Customer Support Engineer

Job Title: Customer Support Engineer

Location: Role is onsite in Monroe Twp NJ, some flexibility /remote work from home with occasional travel to customer sites, manufacturing facilities, or government offices.

Reports To: Engineering Manager

About us:

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. (OPT) provides intelligent maritime solutions and services that enable safer, cleaner, and more productive ocean operations for the defense and security, oil and gas, science and research, and offshore wind markets, including Merrows™, which provides AI-capable seamless integration of Maritime Domain Awareness Systems across platforms. Our PowerBuoy® platforms provide clean and reliable electric power and real-time data communications for remote maritime and subsea applications. We also provide WAM-V® unmanned surface vehicles (USV's) and marine robotics services. The Company's headquarters is located in Monroe Township, New Jersey with an additional office in Richmond, California.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Customer Support Engineer to manage key client relationships in a high-compliance engineering and manufacturing environment, specifically serving U.S. government and defense contracts. The CSE will serve as the primary liaison between customers, internal teams, and project stakeholders to ensure delivery excellence, contractual compliance, and long-term client satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities:

• Client Relationship Management:
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned commercial, government and defense client trouble ticket assignments.
  • Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with stakeholders to understand business goals and align project deliverables accordingly.
  • Coordinate internal resources to ensure timely and compliant responses and updates via issue tracking system.
• Program Oversight:
  • Coordinate internal resources to ensure timely and compliant delivery of products and services.
  • Monitor and report on program status, risks, and milestones using program management tools and metrics.
• Contract Compliance:
  • Work closely with legal, compliance, and quality teams to manage audit readiness and documentation.
• Customer Advocacy & Feedback:
  • Act as the voice of the customer to provide input into product development, quality assurance, and continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Gather and analyze customer feedback to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Issue Resolution:
  • Proactively address client concerns and facilitate resolution of technical, scheduling, or supply chain issues.
  • Escalate issues appropriately while maintaining clear, consistent communication with all parties.
  • Create or update drawings/schematics as needed to address customer needs.
  • Update and/or create technical documents for customer reported issues (maintenance items, part obsolescence, etc)
• Reporting & Communication:
  • Generate customer reports, performance dashboards, and status updates.
  • Support Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), program reviews, and compliance briefings.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Mechanical or Electrical preferred
• 3-5 years of experience in a customer-facing role within a manufacturing, marine, or engineering environment.
• Strong project management skills
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to interpret technical data and communicate effectively with engineering and production teams.
• U.S. Citizenship required due to government contract regulations; Security Clearance (active or ability to obtain) may be required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with ISO 9001, AS9100, ITAR, and other industry-specific standards.
• Experience with ERP and CRM systems (e.g., Odoo, Salesforce, JIRA).
• Background in lean manufacturing or Six Sigma methodologies.

Ocean Power Technologies provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.

Salary range is $105,000 to $110,000

• Bonus potential
• Restricted Stock Awards

Benefits include:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• 401(k)