Automotive Applications Engineer - Technical Sales Leader

Freudenberg Group; Plymouth (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Freudenberg Group in the United States seeks an experienced customer-facing engineering professional to drive automotive sealing, elastomer and plastics solutions. You will translate customer needs into engineering specs and lead programs from quote to launch.

This role requires strong project management, cross-functional collaboration across engineering, quality, purchasing, and manufacturing, and willingness to travel across North America to support customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of customer-facing application engineering, product engineering, sales engineering, or program engineering experience within the automotive industry.
• Proven experience supporting automotive OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers in driveline, eAxle, transmission, axle, PTU, powertrain, or related vehicle systems.
• Strong understanding of automotive development processes including APQP, DVP&R, product validation, launch support, warranty analysis, and problem-solving methodologies.
• Experience with engineered elastomers, sealing systems, polymers, plastics, or other engineered automotive components preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical concepts, lead customer presentations, influence decisions, and support technical sales activities.
• Strong project management, analytical, and relationship-building skills with the ability to manage multiple customer programs and travel throughout North America as required.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical interface for assigned automotive OEM and Tier 1 customer accounts, building strong relationships with engineering, quality, purchasing, and manufacturing stakeholders.
• Drive new business growth by identifying application opportunities, supporting technical sales discussions, and promoting sealing solutions, engineered elastomers, and high-performance plastic technologies.
• Lead customer programs from quotation through launch by coordinating technical requirements, project timing, open issues, deliverables, and cross-functional activities with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and program management teams.
• Translate customer requirements into actionable engineering specifications and ensure alignment between customer expectations and internal product development teams.
• Support product design, validation, testing, warranty investigations, and root cause analysis activities while recommending technical solutions that improve performance, quality, and customer satisfaction.
• Present technical recommendations, program updates, test results, and value engineering initiatives to customers while supporting commercial strategies that increase market share and profitability.
• Act as the voice of the customer within the organization by proactively resolving technical issues, removing communication barriers, and ensuring timely responses to engineering, quality, and program-related requests.

Skills

Project management

Analytical skills

Relationship building

Technical presentation

Customer interaction

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Job description

Freudenberg Group in the United States seeks an experienced customer-facing engineering professional to drive automotive sealing, elastomer and plastics solutions. You will translate customer needs into engineering specs and lead programs from quote to launch.

This role requires strong project management, cross-functional collaboration across engineering, quality, purchasing, and manufacturing, and willingness to travel across North America to support customers.