Application Engineer in Minneapolis

The Applications Engineer serves as the primary technical resource supporting customers and Sales within the Industry and Medical division. This role translates customer needs into practical, manufacturable solutions and manages the technical development of new products from initial inquiry through production release.

Working directly with customers and Sales, the Applications Engineer defines product requirements, critical-to-function characteristics, tolerances, materials, manufacturing processes, minimum order quantities, and other constraints. The engineer develops quotations and, when an order is received, prepares the product for production through drawings, SAP setup, Quality review, and first-run support as needed.

This is primarily a customer- and project-facing engineering role. Success requires strong technical judgment, clear communication, organization, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple customer projects simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities

1. Customer Requirements & Application Engineering

· Serve as a primary technical interface between customers, Sales, Quality, and Operations.

· Work directly with customers to understand product function, application requirements, operating conditions, volumes, and critical-to-function or critical-to-quality characteristics.

· Review customer drawings, models, specifications, and samples; identify missing, conflicting, overly restrictive, or potentially unmanufacturable requirements.

· Define dimensional requirements, tolerances, material requirements, performance expectations, packaging requirements, and other specifications needed to quote and manufacture the product.

· Communicate technical questions, risks, limitations, and recommendations clearly and professionally.

1. Product & Process Development

· Translate customer requirements into practical, manufacturable product solutions.

· Select appropriate foams, adhesives, facings, films, fabrics, and other materials.

· Define manufacturing processes and sequences of operations, including slitting, laminating, die cutting, CNC cutting/machining, printing, assembly, and packaging.

· Evaluate manufacturability, material utilization, expected yields, tooling needs, minimum order quantities, and other production constraints.

1. Estimating & Quoting

· Develop technical cost estimates and quotations for new and existing products.

· Determine material requirements, utilization, expected scrap/yield, manufacturing operations, setup requirements, run times, tooling, programming, purchased components, and other project-specific costs.

· Establish minimum order quantities and document key assumptions or constraints.

· Support Sales with customer proposals and requoting when materials, processes, volumes, costs, or requirements change.

1. CAD & Technical Documentation

· Create and maintain production drawings, product specifications, and related technical documentation.

· Create, modify, and interpret 2D and 3D CAD models using SolidWorks.

· Convert customer drawings and models into internal manufacturing documentation, including appropriate dimensions, tolerances, notes, material callouts, and revision controls.

· Perform repetitive CAD work efficiently and accurately across products with numerous components or variations.

1. New Product Introduction & Production Release

· Own the technical transition of new products from customer order through production readiness.

· Create and maintain material masters, bills of material, routings, and other required product information within SAP.

· Verify that materials, quantities, operations, drawings, specifications, and documentation align with the quoted product.

· Submit required technical documentation to Quality for review and resolve issues identified during the approval process.

· Coordinate with Production, Quality, Planning, and Supply Chain as required to ensure the product is ready for manufacturing.

1. First Production & Launch Support

· Support initial production runs when engineering involvement is required.

· Assist with fixtures, jigs, templates, tooling, CNC programming, or other manufacturing aids.

· Resolve technical issues discovered during initial production and incorporate lessons learned into controlled drawings, BOMs, routings, and other documentation.

1. Project Management & Organization

· Manage multiple customer projects simultaneously from initial technical inquiry through production release.

· Maintain project priorities, action items, technical decisions, customer commitments, and deadlines.

· Proactively identify technical, schedule, material, or manufacturing risks and communicate them to appropriate stakeholders.

· Provide timely project updates to Sales, customers, and internal teams.

· Typical workload may include 1-2 major projects lasting approximately 3-12 months, 3-4 medium projects lasting approximately 2 weeks-3 months, plus ongoing quotations, requotes, and customer requests.

1. Quality & ISO 9001

· Work within the company’s ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

· Follow applicable document control, revision control, product release, and change management processes.

· Partner with Quality to ensure customer and internal requirements are appropriately defined and documented.

· Maintain appropriate records of customer requirements, engineering decisions, specifications, revisions, and approvals.

· Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline ; equivalent relevant technical experience may be considered.

· 3-7 years of engineering experience in a manufacturing, applications engineering, product development, or contract manufacturing environment.

· Experience working with customers to define technical requirements and develop solutions.

· Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, dimensions, and tolerances.

· Experience creating technical documentation and supporting new product introduction.

Qualifications

· Experience in an Applications Engineering, Product Engineering, or other customer-facing engineering role.

· Experience using ERP systems; SAP .

· Proficiency with SolidWorks or similar CAD software.

· Experience developing product cost estimates and quotations.

· Experience working within an ISO 9001 Quality Management System.

· Experience with foam, adhesives, flexible materials, die cutting, laminating, CNC cutting, or related converting processes.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

· Strong mechanical and technical aptitude with the ability to understand how a customer’s product is intended to function.

· Ability to translate incomplete or ambiguous customer requests into clearly defined technical requirements.

· Strong problem-solving, organizational, project-management, and attention-to-detail skills.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills and confidence communicating directly with customers.

· Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.

· Ability to work effectively across Sales, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Planning, and Production.

· Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

Physical Requirements

Ability to work primarily in an office and engineering environment while periodically entering manufacturing areas; walk throughout the manufacturing facility as needed; occasionally lift up to 25 pounds; and sit, stand, bend, and move throughout the workday.

Success in This Role

The successful Applications Engineer is a technically curious, organized, and customer-focused problem solver who can take an opportunity from an initial customer request through a fully defined and production-ready product. They ask the right questions, understand what is critical to product function, identify manufacturing constraints early, communicate clearly, develop accurate quotations, and consistently convert customer opportunities into well-defined, manufacturable products.

pinta elements is a global manufacturer of innovative foam solutions serving the industrial, acoustic, and medical markets. From custom-engineered components to high-performance materials, we partner with customers to deliver quality products that solve real-world challenges.

At our Minneapolis facility, we’re proud of our collaborative, be yourself culture. We believe employees do their best work when they feel supported, respected, and empowered. We’re committed to developing our team through internal growth opportunities, hands-on learning, and a workplace where everyone contributes to our shared success.

If you’re looking to join a stable, growing company where you can build a rewarding career alongside a great team, we’d love to hear from you.

Company Descriptionpinta elements is a global manufacturer of innovative foam solutions serving the industrial, acoustic, and medical markets. From custom-engineered components to high-performance materials, we partner with customers to deliver quality products that solve real-world challenges.\n\nAt our Minneapolis facility, we’re proud of our collaborative, be yourself culture. We believe employees do their best work when they feel supported, respected, and empowered. We’re committed to developing our team through internal growth opportunities, hands-on learning, and a workplace where everyone contributes to our shared success.\n\nIf you’re looking to join a stable, growing company where you can build a rewarding career alongside a great team, we’d love to hear from you.