Application Engineer -Columbia/Okura

Columbia Machine World Headquarters

Vancouver (WA)

On-site

USD 80,000 - 111,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Employee assistance program

Flexible spending account

Health insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Professional development assistance

Referral program

Tuition reimbursement

Vision insurance

Job summary

Columbia Machine World Headquarters in Vancouver, WA is seeking an experienced Application Engineer to translate customer objectives into executable solutions. You will collaborate with sales, channel partners, and internal teams to perform technical discovery, develop proposals, and validate solutions.

The role requires strong communication, problem-solving, and collaboration across engineering, production, and service groups to ensure feasible, high-quality outcomes for customers.

Qualifications

Associate degree or technical certification in engineering or CAD is required.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field preferred.
Experience in applications engineering, technical sales support, or system design preferred.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with Sales throughout the opportunity lifecycle to align requirements and strategy.
Lead technical solution development and define system requirements and layouts.
Develop technical proposals, validate concepts, and participate in customer presentations.
Identify technical risks and communicate constraints that affect feasibility.

Skills

Written and oral communication

Technical problem solving and solution

Analytical thinking

Project process awareness

Customer orientation and collaboration

Cross-functional teamwork

Critical thinking and decision-making

Technical presentation and docs

Bilingual/Multilingual Spanish

Education

Associate degree in Engineering/CAD or related

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

CAD Tools

CRM or business systems

Job description

Job DetailsLevel: ExperiencedJob Location: Columbia/Okura LLC - Vancouver, WA 98661Position Type: Full TimeSalary Range: $80,172.00 - $111,300.00 SalaryJob Shift: DayJob Category: EngineeringAt Columbia we come to work every day driven by the belief that innovation can transform industries, empower communities, and create a more efficient, sustainable world.

With operations spanning five continents and a commitment to excellence in service and support, our purpose extends beyond engineering advanced equipment. We are pioneering innovation and paving a better tomorrow with factory automation solutions worldwide.

Summary

Reporting to the Sales Operations Manager, this position is part of a cross-functional commercial and technical team. This role plays a critical function in translating customer business objectives, operational requirements, and site constraints into practical, executable solutions. The Application Engineer works directly with sales, channel partners, internal teams, suppliers, and end customers to execute technical discovery, solution development, and proposal validation.

The individual in this role will bring a collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset to develop accurate, executable proposals that align with organizational capabilities and customer expectations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Role Responsibilities

Collaborate with Sales throughout the opportunity lifecycle to ensure alignment between customer requirements, solution direction, and commercial strategy.
Jointly perform technical discovery, including site assessments, system requirements definition, and evaluation of field conditions to develop viable solutions with the Sales Partner.
Lead technical solution development activities, ensuring customer requirements, site conditions, and application challenges are clearly defined and addressed.
Serve as the primary technical authority for solution architecture, component selection, and system approach during the pre-sale process.
Develop and validate technical concepts, layouts, equipment configurations, and system approaches that meet customer needs while aligning with engineering and manufacturing capabilities.
Lead technical engagement with suppliers, technology partners, and channel partners to evaluate capabilities, validate solution compatibility, and support solution development.
Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Production, Supply Chain, and Service teams to confirm feasibility, timelines, and resource requirements for proposed solutions.
Identify and communicate technical risks, assumptions, constraints, and information gaps that may impact solution feasibility or execution.
Develop technical proposals, including system descriptions, layouts, and supporting documentation; participate in customer presentations.
Ensure proposal integrity by reviewing and validating that technical solutions, assumptions, and scope definitions are accurate, complete, and aligned with company standards and execution capabilities.
Contribute to resource planning by identifying technical scope, complexity, and inputs required for successful project execution, including installation and commissioning considerations.
Support continuous improvement by providing feedback on product performance, application challenges, and opportunities for standardization based on customer and field experience.
Travel as required to support customer engagement, site evaluations, solution validation, channel partner support, and project support activities.

Breakdownof Duties and Responsibilities

Constant (over66%)
None
Frequent (33%-66%)
Independence of Action (Work progress is monitored by supervisor/manager; incumbent follows established practices, while organizing and prioritizing work within defined guidelines.)
Decision Making (Decisions primarilyimpactindividual assignments, project scope definition, and technical solution recommendations.)
Problem Solving (Problems are varied and require analysis of customer requirements, technical constraints, and operational considerations. Solutions are developed using technical expertise, experience, andcollaboration.)
Occasional (10%-33%)
None
Seldom (1%-10%)
Asdeemednecessaryby supervisor
None
Supervisory Responsibilities
(The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform different tasks as necessitated by your evolving role within the organization and the overall business objectives of the organization and these can be amended/adjusted as deemed necessary by yourSupervisor).

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Software

Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)
CAD Tools (e.g., AutoCAD, Inventor, or equivalent)
CRM or business systems (experience preferred)

Skills

Written and oral communication
Technical problem solving and solution development
Analytical thinking and attention to detail
Project and process awareness
Customer orientation and collaboration
Cross-functional teamwork
Critical thinking and decision-making
Technical presentation and documentation
Bilingual/Multilingual (Spanish) preferred

Abilities

Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, cross-functional environment
Ability to translate customer needs into technical solutions
Ability to balance technical requirements with business and operational constraints
Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
Ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences

Education and/or Experience

Associate degree, vocational, or technical certification in Engineering, CAD, or a related field required
Bachelor’s degree (Engineering or related technical field) preferred
Experience in applications engineering, technical sales support, or system design preferred
Bilingual/Multilingual (Spanish) preferred

Columbia Machine offers a full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, short and long term disability, 401(k), incentive compensation, paid holidays, paid time off, and tuition reimbursement. Equal Opportunity Employer - Women and Minorities are encouraged to apply. Columbia does participate in E-Verify. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The company does not sponsor employment visas or work authorization.

Job Type

Full-time

Benefits