Senior Application Specialist - Life Science Research

About Harvard Bioscience

Harvard Bioscience is a leading developer, manufacturer and seller of technologies, products and services that enable fundamental research, discovery, and pre-clinical testing for drug development. Our customers range from renowned academic institutions and government laboratories to the world's leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and contract research organizations. With operations in North America, Europe, and China, we sell through a combination of direct and distribution channels to customers around the world. We are a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: HBIO).

A career with Harvard Bioscience is an experience where our employees are energized and aligned to our purpose – Solutions to advance life science. With an experienced leadership team with a track record of delivering growth and accelerated business improvements, HBio sees an opportunity to drive significant organic growth by leveraging and expanding its deep customer relationships, new product development and an empowered, efficient sales force.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Harvard Bioscience is currently seeking a (Senior) Application Specialist – Life Science Research for our March/Freiburg office to provide expert application support for our physiological, cardiological, and respiratory research solutions. This role is focused on supporting national and international customers working with laboratory animal models, with particular emphasis on anesthesia, isolated organ systems, and perfusion‑based applications. The Application Specialist acts as a trusted technical and scientific partner to customers throughout the entire lifecycle – from system selection and quotation through installation, training, and ongoing application support. This role ensures that customer solutions are technically sound, application‑appropriate, and delivered with the highest performance and quality standards. In addition to direct customer engagement, the role plays a critical part in translating customer feedback into product and system improvements by contributing structured input to product development and continuous improvement processes. This position combines hands‑on technical work, customer‑facing activities, and cross‑functional collaboration within a global organization.

Essential Job Functions

• Assist customers in planning, configuring, and selecting appropriate systems.
• Prepare technical quotations and application-specific solution concepts in close collaboration with Sales and Product Management
• Conduct customer training, presentations, and workshops for users
• Attend trade shows to market our products together with Sales
• Provide marketing material (photos, brochures, manuals etc.)
• Provide technical application consultation and support to national and international customers in physiological and cardiological as well as respiratory research applications, with a focus on anesthesia and isolated organ systems of laboratory animals (for example Langendorff or EVLP Ex-Vivo Lung Perfusion modelsl)
• Analyze and resolve technical and application-related issues in-house and at customer sites
• Manage incoming customer claims in collaboration with production, purchasing, R&D and product management
• Support the production team in the assembly and preparation of systems to ensure optimal performance and quality
• Test, inspect, and perform final preparation of systems before shipment, including quality assurance and functional verification
• Install systems on-site at customer facilities, both domestically and abroad
• Provide feedback from customer applications to R&D and contribute to product improvement
• Document customer feedback, test results, and technical adjustments to continuously enhance the company's system solutions

Skills and Abilities required

• Experienced in sales and customer relationship management
• Strong customer orientation and excellent communication skills
• Precise, structured, and self-directed work style
• Technical understanding and keen attention to quality
• Team spirit and ability to collaborate across departments, especially with production and R&D
• Hand-on mentality
• Excellent written and spoken German and English skills

Bonus Skills and Experience

• ~5 years of experience in life sciences or comparable fields
• Solid knowledge of physiological and cardiological measurement systems
• Experience in animal-based experimental research and laboratory processes
• Practical experience with instrumentation, software control systems, and device calibration

Education and Experience and/or equivalent

• University or University of Applied Sciences degree in Medical Engineering, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, or a comparable scientific-technical discipline

Physical Demands

• Minimal physical demands; primarily sedentary office work

travel:

• Willingness to travel national and international is required