Application Engineer

Trelleborg Seals & Profiles; Aurora (OH); On-site; USD 75,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Trelleborg Seals & Profiles is seeking an Application Engineer to define and lead sealing solution designs driven by customer and sales requests. You will guide projects from inception to finished product, coordinating with sales, development engineering, and production to ensure on-time delivery.

Strong CAD, project management, and cost estimation skills are required to balance manufacturability with application requirements.

Qualifications

• Describe what the candidate must have in terms of education, experience, and background.
• The role requires a technical degree and significant CAD and project management experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop & manage project using CAD tools to create product designs and drawings (AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Inventor)
• Coordinate and/or manage customer requests (RFQ, Q&A)
• Risk mitigation using project management tools
• Feasibility studies through understanding of customers, products and applications
• Coordinate technical and commercial reviews for project success
• Ensure quotation process elements are delivered on time
• Lead awarded projects (scheduling, risk, testing, qualification, Q&A)
• Support manufacturing to fulfill deliverables
• Facilitate regular project meetings and maintain status documents
• Manage multiple projects and cross-functional collaboration

Skills

Project management

Customer-focused communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Estimating

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical field

10+ years of direct industry experience

Polymer product design background

2-D CAD experience

3-D CAD experience preferred

Project Management experience

Microsoft Project or Smartsheet experience

APQP NPI processes knowledge

Tools

AutoCAD

Inventor

SolidWorks

Microsoft Project

Smartsheet

Job description

The application engineer will use their understanding of sealing systems, components, and elastomeric materials to define and lead customer and sales driven requests for sealing solution designs and estimations. A good understanding of sealing profiles combined with solid customer focused communication skills will be used to quickly drive requested projects from inception to finished product. Good project management and estimation costing skills will be necessary to handle multiple projects while interfacing with key cross functional groups to successfully execute customer’s requests. Strong CAD skills (AutoCAD, Inventor, or SolidWorks) will be used to define product design in addition to having a good understanding of design for manufacturing to balance manufacturability (tolerances) with application requirements. Strong communications skills to work with sales, development engineering, and production will be needed to successfully execute on time solutions to customers while providing key support to review new opportunities with sales, quoting, and development feasibility. As a key driver of NPI, effective communication and tracking of released projects will be performed relative to status and resolution of problems or changes. Added skills of market knowledge and direct experience with key customers in this market space with understanding of effective costs for these elastomer products will be considered a strong benefit to this position.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Describe the tasks and responsibilities in more detail. Use bullet points.

• Develop & manage project using CAD tools to create product designs and drawings (AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Inventor)
• Development, coordinate and/or manage customer requests (RFQ, Q&A) including support with creation of quotations or proposals working with Sales
• Risk mitigation using various project management and internally developed tools
• Obtain an understanding of customers, products and applications to be able to complete feasibility studies
• Coordinate technical and commercial reviews, as needed, to ensure project success
• Ensure all elements of quotation process are captured and delivered on time
• Ensure commitments to all project deliverables are completed and on time
• Ensure quality and delivery requirements are captured, communicated and completed
• Develop, coordinate and/or manage awarded projects (scheduling, risk planning, task management, testing, qualification, Q&A)
• Support manufacturing as needed, in order to fulfill project deliverables
• Facilitate regular meetings (including kick-off meetings) with project stake holders to maintain communication, and project status
• Regularly update project tracking and project status documents
• Ability to manage multiple projects and tasks at any one time
• Work with cross-functional groups to deliver project commitments

Education and Experience

Specify what level of education is needed (secondary school, technical school, university, master, PHD, etc).

Define how many years’ relevant working experience is required and which type of experience.

• Bachelors degree in technical field or 10+ years of direct industry experience
• Direct process and application understanding combined with estimation experience
• Polymer product design preferred but direct experience in industry applications will be considered
• 2-D CAD experience or training required. 3-D preferred
• Project Management exposure or experience preferred
• Microsoft Project or Smartsheet experience preferred
• Technical and commercial communication skills
• Understanding of elastomer material behavior and manufacturing processes
• Knowledge of APQP NPI processes with polymer experience preferred
• Ability to travel do some light travel as required

Competences

Define specific competences needed. (Examples: negotiation skills, programming skills, coaching, budgeting, problem solving etc). Look at the Leadership profile.

• Ability to manage multiple projects at one time
• Good problem-solving skills
• Able to work with diverse groups

Key Interfaces and Stakeholders

Describe which interfaces and stakeholders the position will have in the job. (For example outside customers, R&D internally, manager, peers).

• This position will play a critical role in coordinating between customer and internal stakeholders. Internally, this position will work directly with manufacturing, tooling, quality, sales & development team in addition to leading and coordinating costing estimations.

Geography to cover and travel requirements

Indicate if the responsibility is global/international/country/or local. Indicate if travelling or off site work days are required and give an estimation of days per year.

• There is no territory associated with this position. Travel is local and international.

Behavioral Characteristics

Describe personality traits important for success in the position. (Examples: flexibility, integrity, creativity, goal orientation, cooperation, initiative taking).

• This person will coordinate between the customer and many departments and is responsible for on-time delivery of projects. They must have the ability to juggle multiple projects at one time with the ability to lead projects through to an on-time delivery.

Optional: Key Performance Indicators

Add additional headlines and content if needed.

• On time NPI and sample delivery
• Maintain and secure new project business

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may perform other related duties as required to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.