Since 1969, Advanced Programs Inc. (API) has been developing secure, mission-critical solutions that serve the United States, NATO, and allied partners. As a small, agile company supporting national security initiatives, we offer a tight-knit environment where each employee plays a meaningful role in real-world impact.
Join a team that moves quickly to respond to evolving defense and intelligence challenges—often working directly with government stakeholders to translate urgent needs into engineered solutions. You'll have the chance to make a difference, but you'll also be expected to bring initiative, flexibility, and technical curiosity every day.
Customer Service Printer Technician
SUMMARY:
Advanced Programs, Inc. is seeking an experienced Printer / MFP Repair Technician to perform component-level troubleshooting, repair, and modification of laser printers and multifunction devices supporting secure government and defense customers.
This is a diagnostic role, not just a parts-swapping role. You will be expected to isolate faults to the assembly, board, or component level using error codes, service-mode diagnostics, schematics, and test equipment — and to determine root cause rather than replace parts until the symptom disappears. Work includes electromechanical repair, print engine and image quality analysis, firmware troubleshooting, and repair of low-level electronic faults.
Because our equipment is modified and deployed into secure environments, technicians here work on hardware and configurations that are not found in commercial break/fix work. This includes TEMPEST-related equipment and COMSEC-briefed handling. The role requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance.
WHAT THIS ROLE IS NOT
Please read before applying. This position is not a general help-desk, IT support, or consumables role. Clearing paper jams, replacing toner cartridges, installing drivers, and swapping rollers are baseline expectations, not the substance of the job. Candidates whose printer experience is limited to those tasks will not be successful in this position. We are specifically looking for technicians who have diagnosed and repaired complex printer failures — intermittent faults, print engine and imaging defects, drive and paper path problems, firmware and controller issues, and electronic faults at the board or component level.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS:
Printer Repair (Core Skills)
- Experience troubleshooting and repairing printers (laser and/or inkjet)
- Isolate root cause of mechanical, electrical, firmware, and network-related failures rather than replacing components by trial and error.
- Navigate printer service modes and diagnostic menus; retrieve, interpret, and act on error and event codes.
- Generate and interpret test prints and diagnostic pages to characterize faults.
- Diagnose and document intermittent failures, including those that do not reproduce on demand.
- Use schematics, service manuals, and print sets to trace faults through mechanical and electrical systems.
Our work is primarily HP. Our two principal platforms are:
- HP® Color LaserJet Pro Printer
- HP® Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP
Direct experience on these HP families is strongly preferred. Candidates with comparable depth on Xerox platforms, or with demonstrated complex troubleshooting and repair experience on other commercial or high-volume printers and MFPs, are encouraged to apply.
Troubleshooting
- Ability to identify root cause of issues (not just replace parts)
- Basic understanding of how mechanical and electrical systems work together
- Ability to follow step-by-step troubleshooting procedures
Electromechanical Systems
- Diagnose and repair printer mechanical assemblies: feed rollers, fusers, belts, gears, clutches, solenoids, and motors.
- Diagnose paper path faults including jams, misfeeds, skewing, and multi-feed, and correct the underlying cause.
- Replace and align mechanical components, including fuser units and transfer assemblies.
- Troubleshoot drive systems: stepper motors, DC motors, and encoders.
Basic Networking / Connectivity
- Troubleshoot printer connectivity across USB, Ethernet, and network printing paths.
- Install, update, and troubleshoot printer drivers and print queues.
- Configure device network and security settings in accordance with customer requirements.
Tools & Repair Work
- Soldering and component-level board repair. Hands-on soldering, desoldering, and rework experience on printed circuit boards is a significant differentiator for this position
- Comfortable using basic hand tools
- Experience using multimeter for basic checks
- Ability to follow repair procedures and service manuals
- Ability to complete preventative maintenance (cleaning, replacing wear parts)
Documentation & Process
- Perform scheduled preventative maintenance, including cleaning and replacement of wear parts.
