Americas Applications Manager - Process Solutions Leader

AFT-Global; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Aikawa Fiber Technologies (AFT) Inc. is seeking an Applications Manager – Americas to lead a region-wide Applications Engineering team, translate customer problems into engineered solutions, and accelerate the sales cycle.

You will hire, develop, coach, and manage priorities, work with Sales, Service, Manufacturing, and Product/Engineering to deliver measurable results, and travel ~50% to site visits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor level degree in chemical/mechanical or pulp & paper engineering.
• 5+ years in applications/process engineering in heavy industrial machinery.
• 3+ years of people management experience.
• Experience leading complex process problem-solving engagements at customer sites.
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to partner with sales.
• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken form.
• Valid driver’s license and travel ~50% with frequent site work.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a regional Applications Engineering team across the Americas.
• Own recruiting, onboarding, role clarity, performance management, and training.
• Set weekly priority reviews, pipeline reviews, and KPI reviews.
• Manage resourcing, travel planning, and peak-demand balancing.
• Provide process engineering leadership for screening, refining, and wear‑part applications.
• Partner with Sales to influence decisions and shorten the sales cycle.

Skills

People management

Communication skills

Commercial acumen

Problem solving

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Pulp & Paper Engineering, or related discipline

Tools

CRM systems

Templates & calculators

Reference tools

Job description

Aikawa Fiber Technologies (AFT) Inc. is seeking an Applications Manager – Americas to lead a region-wide Applications Engineering team, translate customer problems into engineered solutions, and accelerate the sales cycle.

You will hire, develop, coach, and manage priorities, work with Sales, Service, Manufacturing, and Product/Engineering to deliver measurable results, and travel ~50% to site visits.