Application Engineering Leader

Hydro-Thermal Corporation; Waukesha (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Continuing Education/Tuition Reimb.

Vacation and Personal Time Off

Health, Dental and Vision Insurance

401k with company match

Life/AD&D insurance

Job summary

Hydro-Thermal Corporation is seeking an Applications Engineering Leader to guide the Applications Engineering team in delivering accurate, timely, and commercially sound technical solutions. You will oversee engineering standards, customer technical support, and lab operations while developing team members and driving continuous improvement.

The role partners with Sales, Product Development, Engineering, Operations, Service, and Quality to translate customer requirements into effective solutions

Job description

Do you want to be part of a team where we work collaboratively to achieve our goals? Do you enjoy working in an innovative and growth focused environment? A company that invests in its equipment and its team members? Then Hydro-Thermal is the company for you!

At Hydro-Thermal Corporation success is attributed to people who are committed to technical competence, are responsive to customers' needs, are friendly, are willing to work hard, have complete integrity, and are active in our industry and in the local communities.

Summary: The Applications Engineering Leader leads the Applications Engineering team in delivering accurate, timely, and commercially sound technical solutions. This role oversees application engineering processes, technical standards, customer technical support, and laboratory operations while developing team members and driving continuous improvement.

The supervisor partners closely with Sales, Product Development, Engineering, Operations, Service, and Quality to ensure customer requirements are translated into effective solutions that support revenue growth, product quality, and operational excellence.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop the Applications Engineering team.
• Establish priorities, manage workloads, and balance team capacity.
• Conduct performance reviews, one-on-ones, and development planning.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and succession planning.
• Foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Application Engineering

• Oversee product sizing, selection, configuration, and application of Hydro-Thermal products.
• Develop and maintain engineering standards, calculation methods, application guidelines, and technical documentation.
• Serve as the technical escalation point for complex applications.
• Ensure solutions meet customer requirements, engineering standards, quality expectations, and product capabilities.
• Collaborate across departments to resolve technical challenges and improve products and processes.

Commercial & Customer Support

• Lead the technical portion of quotation development, ensuring accurate sizing, scope, and documentation.
• Support Sales through customer meetings, presentations, trials, troubleshooting, and technical discussions.
• Identify technical, commercial, and execution risks while supporting pricing and margin decisions.
• Analyze lost opportunities and customer feedback to improve tools, training, products, and quote conversion.

Process & Systems

• Own and improve Applications Engineering workflows from request intake through project handoff.
• Maintain engineering tools, documentation, CPQ rules, product configuration logic, and knowledge resources.
• Promote cross-training, knowledge sharing, and standardized processes.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions to reduce errors and improve efficiency.

Planning & Performance

• Establish department metrics, dashboards, and service level expectations.
• Communicate priorities, resource needs, risks, and project status to leadership.
• Coordinate engineering priorities with sales demand, product launches, and strategic initiatives.
• Support departmental budgeting, forecasting, and resource planning.

Customer Technical Resolution

• Lead the post-shipment technical support and customer resolution process.
• Ensure customer issues are documented, prioritized, communicated, and resolved efficiently.
• Coordinate cross-functional troubleshooting, corrective actions, engineering changes, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Ensure CRM and ERP documentation is accurate and complete.

Laboratory Leadership

• Provide overall accountability for engineering laboratory operations.
• Ensure safe, organized, and effective laboratory management through appropriate delegation.
• Coordinate laboratory scheduling, testing priorities, customer demonstrations, and engineering validation activities.
• Support continuous improvement of laboratory processes and capabilities.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, or related Engineering (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of applications engineering, product engineering, technical sales support, or related industrial engineering experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience; prior supervisory experience highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and industrial process equipment.
• Experience interpreting customer requirements and developing technical solutions.
• Excellent leadership, communication, planning, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred

• Experience with direct steam injection, process heating, sanitary processing, skid systems, valves, or controls.
• Knowledge of PLCs, PID controls, and industrial automation.
• Experience with CPQ, ERP, CRM, NetSuite, or engineering configuration systems.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD, P&IDs, and engineering drawings.
• Experience with ISO 9001, continuous improvement, and root cause analysis.
• Experience managing customer technical support, field issue resolution, or engineering laboratories.
• Professional Engineering license, advanced degree, or technical leadership certification.
• Ownership and accountability
• Coaching and talent development
• Technical and commercial judgment
• Planning and prioritization
• Collaboration and communication

Travel:

• Approximately 20–30% travel is expected for customer visits, field support, training, conferences, and other business needs. Travel schedules may occasionally require departure on Sunday afternoon or evening and travel outside normal business hours.

In addition to your base compensation, you are provided with a wide range of benefit programs which are designed to enhance the quality of your life, to provide protection and help when some of life's problems may occur.

• Continuing Education/Tuition Reimbursement
• Vacation and Personal Time Off and paid Holidays
• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• 401k with company match
• Company provided Life/AD&D

EEO Statement

Hydro-Thermal Corporation provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.