ApplicationProject Engineer Industrial Automation Technical Sales

Sai Systems; Plymouth (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Sai Systems is seeking an experienced Application / Project Engineer to drive technical sales, estimating, and proposal development for industrial automation projects in the automotive, manufacturing, and defense sectors. You will convert RFQs and technical specs into accurate estimates, defined scopes, and compelling proposals.

The role involves front-end project lifecycle work with Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, and suppliers, including Excel-based modeling and complex cost structures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in engineering, technology, or related field.
• 6+ years in application/project engineering, sales engineering, or estimating for industrial automation or capital equipment.
• Ability to translate RFQs and specs into defined scope and costs.
• Experience developing detailed estimates and professional proposals.

Responsibilities

• Develop estimates for material, labor, engineering, installation, and subcontractors for automation projects.
• Create professional proposals outlining scope, inclusions, exclusions, and assumptions.
• Collaborate with Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, and customers to define technical and commercial solutions.
• Maintain Excel-based estimating models and cost structures using historical data.

Skills

Industrial automation

Technical sales

Estimating

Proposal development

RFQ analysis

Excel modeling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related

Tools

AutoCAD

ERP systems

MS Excel

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

** Application / Project Engineer – Industrial Automation & Technical Sales**

** Turn Complex Automation Opportunities into Winning Solutions**

If you understand industrial automation, capital equipment, and what it takes to accurately scope and price complex projects, this is an opportunity to play a highly visible role in winning and launching major programs.

We are seeking an experienced Application / Project Engineer to support technical sales, estimating, and proposal development for custom industrial automation projects serving the automotive, manufacturing, and defense industries.

This is not a traditional project engineering position. You will work at the front end of the project lifecycle, partnering with Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, suppliers, and customers to turn complex RFQs and technical specifications into accurate estimates, well-defined scopes, and professional proposals.

Projects range from spare parts and equipment upgrades to complex automation programs exceeding $20 million, giving you exposure to a wide variety of technologies, customers, and engineering challenges.

This is primarily an office-based position with occasional visits to customer and manufacturing facilities.

** What You'll Do**

** Develop Estimates & Winning Proposals**

• Develop detailed material, labor, engineering, installation, and subcontractor estimates for industrial automation and capital equipment opportunities.
• Support opportunities ranging from spare parts and equipment modifications to $20M+ automotive and defense automation programs.
• Review customer RFQs, specifications, Statements of Work (SOWs), and technical documentation and translate them into clearly defined, quotable scope items.
• Create professional technical proposals that clearly communicate scope, inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, clarifications, and exceptions.
• Build and maintain sophisticated Excel-based estimating models using historical project data, formulas, pivot tables, and structured cost models.

** Partner Across Engineering, Sales & Purchasing**

You will serve as a key technical connection between Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, vendors, subcontractors, and the customer.

• Collaborate with engineering teams to determine equipment concepts, technical requirements, labor assumptions, and project risks.
• Work with Purchasing to identify component costs, supplier options, lead times, and historical pricing.
• Utilize the company ERP system to research previous projects, component pricing, supplier information, and purchasing history.
• Obtain competitive vendor and subcontractor quotations for non-standard, specialty, and long-lead equipment.
• Identify technical or commercial risks before proposals are submitted.

** Understand the Complete Automation System**

• Read and interpret 2D AutoCAD plant layouts to identify equipment requirements, installation scope, interfaces, and potential cost drivers.
• Evaluate projects involving a combination of:
• Controls and PLC systems
  • Electrical systems
  • Mechanical equipment
  • Hydraulics and pneumatics
  • Conveyors and material handling
  • Robotics
  • Safety systems
  • Skilled trades and installation
• Develop Statements of Work for subcontractors, conveyor suppliers, specialty contractors, and skilled-trades providers.

** Support Customers & Sales**

• Work with customer engineering and procurement teams to clarify requirements and ensure proposals meet technical and contractual expectations.
• Maintain CRM opportunity information, estimate status, proposal activity, and customer interactions.
• Provide management with pipeline updates, estimate summaries, and proposal information.
• Help Sales communicate technically complex solutions in a clear and commercially competitive manner.
• Continuously improve estimating templates, cost models, proposal tools, and processes to increase speed, consistency, and accuracy.

** What We're Looking For**

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related technical field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 6+ years of experience in application engineering, project engineering, sales engineering, technical estimating, or proposal development within industrial automation, systems integration, or capital equipment.
• Demonstrated experience developing estimates and proposals for complex automated equipment or manufacturing systems.
• Strong ability to break down customer specifications, RFQs, and SOWs into clearly defined technical and commercial scope.
• Experience estimating materials, engineering hours, manufacturing labor, installation, and subcontracted work.
• Strong working knowledge of industrial automation technologies including electrical, controls, mechanical systems, robotics, conveyors, hydraulics, and pneumatics.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, pivot tables, structured estimating models, and data analysis.
• Strong Microsoft Word skills with experience developing professional customer-facing technical proposals.
• Experience working with ERP systems for historical pricing, purchasing information, component data, and supplier research.
• Ability to read and understand 2D AutoCAD plant layouts and equipment drawings.
• Experience developing Statements of Work for subcontractors or suppliers.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively across Sales, Engineering, Purchasing, Operations, suppliers, and customers.

** Experience That Will Make You Stand Out**

We are especially interested in candidates who have worked for a:

• Custom automation integrator
• Systems integrator
• Automotive capital equipment supplier
• OEM machine builder
• Conveyor or material-handling systems provider

Additional preferred experience includes:

• Automotive OEM or Tier 1 manufacturing programs
• Defense automation or manufacturing programs
• ITAR or government contracting requirements
• Allen-Bradley and/or Siemens controls platforms
• Conveyor and material-handling systems
• Plant-wide automation installations
• Skilled-trades estimating and subcontracting
• Large capital projects in the multi-million-dollar range

** Why This Opportunity?**

This position offers something different from a traditional estimating or project engineering role: you'll have a direct impact on the projects the company wins and how successfully those projects begin.

You'll be involved early, when critical technical and commercial decisions are being made, and you'll work across multiple engineering disciplines rather than being limited to one technology.

For someone who enjoys understanding how automated systems work, digging into complex specifications, developing the right technical solution, and putting the numbers behind it, this can be an exciting next step.

** What You Can Expect**

• Exposure to sophisticated automotive and defense automation projects
• Projects ranging from smaller equipment opportunities to $20M+ programs
• Direct interaction with Engineering, Sales, Purchasing, suppliers, and customers
• A technically challenging environment with significant project variety
• Opportunities to improve and influence estimating and proposal processes
• Career growth and advancement opportunities
• Competitive compensation based on experience
• Comprehensive benefits package

** Work Environment**

Primarily office-based, with occasional travel to customer facilities and manufacturing plants for project evaluation, scope clarification, and technical meetings.