Application Engineer

Novanta Corporation; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 116,000 - 174,000; Full time

Job summary

Novanta Inc. is seeking a Sales Application Engineer to bridge customers, Sales, and Engineering. You will understand applications, demonstrate possibilities, and develop validated solutions through hands‑on prototyping, testing, and technical problem‑solving.

The role blends technical depth with commercial impact to influence customer solutions and drive growth. You will collaborate across functions to ensure reliable performance, deliver value, and contribute to product direction while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering with five+ years supporting motion‑control products.
• Experience in technical sales or a customer‑facing technical role with ability to translate concepts for technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing considerations, market segments, and customer workflows including BOM costs and ROI.
• Collaborative, customer‑focused problem solver with strong project management and prototyping capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Sales and customers to understand complex application requirements and communicate technical value.
• Demonstrate Novanta technology via hands‑on prototyping, testing, and solution qualification for reliability and performance.
• Develop value‑added solutions by integrating Novanta capabilities with third‑party tech and support feasibility and costings.
• Voice of the customer: collaborate across Engineering, Product Management, Operations, and Quality to optimize solutions and customer experience.

Skills

Motion control

Technical sales

Project management

Prototyping

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Job description

Build a career powered by innovations that matter! At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing—improving productivity, enhancing people’s lives and redefining what’s possible. We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission-critical applications—from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing. Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Looking for a great place to work? You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment. Come explore Novanta.

Summary

As a Sales Application Engineer, you will be the technical bridge between our customers, Sales, and Engineering, turning complex customer challenges into high-performance solutions that create measurable value. You will work directly with customers to understand their applications, demonstrate what’s possible, and develop and validate solutions through hands‑on prototyping, testing, and technical problem‑solving. This is a highly collaborative, customer‑facing role where technical expertise meets commercial impact, giving you the opportunity to influence customer solutions, contribute to product direction, and help drive customer success and business growth.

Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with Sales and customers to understand complex application requirements, recommend fit‑for‑purpose motion‑control solutions, and clearly communicate technical performance, tradeoffs, and business value.
• Bring Novanta technology to life through customer demonstrations, hands‑on prototyping, application testing, and solution qualification to ensure reliability, performance, and alignment with customer needs.
• Develop value‑added solutions by combining Novanta capabilities with complementary third‑party technologies, while providing technical input into feasibility, costing, product conversions, and customer onboarding.
• Bring the voice of the customer back into the business by partnering across Engineering, Product Management, Operations, and Quality to optimize solutions, inform product direction, and deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Required Experience, Education, Skills, Training and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline, with five or more years of experience supporting motion‑control products, including linear bearings, linear motors, feedback systems, drives, and controllers.
• Experience in technical sales, applications engineering, or a comparable customer‑facing technical role, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear and compelling recommendations for technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing considerations, market segments, and customer workflows, including factors that influence bill of material costs, customer ROI, and key performance indicators.
• Collaborative, customer‑focused problem solver with strong project management skills and the ability to develop prototypes, integrate value‑added technologies, manage multiple priorities, and work effectively across functions.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to stand for extended periods.
• Ability to support hands‑on prototype development, testing, demonstrations, and application qualification activities.

Travel Requirements

Expect to travel approximately 50% of the time to work directly with customers and stay connected to the applications, technologies, and markets we serve. Travel may include customer visits, industry events, product training, and visits to other Novanta locations. Travel will be primarily domestic, with limited international travel based on business needs.

Compensation and Benefits

• The base pay for this position is $116,00-$174.000 per year depending on the geographic market.
• This position provides an opportunity for competitive quarterly sales compensation based on an achievement to plan.
• Novanta supports all aspects of your life’s needs.
• This position provides a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits to make your quality of life better.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.

Please call [phone] if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.

About Novanta

Solving complex challenges, delivering innovations that matter! Novanta is a leading global supplier of core technology solutions that give medical, life science, and advanced industrial original equipment manufacturers a competitive advantage. We combine deep proprietary expertise and competencies in precision medicine, precision manufacturing, robotics and automation, and advanced surgery with a proven ability to solve complex technical challenges. This enables Novanta to engineer proprietary technology solutions that deliver extreme precision and performance, tailored to our customers' demanding applications. The driving force behind our growth is the team of innovative professionals who share a commitment to innovation, the Novanta Growth System, and our customers’ success. Novanta’s common shares are quoted on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "NOVT".