logic together with our controls team.
Set up and tune robots, servo drives, VFDs, AGVs and vision systems, including the robot-to-CNC machine interface.
Integrate our cells with customer equipment on site: wire and test signals, handshakes and network connections between robots, CNC controls, conveyors and third-party devices.
Repair and adjust the mechanical side too: grippers, fixtures, pneumatics, linear axes and sensor mounting.
Rebuild and commission new cells on site together with the team arriving from Bulgaria.
Set up and maintain remote access so our engineers can debug with you in real time.
Carry out preventive maintenance and train customer operators and maintenance staff.
Write clear service reports: what failed, root cause, what was done, what is still open.
Manage spare parts, source parts from local vendors when needed, assemble and install repair kits, and bring field lessons back to our design team.
As your experience grows, you will lead installations and become the reference for our US customers.
What We're Looking For
Electrical and controls (your strength)
3+ years in field service, commissioning or maintenance of industrial automation equipment.
Strong ability to read electrical schematics and troubleshoot 24 VDC control and 480 VAC three-phase circuits.
Hands-on experience with Siemens S7 PLCs and TIA Portal: going online, reading logic, forcing I/O, finding faults.
Experience with servo drives, VFDs and industrial networks (PROFINET, EtherNet/IP).
Knowledge of machine-safety circuits (e-stops, light curtains, safety relays and safety PLCs) and safe work practices, including lockout/tagout and NFPA 70E.
Mechanical (solid working knowledge)
Comfortable with hand tools and mechanical repair: replacing and adjusting components, sensors and fixtures.
Understands pneumatics (valves, cylinders, regulators) and can troubleshoot them.
Knows the basics of bearings, belts, gearboxes and linear guides, and can read a mechanical drawing.
General
A structured way of troubleshooting and comfort working with remote engineers in a different time zone.
Good written and spoken English.
Valid US driver's license and willingness to travel often, sometimes on short notice.
Authorized to work in the United States.
A university degree is not required. Practical skills, responsibility and quality of work matter more to us. You don't need to tick every box; curiosity, rigor and ownership matter most.
What's a Plus
Experience with industrial robots [e.g. FANUC, ABB, KUKA] and machine vision.
Experience with CNC machine tools, CMMs or 3D printers.
CAD and 3D printing skills: modelling and printing simple fixtures, brackets or replacement parts.
A network of local vendors and electrical suppliers for fast sourcing of parts.
Familiarity with UL 508A / NFPA 79 and control-panel building.
Basic networking (IP addressing, VPN, remote desktop).
Experience with a European equipment builder; Bulgarian or another European language.
What We Offer
Work on custom robotics and automation projects — no two cells are the same.
A founding role in our US team, with a clear path toward service lead or commissioning engineer.
Projects for suppliers to leading aerospace, space and automotive companies.
Direct line to the engineers who designed the machine, not a ticket queue.
Training at our engineering and build facilities in Bulgaria.
Competitive salary based on experience, plus overtime or travel bonus [add pay range before posting].
Company vehicle or mileage reimbursement, phone, laptop and professional tools.
All travel expenses covered (flights, hotel, per diem).
Health, dental and vision insurance; 401(k); paid time off and US holidays [adjust to your package].
If you like finding the fault nobody else could and want to see the machines you support run 24/7 in production, we would like to meet you.
DHR Engineering is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic.