Technical Support Engineer – Scientific Instruments

Location: Ottawa, ON (on-site)

Reports to: Technical Support Manager

Role status: Existing vacancy

About RBR: Making waves since 1973

At RBR, we’ve been designing cutting-edge instruments to measure our blue planet for over 50 years. Built to withstand the harshest environments on Earth, our instruments are deployed from the ocean’s deepest trenches to the polar ice caps, capturing essential data on water temperature, salinity, pH, and more. This data empowers researchers in the global fight against climate change, and our technology supports groundbreaking science with partners like Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Woods Hole, the Scripps Institution, and the British Antarctic Survey.

At RBR, we care deeply about our work, each other, the environment, and the global communities we serve. We value teamwork, continuous improvement, and having fun along the way. From weekly lunches to social events, we’re a crew that thrives on complex, exciting challenges that have a meaningful impact on the blue planet! Ready to make waves with us? Apply below!

About the role

As a Technical Support Engineer – Scientific Instruments at RBR, you will help scientists and engineers around the world reach their research goals. You’ll resolve their questions, troubleshoot their instruments, and connect them with our Sales, R&D, and Production teams. You’ll own cases from first contact to resolution and turn what you learn into clearer documentation and better products. This role suits someone with a few years of hands-on support experience who is ready to take on more complex cases and broader responsibility.

What you’ll do

• Provide responsive technical support by email, phone, and video on instrument configuration, deployment, sensor methodology, data quality, and software

• Own customer cases from start to finish: scope the issue, reproduce it, find the root cause, validate the fix, and keep the customer informed throughout

• Troubleshoot instruments by analysing data, configuration settings, deployment conditions, and sensor behaviour, and prepare failure analysis reports with the Service team

• Act as the customer’s link to internal experts in Sales, R&D, and Production for issues that need input from more than one team

• Coordinate Return Merchandise Authorisations (RMAs), including quotes for repairs, calibrations, and upgrades, and communicate service plans and timelines

• Create and maintain technical resources such as application notes, user manuals, and other customer-facing content

• Keep thorough case records that capture the problem, troubleshooting steps, evidence, next steps, and resolution

• Spot recurring issues and recommend improvements to product quality, tools, documentation, and processes

What you bring

• Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or Environmental Science

• Experience in a customer support or technical role

• Strong verbal and written communication skills to clearly explain technical concepts

• Experience analyzing, summarizing, and documenting technical issues

• Proactive problem solver committed to customer success and experience

• Ability to analyze environmental data and troubleshoot scientific instruments

• Excellent organizational and time management abilities to handle multiple priorities

• Tech-savvy and eager to learn new systems and tools

Nice to haves

• Experience with Jira, Confluence, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, Front, or similar tools

• Background in Oceanography or Environmental Science

• Experience writing technical documentation and communications

• Familiarity with calibrating or repairing scientific instruments

Salary range: $60,000-$70,000

The final salary and job level will depend on your experience and qualifications. We know great talent shows up at different points in a career - whether you're earlier in your journey or bring senior-level experience, we encourage you to apply. Depending on fit, the role level may shift accordingly.

Why you'll love working at RBR

🌴 20 days of vacation, plus a company-wide holiday shutdown and paid sick days

🩺 Benefits from day 1 & RRSP contribution matching

💰 Bonus program

🏋🏽 Annual fitness reimbursement program

🚴 Greener commuting incentive program (bike-to-work, carpool, or transit passes)

🚗 EV reimbursement program + on-site charging stations

💝 Charitable donation matching

🌮 Weekly lunches (on us!)

🎉 Team events and social activities

🤝 Collaborative, supportive work environment

🧠 Work alongside passionate experts spanning multiple disciplines

🌊 Direct impact on climate science and ocean research

At RBR, we celebrate and support diversity in our workplace. As an equal-opportunity employer, we welcome people from all backgrounds and aim to find the most talented person for each role. Accommodations are available upon request at every stage of the selection process.

AI statement: At RBR, we may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools during parts of our hiring process. These tools may be used to support note-taking, scheduling, and/or organizing candidate information. Final hiring decisions are made by our people.