The Application Engineer is responsible for working with Customers to identify need and help to develop solutions.  Work closely with Product Development to assist in design and develop innovative products in key growth markets.  Develop business case to support financial justification which meet gating criteria and develop quotes.  Work closely with Sales team to determine project and product requirements to support VOC.  Represent company with external communications such as tradeshows, associations, and customer meetings.  Mentorship of Engineers to foster development of department capabilities.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

Oversees and manages the quoting process for Top Customers opportunities.Leads custom and engineered product programs through the nVision New Product Development phase gate processVisit and make presentations to current and prospective customers on a project-specific basis, to promote NMFC Capabilities and Value to expand business.Conducts VOC activities and develop product and performance requirements for custom and engineered product opportunitiesWork closely with engineering, tooling and manufacturing departments to get input on custom projects and quotations.Work as intermediary, supporting engineering, marketing and sales, to qualify new opportunities.Assist Sales with initial Sales Cycle to gather raw opportunities, through solution development to proposal development and Negotiation.Help expand customer engineering network with Key Account Managers to support new opportunity generation. Responsible for providing Technical Support to customers, sales and customer service. Examples include review of Drawings, Specifications, and Quotes.Responsible for providing technical assistance and design support to both customers and the sales and customer service staff.Timely follow-up on all Top customer technical inquiries and requests which require special support.Tracks and manages opportunity pipeline for custom and engineered productsResponsible for monthly reporting on opportunities throughout the sales process ensuring opportunities pursued meet organizational requirements in alignment with Strategic Vision.Attend trade shows to stay up on market trends and technologies and meet with current and prospective customers.On-site Visit of Current and Potential Customer’s facilities to collaborate on new opportunities and strengthen application knowledge base.Initiates and Drives Technology Development Projects activities to build organizational capabilities that align with customer and market needsAssist NPD team in brainstorming sessions to develop concepts and design solutions which meets customer requirements and schedule while maintaining project financial requirementsCoordinates appropriate communications with Nordson MEDICAL customers to facilitate transfer of customer requirements and approvals.Supports Product Line Management team to develop cost estimates, pricing and Project Financials that meet established criteria with is accretive to overall Nordson metrics.Provides accurate and timely project status updates to internal and customer stakeholders.Assist Sales and Marketing teams to foster new and maintain existing business relationships, expanding overall capabilities awarenessCreate reports and presentations of high-level metrics for use in Leadership Reviews.Work with internal and external stakeholders to establish and implement strategies consistent with NPD and organizational growth objectives and core competencies.Available on occasions to work on weekends, holidays and off-hours to support company requirements.Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Education and Experience Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or a University in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline is required. M.S in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline is desired.A minimum of five (5) years of experience in general engineering field is required.A minimum of three (3) years of experience in commercial role, preferred.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of Plastic Injection Mold tooling manufacturing techniques and practices.Strong organization skills: ability to multi-task meeting deadlines to ensure superior responsiveness.Remains calm under pressure; Strong decision-making skills in response to high pressure situations.Proven change agent: skill with enabling change, strong influencing abilities particularly with frontline teams.Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to interact with individuals at all levels of the organizationPossess good interpersonal communication skills to interface with customers as well as sales, marketing, engineering, manufacturing and tooling departments. As such, adequate experience in working with customers is required.Knowledgeable of New Product Development phase-gate processes.Knowledgeable of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) instituted by PMI.Strong experience in using fundamental engineering principles in design and development of plastics part assemblies in a high volume manufacturing environment such as injection molding is required. Must be able to interpret appropriate SPC (Statistical Process Control) tools.Strong experience in developing new and innovative concepts that meet customer requirements. Knowledgeable of rapid prototyping methods to evaluate design and process requirements.Hold multiple patents and knowledgeable of patenting processes.Experience in application of human factor interface design (HFID) in design and development of products is desired. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret technical information.  Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to effectively present information to customers, top management, or boards of directors.Must be able to read and interpret mechanical drawings, and understand the application of geometric tolerances. Must be able to use inspection devices (i.e. CMM, microscopes, calipers, gage pins, optical scope, etc.)Knowledgeable of advanced mathematical concepts such as statistical analysis, extrapolation and interpolation of data sets. Knowledgeable of mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory and factor analysis.Possess good analytical and reasoning skills.  Must be able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. 

Computer Skills:

Experience in use of one or more of these software tools (i.e. Solid Works, PDMWorks, and MS Project) is preferred.Proficient in use of typical desktop hardware and software (i.e. Dell, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). Must be able to use advanced functions in most standard office applications. Proficient in use and navigation of a Windows operating system in a networked environment.Upon completion of training, employee must be able to successfully navigate through IFS (i.e. ERP Systems, Oracle, or SAP) including proficiency in the Document Management, Project Management and Enterprise Management modules.

Competencies:

Customer Service OrientedResults Oriented/AccountabilityProfessional Work Relations/TeamworkKnowledge of Job/Comprehension/Job SkillsTechnical Professional KnowledgeComputer SkillsMechanical SkillsGoal Achievement & Objective SettingAnalysis/Analytical SkillsAttention to DetailProject ManagementRisk TakingMulti-TaskingInitiativeJudgmentDependability/ReliabilityAccuracyCritical Thinking Skill/ReasoningDecisivenessCost ConsciousnessLeverages TechnologyStress Tolerance/Ability to Work UnderProblem SolvingPlanning & OrganizingTime Management SkillsFollow-ThroughSafety Awareness