Welding Application Engineer

Kids for the Future; City of Pewaukee (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

MWES in Wisconsin seeks a Welding Application Engineer to drive technical feasibility during welding automation proposals. You will translate customer requirements into weld process concepts, specify equipment and robotic architectures, and support cross-functional teams from sales to engineering.

You bring a bachelor’s in mechanical/welding engineering, 10+ years in welding automation, and hands-on knowledge of GMAW/MIG, GTAW/TIG, and robotics. Travel up to 15% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or welding engineering.
• 10+ years in welding automation and robotic welding systems.
• Hands-on welding processes knowledge (GMAW/MIG, GTAW/TIG, resistance welding).
• Experience with CAD software (AutoCAD/SolidWorks).
• Familiarity with ABB/FANUC robotics and offline programming tools.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical liaison during proposals for welding automation projects.
• Review customer parts/prints to assess weld process feasibility and requirements.
• Coordinate weld process trials and feasibility testing with customers.
• Travel to customer sites up to 15% for requirements gathering and meetings.
• Develop technical scopes, equipment specs, and layouts for quotes.

Skills

Welding engineering

Robotic welding

Automation systems

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or welding engineering

Certification: CWEng or CWI preferred

Tools

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

Robot Studio

ROBOGUIDE

ABB/FANUC robotics

Job description

• Employee Type FT Exempt
• Required Degree 4 Year Degree
• Travel 15%
• Manage Others No

Description

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities, as management may deem necessary from time to time.

Customer & Applications Support

• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for customers during the pre-sale and proposal phase for welding automation projects.
• Review customer parts, prints, and specifications to assess weld process feasibility and application requirements.
• Coordinate weld process trials, sample part evaluation, and feasibility testing to validate proposed solutions.
• Travel to customer sites to gather technical requirements, present proposed solutions, and support technical sales meetings.

Proposal & Quoting Support

• Partners with Sales and Engineeringdevelop technical scopes, equipment specifications, estimated hours, and cycle time estimates for welding automation proposals.
• Select and specify welding processes, equipment, tooling concepts, and robotic cell architecture appropriate to customer requirements and project budget.
• Prepare technical proposal content, including process descriptions, equipment lists, and preliminary layouts, in support of customer-facing quotes.
• Provide input on pricing, project risk, and lead time based on technical scope and application complexity.

Technical Solution Development

• Translate customer requirements into preliminary system concepts, working with Engineering and Project Engineering to validate feasibility.
• Evaluate new welding processes, equipment, and technologies for potential application to customer projects.
• Support the handoff of won projects to Project Engineering, providing technical context and customer requirements documentation.
• Collaborate with the Welding Engineer II and robotic welding team on complex or novel weld process questions arising during the proposal phase.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure proposed welding processes and equipment comply with applicable codes and standards (e.g., AWS D1.1, ASME Section IX) and customer specifications, including requirements tied to defense-adjacent and regulated industries served by MWES.
• Support technical discussions with customers on weld process issues that affect proposed application scope.

Cross-Functional Support & Other

• Maintain awareness of the competitive landscape, industry trends, and emerging technologies in welding automation.
• Support trade shows, customer visits, and industry events as a technical resource.
• Stay current on new developments and best practices in welding engineering, robotics, and automation.
• Comply with all quality and safety regulations.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, welding engineering, or a related engineering discipline; or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• 10+ years of progressive experience within the welding automation industry, including welding process engineering, robotic welding systems integration, or applications/pre-sales engineering.
• Deep, hands-on knowledge of welding processes (GMAW/MIG, GTAW/TIG, resistance welding, robotic arc welding) and welding metallurgy, with an understanding of how process choices affect automation feasibility and cost.
• Experience reviewing or developing conceptual layouts using AutoCAD, SolidWorks, or similar CAD software preferred.
• Experience with robotic platforms such as ABB, FANUC, etc., as well as offline programming software such as Robot Studio, ROBOGUIDE, etc., is a plus.Demonstrated experience translating customer requirements into technical welding automation solutions, including process selection, equipment specification, and feasibility assessment.
• Experience with robotic welding systems, offline programming software, and weld cell design strongly preferred.
• AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng), Certified Welding Inspector (CWI), or similar certification preferred.
• Experience supporting proposal development, technical sales, or pre-sales engineering for capital equipment or automation systems preferred.
• Familiarity with welding codes and standards such as AWS D1.1 and ASME Section IX.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with demonstrated ability to interface directly with customers on technical topics.
• Willingness to travel to customer sites as required, up to approximately 15%.

Summary

The Welding Application Engineer serves as the primary technical liaison between MWES and its customers during the proposal, quoting, and early project definition phases for automated welding systems. Drawing on deep experience in the welding automation industry, this role evaluates customer parts, prints, and requirements to determine weld process feasibility, specify equipment and system architecture, and translate customer needs into sound technical solutions. The Welding Application Engineer works closely with Sales, Project Engineering, and Engineering to ensure proposed welding automation solutions are technically sound, cost-effective, and manufacturable.