Application Engineer

R.A Jones, a Coesia company; Covington (KY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K with match

Flexible remote work

8 weeks parental leave

Health benefit options

PTO and holidays

Disability coverage

HSA contribution

Job summary

R.A Jones, a Coesia company, headquartered in Covington, KY, seeks an Application Engineer to develop modernization solutions for packaging equipment. You will analyze customer needs, interpret machine documentation, and create costed technical concepts for proposals.

Collaborating with Sales Operations and Order Engineering, you will produce clear write-ups, estimates, and actionable solutions while traveling as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in engineering with strong mechanical aptitude.
• Experience with interpreting technical drawings and machine documentation.
• Proficiency in CAD and cost-estimating for projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication for customer proposals.

Responsibilities

• Review customer and sales requests to understand problem and requirements.
• Evaluate existing packaging machinery for modernization or reconfiguration.
• Interpret legacy drawings, 2D drawings, 3D models, and specifications.
• Develop practical technical concepts and solutions based on existing configurations.
• Collaborate with Order Engineering and other teams to validate concepts.
• Develop material, engineering, and cost estimates to support proposals.
• Prepare clear technical write-ups defining proposed solution, scope, and sequence.
• Serve as a technical resource to Sales Operations and Sales teams during proposals.
• Use CAD tools to communicate solutions and support decision-making.
• Support feasibility testing, modeling, or early-learning activities.
• Communicate concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Support customer discussions to ensure requirements are addressed.
• Stay aware of technologies and developments in packaging machinery.
• Travel occasionally to customer or vendor locations as needed.

Skills

CAD software

Microsoft Excel

Technical writing

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Customer-focused

Safety awareness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Solid Edge

AutoCAD

Job description

R.A Jones, headquartered in Covington, KY with another location in Davenport, Iowa, is a global leader in the design and manufacturing of primary and secondary packaging machinery for the beverage, chemicals, food, pharma & healthcare, and industrial goods industries.

R.A Jones offers an extensive portfolio of solutions for applications in aerosol filling, cartoning and box filling, chub packing, cup filling, pouching and modified atmosphere packaging.

R.A Jones is part of Coesia, a group of innovation-based industrial and packaging solutions companies operating globally, headquartered in Bologna, Italy.

Coesia has operating units in 36 countries, a turnover of 2,015 million euros in 2022 and over 8,000 employees.

About the Role

As an Application Engineer within the Modernization team, you will develop technical solutions that help customers modify, upgrade, and improve their existing packaging equipment. You will work closely with customers, Sales, Sales Operations, Order Engineering, and other internal teams to understand customer needs, evaluate existing machinery, and translate technical challenges into practical, cost-effective solutions.

This role requires a strong understanding of industrial machinery and mechanical systems, along with the ability to interpret machine documentation that may range from legacy paper drawings to modern 2D and 3D CAD models.

You will be responsible for developing the technical concept, determining associated costs and resource requirements, and clearly documenting the proposed solution to support accurate customer proposals and successful project execution.

In this role, you are responsible for:

• Reviewing customer and sales requests to understand the problem, application requirements, and desired outcome.
• Evaluating existing packaging machinery, including legacy equipment, to determine appropriate modernization, modification, or reconfiguration solutions.
• Reviewing and interpreting a variety of machine documentation, including legacy paper drawings, 2D drawings, 3D models, specifications, and other technical documentation.
• Developing practical technical concepts and solutions based on existing machine configurations, customer requirements, and sound engineering principles.
• Collaborating with Order Engineering and other technical teams to evaluate proposed solutions, validate concepts, and align on technical requirements.
• Developing material, engineering, assembly, and other applicable cost estimates to support accurate project costing.
• Preparing clear technical write-ups that define the proposed solution, scope, sequence of operation, performance requirements, and other information necessary to support customer proposals and downstream engineering.
• Serving as a technical resource to Sales Operations Engineers and Sales team members throughout the proposal development process.
• Using CAD tools and other engineering resources to evaluate concepts, communicate solutions, and support technical decision-making.
• Supporting feasibility testing, modeling, or early-learning activities when necessary to validate new or complex applications and reduce project risk.
• Communicating technical concepts and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Supporting customer discussions and presentations when needed to ensure customer requirements are understood and appropriately addressed in the proposed solution.
• Maintaining awareness of applicable technologies, engineering practices, and developments related to packaging machinery and modernization solutions.
• Traveling occasionally to customer or vendor locations as business needs require.

What You Need to Be Successful

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline preferred; equivalent hands-on technical or machinery experience will also be considered.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and demonstrated experience working with industrial machinery, packaging equipment, machine design, equipment modifications, service, assembly, or a comparable technical environment.
• Ability to evaluate an existing machine or mechanical system, identify what needs to change, and develop a practical technical solution.
• Experience interpreting technical drawings, machine documentation, specifications, and mechanical designs.
• Proficiency with CAD platforms such as SolidWorks, Solid Edge and AutoCAD
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and the ability to develop or support material, labor, and project cost estimates.
• Strong technical writing skills with the ability to clearly document and explain proposed engineering solutions.
• Strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to interact effectively with customers, Sales, Engineering, and cross-functional teams.
• Customer-focused mindset with the ability to listen to a technical problem, ask the right questions, and translate customer needs into an actionable solution.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work through applications ranging from established solutions to new or previously unproven concepts.
• Ability to collaborate across multiple functions while taking ownership of the technical integrity and accuracy of proposed solutions.
• Willingness to work around manufacturing and shop environments where safety glasses, steel-toe safety shoes, and other required PPE must be worn.

Our Offer

Coesia North America offers a competitive benefit package which includes, among other things:

• 401K offering 6% company match with no vesting period.
• Flexible remote work offering.
• 8-weeks paid parental leave.
• Multiple health benefit & insurance options.
• PTO, sick time, and 12 observed calendar holidays.
• Company paid short-term disability (80% wager placement) & long-term disability.
• HSA company contribution for individual & employer family coverage.

Coesia is an equal opportunity employer and embraces diversity and inclusion.