Field Support Engineer III (Contract)

Cytokinetics is a late-stage, specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and next-in-class muscle inhibitors as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which cardiac muscle performance is compromised. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact myocardial muscle function and contractility.

Cytokinetics is dedicated to advancing the frontiers of technology having specialized IT services for Research as we innovate to produce new medicines in both cardiac and muscle diseases. We are at the forefront of innovation, driving impactful solutions in drug discovery.

As we expand our team, we are seeking a highly skilled Field Support Engineer III that is responsible for providing onsite work to Cytokinetics clients within Research and Non-Clinical Development (NCD), whether scheduled or on demand. Additionally, this role will receive infrastructure escalations from the team and serve as a mentor to Field Support Engineer’s I and II. The Field Support Engineer is often considered the ‘face’ of Research IT and is expected to build strong, trusted relationships with their assigned clients. Engineers will not be measured by ticket completion directly, but will be measured by resolutions met quickly, and CSAT (customer satisfaction). Ticket utilization is a tool to be used for communication, management, and prioritization of tasks and will be used as a communication and metric tool by their direct manager.  

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Proactively anticipate and escalate issues to ensure prompt resolution and minimize downtime
• Stay current with support policies, methods, and best practices to deliver precise solutions
• Adhere to established ticketing processes, documenting issues clearly and promptly
• Prioritize proactive measures to enhance system performance and reduce the need for reactive support
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of ITIL principles and apply them effectively in support tasks
• Retrieve and manage passwords using designated password management tools
• Ensure compliance with Cytokinetics’ document security standards and policies
• Maintain high-quality communication with both technical and non-technical customers via phone and email
• Prepare formal and informal documents and presentations based on structured outlines, clearly conveying points of view to the team
• Manage audience expectations by specifying actions and their anticipated timelines
• Adhere to client-specific business ethics, standards, and policies
• Utilize advanced analytics for tasks such as backup remediation, root cause analysis of infrastructure outages, and patch management
• Evaluate issues critically to identify problems, sources, and potential solutions
• Connect various aspects of problems to propose and test viable solutions
• Balance time between developing action plans for tickets and escalating issues to ensure exceptional customer service
• Review and refine troubleshooting processes post-resolution to enhance future efficiency
• Contribute to and utilize the Research WIKI Knowledgebase for issue resolution and efficiency improvements
• Be prepared for on-call duties and potential off-hours work as required
• Note that this job description is subject to change, and additional duties may be assigned as needed

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution, or equivalent experience with 5+ years of experience.
• Alternatively, one year of college education equals one year of work experience and vice versa.
• Microsoft role-based certification, A+, Security+, Network+, ITIL Certification, or ability to obtain within six months of employment.

Job-Related Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years in customer-facing project management and client engagement.
• Minimum of 5 years of technical support experience.
• Proficient in troubleshooting Windows and Mac operating systems, Microsoft Office Suite, remote access, MS Terminal Services, server management, cloud platforms, and network environments.
• Experience with OS deployment methods including scripted, unattended installations, Ghost, Sysprep, and other imaging tools is preferred.
• Familiarity with Mac and Windows operating systems, real-time communication platforms, cloud infrastructure, and networking. Ability to diagnose, troubleshoot, and consult on technical issues.

Job-Related Skills/Attributes:

• Clarity: Excellent communication skills with the ability