Customer Reliability Engineer or Technical Specialist

Customer Reliability Engineer or Technical Specialist

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission‑critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies.

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards.

Our mission is to help people achieve safer, more efficient, and more productive operations across four global markets: energy, security & defence, space & aerospace, and general industrial. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange and employ approximately 16,000 colleagues worldwide.

Job Description

The Customer Reliability Engineer or Technical Specialist works on‑site at a customer facility, participating in activities with the customer to comply with the partnership agreement. The candidate makes independent seal and equipment evaluations, selections and recommends with oversight from the account manager and/or regional engineer, and may lead one or more customer reliability personnel at a customer facility.

The candidate must be willing and able to travel as needed to support assignments.

• Review customer applications and make specific recommendations.
• Troubleshoot specific customer applications and analyze, evaluate, and rectify seal operation problems and failures.
• Improve MT  and reduce material costs.
• Reduce inventory by establishing standards for reduction, minimizing variances found in the physical inventory, and optimizing inventory levels.
• Communicate orally and in writing with customers, company personnel, and vendors, providing counseling, recommendations, and technical assistance.
• Make technical and commercial presentations to customers or management.
• Assist and direct development of customer seal standardization programs.
• Assist in developing inventory management programs to be implemented by customers.
• Solve problems on existing installations proactively; negotiate with customers and sales personnel regarding material changes or modifications of customer equipment, seal, or auxiliary equipment.
• Help customers find and define productivity improvements achieved through seal upgrades.
• Approve overall seal and component part design and materials, proposals, layouts, installation, assembly, and detail drawings.
• Prepare reports and recommendations to management and assist in development and management of partnership programs.
• Devising and recommend new approaches to problems encountered in assignment.
• Recommend new standards and procedures on design and manufacture of seal components.
• Observe and report field performance results; collect and evaluate data from customers while working with local John Crane office and sales representative.
• Additional duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering preferred; high school diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience with mechanical seals, rotating equipment, and basic engineering principles applied to perform work assignments, as well as PC and software knowledge.
• Knowledge of labor reporting, work order variances, QAD, MFG‑PRO, SAP, or equivalent.
• Previous participation in continuous improvement activities including Kaizen, SMED, and Lean.
• Strong knowledge of personal computers, MS Office, and machining practices.
• Moderate understanding of the financial aspects of a manufacturing operation.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously in a high‑stress environment.
• Effective training, leadership, facilitation, influencing, negotiating, and interpersonal skills.
• Effective written and verbal business communications.
• Ability to complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends, as needed to meet business demands.
• Experience working in a diverse environment with a global company is a plus.

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age, or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support, and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Group, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website (Careers - Smiths Group plc).