A Day in the Life: Technical Services Engineer
As part of our PackTalk blog, we like to highlight different industry experts and the career paths they took to get to where they are today. In this week’s article, we spoke with Brian Barr, Technical Services Engineer at Oliver. Check out this interview below to learn more about his day-to-day.
Tell us a little about yourself and your journey to Oliver.
I graduated from Temple University in 2017 and joined Oliver shortly after. Interestingly, my introduction to the company came through a family tie. My mom worked here for many years, and she let me know about an opening in the quality department at Oliver’s New Britain facility, and that’s where I got my start.
Since then, I have had the opportunity to work in several different roles, including spec review and development and later on the engineering team, where I focused on finished goods and tooling design. These roles gave me a strong understanding of how we make our products and how the business operates. Eventually, I transitioned to my current role on the Technical Services team.
What does your current role involve on a day-to-day basis?
One of the best parts of the job is that today is very different than yesterday and will be very different than tomorrow. A typical day usually starts with checking my schedule and reviewing incoming customer cases and questions from teams like sales, quality, and customer care. Our Technical Services team helps support both proactive and reactive needs across the business.
On the proactive side, we support sales and new product development by helping customers determine the right packaging solutions for their devices. On the reactive side, we assist with troubleshooting and root cause investigations alongside our engineering and manufacturing teams. In many ways, we act as subject matter experts for packaging applications and customer support.
What’s your favorite part of the role?
I have really grown to love speaking with customers. A few years ago, I probably wouldn’t have said that, but now I really enjoy talking with customers and learning about the products they’re developing. It’s really fascinating to see the variety of medical devices our packaging supports and understand how our solutions contribute to patient care. It is rewarding to know how my role contributes to safely delivering medical devices.
Are you more involved with new device packaging or troubleshooting existing packaging challenges?
It’s really a mix of both. Some of our larger customers already have established packaging systems and specifications, so they often come to us with very defined requirements. They know what materials or configurations have worked successfully in the past and prefer to use what is tried and true. But for smaller or startup customers, they may be looking for more foundational support.
What are some of the biggest challenges in your role?
For me, early on becoming comfortable with customer-facing conversations was a challenge. Even when I felt technically prepared, it still took time to build confidence leading customer discussions.
Today, one of the more challenging aspects is troubleshooting customer concerns. It’s important to communicate clearly and work collaboratively toward a solution. What these conversations have taught me is that you’re not just supporting a company by finding a solution. You’re often supporting an individual who cares deeply about the product they are working on.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the industry?
Don’t rush and take the time you need to learn the role thoroughly. It’s easy to feel the pressure to “check the box” and move on, but building a strong foundation is really important. Make sure you are thorough and don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s okay to not know something!
