Application Engineer

The Application Engineer is responsible for leading customer-driven product development projects from concept and quotation through design, validation, tooling development, process optimization, and production launch. This position combines application engineering, costing estimation, product design, and development engineering expertise to deliver innovative sealing solutions that meet customer requirements and business objectives.

The role serves as a key technical interface between customers, sales, production, quality, manufacturing, and tooling teams. Using strong project management, product development, and design-for-manufacturing principles, the engineer manages new product introductions, quotation activities, feasibility studies, tooling development, process validation, and customer support throughout the product lifecycle.

This position plays a critical role in driving strategic growth by securing new business opportunities, developing manufacturable solutions, and ensuring successful product launches while maintaining customer satisfaction and profitability., Application Engineering & Customer Support

• Lead customer design requests, RFQs, technical inquiries, and feasibility assessments.
• Develop technical proposals and support quotation preparation in collaboration with Sales.
• Evaluate customer applications and recommend optimized sealing solutions.
• Serve as a technical liaison between customers and internal teams.
• Lead technical reviews and customer project updates.
• Support business development efforts by identifying and pursuing new project opportunities.

Product Design & Development

• Design and develop sealing profiles, components, and elastomer-based products using CAD software.
• Create and maintain engineering drawings, models, and technical documentation.
• Lead development projects from concept through commercialization.
• Apply design-for-manufacturing principles to optimize product performance, quality, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Incorporate customer requirements, application needs, and manufacturing capabilities into product designs.
• Support prototype development, including the use of 3D-printed parts and tooling when appropriate.

Costing & Estimation

• Develop product cost estimates and support commercial evaluations.
• Analyze material, tooling, labor, and process costs to ensure profitable quotations.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and purchasing teams to validate assumptions and project feasibility.
• Support risk assessments related to costing, manufacturing, and project execution.

Tooling & Process Development

• Lead tooling design and development activities for new products and processes.
• Coordinate tooling fabrication, trials, validation, and launch activities.
• Work closely with tooling, manufacturing, and quality teams to optimize processes.
• Support introduction of new equipment, technologies, and manufacturing methods.
• Drive process improvements and problem-solving initiatives during development and launch.

Project Management & New Product Introduction

• Manage multiple development projects simultaneously through all project phases.
• Lead APQP and New Product Introduction (NPI) activities.
• Develop project schedules, milestones, risk mitigation plans, and action items.
• Facilitate kickoff meetings and regular project reviews.
• Track project deliverables, timelines, budgets, and customer commitments.
• Ensure successful project handoff from development to production.

Testing, Validation & Quality

• Develop and execute product validation plans.
• Coordinate testing activities with Quality, Laboratory, and Manufacturing teams.
• Support material validation and product qualification requirements.
• Drive corrective actions, root-cause analysis, and engineering problem resolution.
• Ensure quality, regulatory, and customer requirements are achieved.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Sales, Manufacturing, Quality, Tooling, Purchasing, and Supply Chain teams.
• Provide technical leadership for product and process development activities.
• Communicate project status, risks, and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Support production and troubleshooting activities as needed.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering Technology, or related technical discipline; equivalent industry experience may be considered.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in product development, application engineering, manufacturing engineering, or related technical roles.
• Experience with customer-facing engineering activities and project management.
• Strong 3D CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Inventor, AutoCAD, or equivalent).
• Experience with elastomer, rubber, plastic extrusion, or polymer-based products.
• Understanding of design-for-manufacturing principles and production processes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

Preferred

• Experience with APQP, NPI, or stage-gate development processes.
• Tooling design and process development experience.
• Cost estimating and quotation experience.
• Knowledge of testing and validation methods for elastomer materials and products.
• Experience with CFD or flow simulation software.
• Exposure to machining, CAM, and fabrication processes.
• Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar project management software experience.