Senior Proposal Engineer

Dürr; Southfield (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Dürr is seeking a Proposal Engineer to develop technical solutions and cost estimates for coating and dispensing automation. You will work with the sales team, engineering, and vendors to gather accurate data and prepare complete proposals on time.

The role requires controls and mechanical engineering focus, experience with automation in the automotive coating industry, and strong collaboration and communication skills. SAP experience is a plus, with MS Office and CAD proficiency.

Qualifications

• BS in engineering preferred or 5+ years automation experience in automotive/coating industry.
• Experience with installation contractors is a plus.
• German language skills are advantageous but not required.
• Proficient with MS Office and CAD tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, AutoCAD).
• Knowledge of robotics, electrical and mechanical engineering, and control systems helpful.

Responsibilities

• Champion development of technical solutions and cost estimates.
• Collaborate with sales, other departments and vendors to gather information.
• Develop application technical solutions for customer requests.
• Support Sales and Project Management in customer meetings.
• Review customer specs and draft clarifications.
• Create work scopes for contractor bidding and conduct bid meetings.
• Develop proposals package including calculations and hardware details.
• Draft Level 1 milestone schedules for proposed solutions.
• Develop manpower plans for internal labor costs for execution.
• Conduct contractor site walks to capture costs for proposals.

Skills

Automation experience

Installation contractors

German language (advantage)

MS Word

MS Excel

MS PowerPoint

AutoCAD

Robotics

Electrical engineering

Control systems

Automotive coating industry knowledge

Paint and robotics processes

Automotive specifications

Communication

Proposal management

Time management

Negotiation

Teamwork

Self-motivation

Leadership versatility

Education

BS in engineering

Tools

SAP

Job description

Your Tasks

• The Proposal Engineer is the champion for the development of technical solutions and the cost estimates for those solutions. The Proposal Engineer must work effectively with the sales team, other departments, and outside vendors to gather accurate information as needed to complete the estimation and proposal packages on time.
• Applying engineering expertise, with focus on controls engineering, as well as mechanical engineering, integration of communication controls, and motion technology, needed to operate automation in coating / dispensing applications.
• Develop application technical solutions as they apply to customer requests.
• Support Sales and Project Management departments in customer meetings
• Review customer specifications and be able to write clarifications regarding those specifications.
• Create work scopes for contractor bidding and hold contractor bid meetings
• Develop the proposals package (Calculation and Bid Text support Information related to hardware)
• Develop general level 1 milestone schedules/time-lines, via MS Project, for the proposed solutions
• Develop general manpower plans for internal labor costs required for the execution of the specific project coinciding with the Level 1 milestone schedule.
• Conduct contractor site walk through’s as required to ensure proper contractor costs are captured for a specific proposal.

Your Skills

• BS in engineering is preferred, or a minimum of 5 years’ experience in automation with focus on controls concepts, mechanical concepts and robotics concepts within the automotive / Tier 1 coating industry, and cost estimation experience is a plus.
• Experienced in working with installation contractors
• SAP experience and / or German language skills an advantage, but not a must
• Good working knowledge of MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, AutoCAD
• Knowledge of robotic and machine automation used in the coating industry
• Knowledge of electrical and mechanical engineering and control systems
• Paint and robotic industry processes and best practices
• Knowledge of automobile manufacturer specifications
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple proposals at one time
• Ability to prioritize and manage your own workload
• Negotiation skills, team oriented, self starter
• Able to lead or follow, as appropriate for any situation