You will serve as the lead Field Service Engineer for KNZ Services North America, taking ownership of both hands-on technical service and the day-to-day coordination of a growing field technician team. You will travel extensively across the US — roughly 60% of your time — visiting customer sites to commission, maintain, and troubleshoot K&Z packaging and print machinery, including folder gluers, pile turners, and conveyor systems. When you're not in the field, you'll be working hybrid from the Chicagoland area, managing scheduling and workload for the two field service technicians joining at the end of June, and acting as the operational backbone of the North American service function. You will report into Axel, the head of KNZ Services North America, who leads across sales, finance, spare parts, and operations — and you'll be expected to operate with a similar breadth of ownership. Alongside your technical work, you will actively sell service contracts and spare parts to existing customers, meaning commercial awareness is as important here as your engineering ability. The impact of this role is significant: you are not filling a seat, you are helping build a service operation from the ground up. As KNZ Services North America grows its footprint in the folding carton and packaging machinery market, this role has a clear trajectory toward leading the entire service function — and the business will actively support you getting there.
- 5+ years of field service engineering experience, with exposure to managing or coordinating other technicians or field staff - Strong electromechanical troubleshooting skills — you must be equally comfortable working on mechanical and electrical systems - Hands-on experience servicing packaging, print, or folding carton machinery (folder gluers, pile turners, conveyor systems, or similar) - Proven ability to commission and maintain complex industrial equipment at customer sites - Comfortable with high travel — this role is approximately 60% travel, servicing customers nationally across all 50 states - Located in or willing to relocate to the Chicagoland area - Sales aptitude — able to identify and close opportunities for spare parts and service contracts with existing customers - Full professional proficiency in English; must be eligible to work in the US
- Direct experience with Bobst equipment or other recognised folder gluer/packaging machinery brands - Prior field service coverage across the Midwest and/or Southeast US - Experience in corrugated or folding carton automation environments - Familiarity with ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 quality and environmental management standards - Background working for a European manufacturer or within a small, owner-managed operation