Customer Support Engineer

Job Description We are looking for a Customer Support Engineer in our Budapest, Hungary office working on a hybrid schedule - 3 days in the office and 2 remote. As a Customer Support Engineer, you will serve as a key point of contact and entry point for incoming customer requests, delivering expert remote technical support to English and German speaking Cognex customers across Europe. You will be part of a distributed team of engineers located across the region, collaborating to deliver consistent, high-quality support. You will play a critical role in ensuring customer success by understanding customer needs, driving effective resolutions, and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. Collaboration on effective resolutions and customer satisfaction is achieved via participation in our customer interaction recording platform. This role requires a strong customer-first mindset, technical curiosity, and a proactive, solution-oriented approach to problem-solving. Key Responsibilities Serve as the front-line technical support for Cognex products, handling customer requests submitted via web and phone Understand customer issues, ask effective troubleshooting questions, assess severity, and drive timely resolution Troubleshoot and reproduce reported issues, identify root causes, and provide solutions or suitable workarounds Ensure high customer satisfaction through responsive, professional, and customer-focused interactions Maintain clear and consistent communication with customers, providing regular updates on case progress Accurately document and manage cases in the CRM system, ensuring high-quality and actionable records, including participation in recorded customer interactions in line with standard support practices. Identify unexpected product behaviors and escalate complex or unresolved issues to engineering and product teams Collaborate with global technical support teams to ensure efficient troubleshooting and resolution Contribute to knowledge sharing by creating and maintaining knowledge base articles and technical documentation Support continuous improvement by sharing feedback on products, documentation and support processes Stay up to date with Cognex technologies through ongoing training; contribute to knowledge transfer within the team Core Skills (Required) Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills, with the ability to diagnose complex technical issues and identify root causes Familiarity with industrial and automation environments, with basic knowledge of PLCs, robotics, or manufacturing systems Understanding of networking fundamentals and industrial communication protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus) Ability to interpret technical documentation, system architectures, and wiring diagrams Ability to reproduce issues and validate solutions in a structured and methodical manner Clear and effective communication skills, with the ability to adapt to different customer profiles (technical and non-technical) Customer-first mindset with a structured, solution-oriented approach to problem-solving Ability to quickly learn and apply new technologies in a structured manner Nice to Have Familiarity with machine vision fundamentals, including optics, lighting, and image acquisition principles Experience with Cognex products and technologies (e.g., DataMan, In-Sight, VisionPro, Deep Learning) Exposure to image processing, computer vision, or deep learning applications Experience in technical support or customer-facing engineering roles Knowledge of programming and software debugging (script-based or object-oriented environments) Familiarity with complex system integration (machine builders, system integrators, end-user environments) Experience working in an international or multicultural environment Qualifications Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience 2–6 years of experience in a technical support or customer-facing engineering role within electronics, robotics, manufacturing, automation, or IT environments Previous exposure to customer service or technical support functions is preferred Professional proficiency in English and German (spoken and written) Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented, international environment Strong attention to detail and ability to manage tasks with accuracy and consistency Comfortable working in an office environment and using standard computer and communication tools, including extended phone interactions Willingness and ability to travel internationally on an occasional basis (approximately 1–2 times per year) Why join Cognex? Join Cognex and contribute to shaping the future of automation through advanced machine vision and AI technologies. As a global leader, Cognex combines cutting-edge innovation with a strong commitment to delivering an exceptional customer experience—supported by a global network of technical experts and industry-leading support capabilities designed to make complex automation solutions easier to deploy, maintain, and scale. In this role, you will play a critical part in that mission. By delivering high-quality technical support and driving effective problem resolution, you will directly contribute to customer success, operational efficiency, and long-term satisfaction. You will work on complex, high-impact applications across a wide range of industries, while developing deep technical expertise in a fast-evolving, innovation-driven environment. As part of an international and collaborative team, you will help ensure that every customer interaction reinforces Cognex’s reputation for excellence and reliability. Additional Job Description