Field System Engineer (all genders)

SWJ Portugal is part of the service engineering group SWJ, headquartered in Germany. Our offices in Lisbon support the development needs of our international customers.

We are currently hiring a Mid to Senior Field System Engineer for one of our automotive Tier-1 end customers. The candidate will support on-site activities at the customer’s production facility in the Braga region. The Field System Engineer will be responsible for advanced, customer-site technical work, including complex diagnostics, software engineering, PLC programming, and system integration within the end-customer production plant.

Our end-customer is a well-known worldwide leading company in the automotive sector (Tier-1 supplier). The position offers the opportunity to build a strong international network and to work in a dynamic, modern, and multinational environment.

About our ideal candidate:

We are looking for a candidate with both strong technical (hard) skills to deliver the work and the right soft skills to represent our company at one of our prestigious end-customers.

The ideal candidate demonstrates a strong drive to solve problems, high flexibility, and the ability to adapt quickly to the customer’s environment, expectations, and working style. Most importantly, the candidate genuinely enjoys taking ownership and getting things done.

Your daily responsibilities

• Perform complex diagnostics on production systems, identifying root causes across controls, communication, and integrated equipment
• Develop and maintain software/controls solutions for the production environment, following the applicable automotive and site standards
• Execute PLC programming and commissioning support, including implementing logic changes, validating behavior, and supporting acceptance activities
• Lead system integration activities within the end-customer plant, ensuring correct interoperability between PLCs, machines, drives, sensors/actuators, and industrial networks
• Manage technical escalations with internal engineering teams (e.g., product/software/control engineering) and drive solutions to closure
• Prepare and maintain technical documentation for installed/configured systems (e.g., logic notes, configuration details, troubleshooting runbooks)
• Regularly communicate your progress and resource availability to your Team Lead at SWJ and to the speaking partners at the end-customer
• Positively participate with suggestions and ideas regarding your tasks, towards an environment of continuous improvement

Desired experience & Availability

• Strong background in industrial automation. Years of hands-on field experience (5+ experience minimum)
• Experience with PLC programming and commissioning in real production environments
• Proven ability to perform advanced troubleshooting across controls and integration domains
• Experience in a multinational company and/or in the automotive sector is a plus
• Availability to start the role: Mid-September - October 2026

Technical (Hard) Skills:

• Strong knowledge of the relevant technology stack (e.g., industrial systems, networking, cloud connectivity, OT/IT, or building/utility systems)
• Experience with : communication protocols. PLC Programming experience, Debugging/Diagnostics and Sensors/Actuators.
• Experience/Knowledge in relevant ISO’s
• Standard Software development skills

Soft Skills and Languages Skills:

• Flexibility and adaptability, with strong emotional intelligence to adjust to customer needs.
• Ability to work independently on-site with end-customer teams and manage complex technical incidents and situations
• Good presentation and communication skills (written and spoken)
• Good to very good English proficiency, including technical writing, to support collaboration in a highly multinational environment (for both the customer and SWJ)
• Native or bilingual Portuguese level
• Additional European languages are a plus (e.g., Spanish, German, French, etc.)

Workplace and Business travels

The role is primarily based onsite at the customer’s facility, located approximately 10 km from Braga city center. Some remote work may be possible depending on the customer’s expectations.

Additional travel (up to 5 times per year) to our Lisbon office (near Gare do Oriente) is required for onboarding and in-house events.

Visits to other end-customer locations across Portugal may also be necessary.

About us:

For us, people are in the foreground. Diversity and equal opportunities are important in our team. With a high level of competence, passion and responsibility, we act as a team worldwide and thus launch innovative solutions for the future. Would you like to shape the future with us? We are offering many exciting opportunities!

Why join us:

At SWJ, you’ll find more than just a job – you’ll find a place where your ideas matter. You’ll be part of an international, open-minded team that values growth, teamwork and real impact. Based in Lisbon’s Parque das Nações, we offer a modern workspace, flexible ways of working, and the chance to shape exciting projects with global reach.

• Flexible working hours and home office option
• Work-life balance and family-friendly working hours
• 13th and 14th salaries
• Diverse opportunities for further training
• Demanding, varied and exciting range of tasks in a regional, national and international environment

Join our team and help us shape the mobility of tomorrow.