Application Engineering Manager

Actalent; Waukesha (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full medical, dental, vision

401K matching

Disability insurance

Job summary

Actalent is seeking an Applications Engineering Manager to lead a team of 5, including 4 engineers and a technician, at the Waukesha headquarters. You will drive performance, coach engineers, and coordinate with Sales to deliver technically sound solutions that meet customer needs and protect gross margin.

The role requires a Bachelor’s in Engineering and hands-on experience with quoting, sizing, configuration, and project management.

Qualifications

• Experience leading Applications Engineers and setting clear performance expectations.
• Strong understanding of KPIs and performance metrics.
• Experience with quoting and project management from cradle to grave.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop Applications Engineers; set clear expectations for performance, behavior, technical growth, and customer service.
• Establish visible priorities and workload plans; assess capacity, assign ownership, balance resources, and escalate conflicts.
• Delegate work appropriately and build backup coverage for critical products and processes.
• Manage recruiting, selection, onboarding, training, succession planning, and performance management for the Applications Engineering team.
• Own technical sizing, selection, configuration, and application of products and systems, ensuring standardization and traceability.
• Serve as the technical escalation point for complex or high-risk applications.
• Lead the technical portion of the quote-development process, ensuring accurate sizing and configuration.
• Support Sales and customers through technical discovery, solution development, presentations, and troubleshooting.
• Provide input to costing and pricing recommendations, identifying risks and escalating exceptions.
• Own and improve Applications Engineering workflow from request intake to execution handoff.
• Maintain controlled documentation including calculation tools, configuration rules, and product knowledge.
• Define service levels and operating metrics; review performance and lead corrective actions.
• Coordinate Applications Engineering priorities with Sales demand, strategic initiatives, and available technical capacity.
• Lead the post-shipment customer technical-resolution function, ensuring timely resolution and documentation.
• Ensure CRM and ERP records, return status, and closure documentation are accurate and audit-ready.
• Review recurring field issues and incorporate lessons learned into application standards and training.
• Own overall accountability for laboratory governance and ensure clear responsibility assignment.
• Ensure safe and predictable laboratory operation through proper delegation and compliance.

Skills

Application Engineering Management

SolidWorks

KPIs & performance metrics

Project quoting & management

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Job description

Job Title: Application Engineering Manager

Job Description

The Applications Engineering Manager leads the Applications Engineering team to deliver accurate, timely, and commercially sound technical solutions. The role involves translating customer requirements into properly sized and configured products and systems, strengthening customer technical confidence, and supporting revenue conversion while protecting product boundaries, execution quality, and gross margin. The manager creates a predictable operating system through clear priorities, visible capacity, disciplined processes, delegation, technical standards, and accountability. This position also leads the post-shipment customer technical-resolution function, ensuring timely containment, root-cause learning, and product and process improvement. Additionally, the role is accountable for laboratory governance, ensuring the lab operates as a safe, organized, and strategically aligned engineering and customer-engagement asset.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop Applications Engineers; set clear expectations for performance, behavior, technical growth, and customer service.
• Establish visible priorities and workload plans; assess capacity, assign ownership, balance resources, and elevate conflicts when commitments are at risk.
• Delegate work appropriately and build backup coverage for critical products and processes.
• Manage recruiting, selection, onboarding, training, succession planning, and performance management for the Applications Engineering team.
• Own technical sizing, selection, configuration, and application of products and systems, ensuring standardization and traceability.
• Serve as the technical escalation point for complex or high-risk applications.
• Ensure solutions meet customer requirements, safety expectations, and internal quality requirements.
• Lead the technical portion of the quote-development process, ensuring accurate sizing and configuration.
• Support Sales and customers through technical discovery, solution development, presentations, and troubleshooting.
• Provide input to costing and pricing recommendations, identifying risks and escalating exceptions.
• Own and improve Applications Engineering workflow from request intake to execution handoff.
• Maintain controlled documentation including calculation tools, configuration rules, and product knowledge.
• Define service levels and operating metrics; review performance and lead corrective actions.
• Coordinate Applications Engineering priorities with Sales demand, strategic initiatives, and available technical capacity.
• Lead the post-shipment customer technical-resolution function, ensuring timely resolution and documentation.
• Ensure CRM and ERP records, return status, and closure documentation are accurate and audit-ready.
• Review recurring field issues and incorporate lessons learned into application standards and training.
• Own overall accountability for laboratory governance and ensure clear responsibility assignment.
• Ensure safe and predictable laboratory operation through proper delegation and compliance.

Essential Skills

• Experience with Application Engineering Management
• Proficiency in SolidWorks
• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering preferred
• 3 years of application engineering experience
• 2 years of leadership or lead experience
• 1 year of experience around KPIs
• Experience with quoting and project management from cradle to grave

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Consideration of work experience and tenure over a degree
• Strong understanding of KPIs and performance metrics

Work Environment

The position is based at the headquarters in Waukesha, with travel required 25% of the time within the US. The manager will lead a team of 5 people, including 4 application engineers and an engineering technician. The company offers full benefits, has a long-standing history since 1910, and is family-owned. The product is utilized across various industries, including chemical, brewing, medical, and industrial, making it recession-proof.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Waukesha, WI.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $110000.00 - $130000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

• Full package-medical, dental, vision, 401K match, short term and long term disability

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Waukesha,WI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 22, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.