Application Engineer -Columbia/Okura

Columbia/Okura LLC; Vancouver, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 111,000; Full time

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 in Vancouver, WA seeks an experienced Application Engineer to translate customer objectives into executable solutions. You will work with sales, partners, and internal teams to execute technical discovery, solution development, and proposal validation.

The role emphasizes collaboration, delivering accurate proposals aligned with capabilities, and supporting customers with diverse stakeholders. Travel may be required to engage customers and partners.

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Sales throughout the opportunity lifecycle to align customer requirements with solution direction and commercial strategy.
• Perform technical discovery including site assessments and system requirements to develop viable solutions.
• Lead technical solution development ensuring requirements, site conditions, and challenges are addressed.
• Serve as primary technical authority for solution architecture and component selection during pre-sale.
• Develop and validate concepts, layouts, and system approaches meeting customer needs and capabilities.
• Lead technical engagement with suppliers and partners to validate compatibility and support development.
• Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Production, Supply Chain and Service to confirm feasibility and timelines.
• Identify risks, assumptions, constraints, and information gaps impacting feasibility.
• Develop technical proposals and participate in customer presentations.
• Ensure proposal integrity and alignment with standards and execution capabilities.
• Contribute to resource planning including installation and commissioning considerations.
• Support continuous improvement based on customer and field feedback.
• Travel as required to support customer engagement and project activities.

Skills

Written and oral communication

Technical problem solving

Analytical thinking

Project and process awareness

Customer orientation and collaboration

Cross-functional teamwork

Critical thinking

Technical presentation and documenting

Spanish language

Education

Associate degree in Engineering or related field

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

CAD Tools (AutoCAD, Inventor)

Microsoft Office Suite

CRM or business systems

Job description

Job Details

Level: Experienced, Job Location: Columbia/Okura LLC - Vancouver, WA 98661, Position Type: Full Time, Salary Range: $80,172.00 - $111,300.00 Salary, Job Shift: Day, Job Category: Engineering

At 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 Director of System Delivery & Service, 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.

Qualifications

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.

Benefits

• 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

Schedule

• 8 hour shift


• Day shift


• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate: Vancouver, WA 98661: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Job Type: Full-time

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.