At Amazon, we're working to be the most customer-centric company on Earth. We are seeking a Field Support Engineer who will drive innovation through emerging technologies while serving as the primary liaison between Amazon's Print on Demand (POD) operations and our equipment vendors. This role combines state of the art technology evaluation with ensuring optimal performance of vendor-managed solutions under 24/7 support agreements. The role is part of a Global POD Engineering team and will require up to 40% travel time.

The POD Field Support Engineer will lead the assessment and integration of emerging technologies while serving as the technical escalation point for vendor-supported equipment within the book fabrication operations. You will evaluate new technologies, manage vendor relationships, monitor service level agreements (SLAs), and drive continuous improvement in equipment performance. The ideal candidate must have strong vendor management experience, technical expertise in maintaining complex production systems, and a passion for emerging technologies.

To be successful in this role, you will need to be a customer-focused technical expert and work effectively with leaders across multiple organizations and regions. You will also need to be a diligent technical project manager, communicator, and problem solver with a proven history in site level engineering support. You will lead technical complex initiatives with worldwide impact, deal with ambiguity, and advocate for chosen solutions in a global cross-functional organization.


Key job responsibilities
The POD Field Support Engineer is responsible for identifying and implementing emerging technologies while overseeing vendor-managed technology performance and ensuring compliance with contractual service agreements. Primary responsibilities include:

Emerging Technology Leadership:
• Research and evaluate emerging printing technologies and automation solutions
• Develop proof-of-concept projects for promising new technologies
• Create technology roadmaps aligned with business strategy
• Lead pilot programs for new vendor technologies
• Assess potential technological disruptions and opportunities in the POD space

Vendor Technology Management:
• Serve as the primary point of contact for escalated technical issues requiring vendor intervention
• Monitor and enforce vendor SLAs and performance metrics
• Review and analyze vendor performance reports and drive improvement initiatives
• Manage vendor technical documentation and knowledge base

Technical Support:
• Establish escalation protocols between local operations teams and vendor support
• Lead technical issue resolution for complex problems requiring vendor expertise
• Monitor equipment performance metrics and drive improvements through vendor collaboration
• Coordinate between vendor technical teams and Amazon stakeholders during critical incidents
• Validate vendor-proposed solutions and improvements
Standards and Compliance:
• Ensure vendor compliance with Amazon's technical standards and specifications
• Collaborate with vendors on equipment modifications and upgrades
• Participate in vendor quality reviews and performance assessments
• Drive compliance of standards with suppliers and POD technical teams

Project Management:
• Lead technical acceptance testing for new vendor equipment
• Coordinate vendor involvement in site launches and technology deployments
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives with vendors
• Play a key role in the development of new technology to support business long-term strategy


A day in the life
The role requires the ability to deal with ambiguity due to the nature of the Print-On-Demand business:

• The POD technology is unique within the Amazon organization. The POD Field Support Engineer must be able to work autonomously and work cross-functionally and coordinate multiple independent stakeholders to successfully fulfill responsibilities.
• Amazon's Print on Demand is a fast-moving business with constant innovation, driving opportunities for faster, efficient, and more flexible processes driven by improvements in equipment and technology. The POD Field Support Engineer needs to follow the trends of new technology and drive Amazon-specific trials with the suppliers to promote future technology improvement in the POD facilities.
• Amazon operates a global network of POD facilities, with global Operations & Engineering standards. The POD Field Support Engineer must reinforce these standards in the existing facilities and must comply with them when supporting the design of a new facility.
• The POD organization is a fast-paced environment with stretched schedules between business decisions and actions. The POD Field Support Engineer must be ready to travel and work hands-on to guarantee the success of their appointed projects.

The role will focus heavily on:
• Identifying and evaluating emerging technologies for POD applications
• Vendors meeting SLA requirements and performance metrics
• Driving equipment reliability through vendor management
• Ensuring effective escalation processes between site teams and vendor support
• Maintaining strong vendor relationships while holding them accountable for performance
• Coordinating technical support across multiple time zones and support tiers
• Leading innovation initiatives and technology pilots