- Document symptoms, diagnostic steps, root cause, corrective action, and verification clearly and completely.
- Follow standard repair and quality procedures; maintain an organized work area, tooling, and calibrated test equipment.
- Communicate professionally with customers and internal teams regarding equipment status, findings, and resolution.
- Troubleshoot, repair, and test manufactured equipment as assigned.
- Work independently with minimal supervision and adjust to conflicting or competing priorities.
Soft Skills
- Good communication skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Professional attitude when working with internal teams or customers
Electromechanical Systems
- Understanding of printer mechanical assemblies (feed rollers, fusers, belts, gears, motors)
- Ability to diagnose paper path issues (jams, misfeeds, skewing, multi-feed)
- Experience replacing and aligning mechanical components (rollers, fuser units, transfer assemblies)
- Understanding of drive systems (stepper motors, DC motors, encoders)
Print Engine & Image Quality
- Troubleshoot print quality defects (streaking, ghosting, banding, fading, toner scatter)
- Knowledge of imaging systems (laser, inkjet, thermal)
- Understanding of toner/ink systems and consumables
- Ability to interpret test prints and diagnostic pages
Firmware & Embedded Systems
- Experience updating firmware and troubleshooting firmware-related issues
- Ability to navigate printer service modes / diagnostic menus
- Understanding of embedded controllers and I/O interfaces
Basic Electronics Theory
-
Voltage (potential difference) /Current (flow of charge) / Resistance (opposition to flow) / Power dissipation
-
Ohms Law (V=IR)
-
Circuit analysis (Series, Parallel, Series Parallel)
-
AC vs DC power
-
Passive Components (resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers)
-
Semiconductors (LED and diodes)
-
Test Equipment (Multimeter, Oscilloscope, Power Meter, Power Supply)
Other duties may be assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
This job has no supervisory responsibilities.
-
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:
Minimum three (2) years of hands-on experience troubleshooting and repairing laser printers and/or multifunction devices at a component or assembly level, beyond routine maintenance and consumables replacement. -
Associate's degree (A.A.) or equivalent from a two-year college or technical school, or an equivalent combination of education and directly related repair experience.
-
CompTIA A+ certification
LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports, and provide detailed instructions and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of an organization.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.
REASONING ABILITY:
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Demonstrated ability to isolate root cause of intermittent and non-obvious failures using error codes, service-mode diagnostics, service manuals, and test equipment.
Ability to read and interpret electrical circuit schematics and mechanical print sets.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
-
Must have excellent customer service skills to communicate effectively with customers who have malfunctioning equipment.
-
Must have 2+ years of experience servicing, maintaining, configuring, and/or assembling complex electronic devices, including computers, printers, photocopiers, scanners, phones, and networking devices.
-
Must be familiar with Microsoft Windows, Linux, and TCP/IP.
-
Must be familiar with network security concepts and practices.
-
Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance with COMSEC briefing.
-
Must have excellent oral and written communication skills; must be prepared to demonstrate during interview.
-
Must be familiar with use of Microsoft Office suite, including PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and Excel.
-
Must be a motivated self-starter, requiring minimal supervision, resourceful, and decisive.
-
Must have ability to work independently and adjust to conflicting or competing requirements.
-
Have an understanding of electrical circuit schematics.
-
Ability to read mechanical print sets.
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS (PREFERRED):
-
Experience with TEMPEST equipment
-
Experience working on commercial or high-volume printers
-
Previous field service or repair technician experience
-
Basic soldering experience
-
Familiarity with secure or government environments
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and talk or hear. Employee must be able to lift and carry for short distances objects weighing as much as 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to risk of electrical shock. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Advanced Programs, Inc. (API) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, familial status, occupation, personal appearance, political opinion, source of income, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. API complies with all applicable requirements of Howard County's Human Rights Law and Maryland's Fair Employment Practices Act, and will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable law.
The likely pay range for this position is $25.00 to $27.00 an hour. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possibly contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.
The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, API considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.
