Application Engineer - Continuous Inkjet Technologies

Job Description:

The Applications Engineer – Continuous Inkjet (CIJ) provides pre-sales technical support, application testing, and post-sales troubleshooting for Diagraph’s continuous inkjet printing systems. This role partners with customers, Sales, Service, Engineering, and distribution partners to understand application requirements and recommend technically sound, commercially viable CIJ solutions.

The Applications Engineer evaluates substrates, inks, production environments, line speeds, print requirements, integration needs, and other operating conditions to confirm the appropriate equipment and configuration. Responsibilities include conducting application testing, configuring and demonstrating equipment, developing application-specific solutions, supporting customer site visits, and providing technical training to Sales, Service, distributors, and customers.

The position serves as a key technical resource throughout the sales and implementation process, helping ensure that proposed CIJ solutions meet customer performance expectations while supporting company profitability.

Responsibilities

• Work with customers and sales representatives to identify continuous inkjet (CIJ) solutions that meet application requirements while supporting company profitability.
• Provide technical and commercial assistance to Sales in preparation for customer meetings.
• Design of solutions, costing, and quotations as required to support sale opportunities.
• Validates pre-sales analysis of functionality of product when required.
• Participate in information gathering meetings with clients to determine the clients' needs, business goals, and desired outcomes.
• Presale technical, communication, and programming support for special applications.
• Sometimes this requires on-site customer support.
• Ensures order development activity is customer focused, results orientated, performance driven and in compliance with all applicable internal and external requirements.
• Consult with various departments as appropriate to resolve technical product issues. Advanced trouble shooting assistance to help desk, field service, and end users.
• Primary contact to for technical, engineering, design, and quality issues.
• Completes technical product training to departments including Sales, Field Service, Distributors, and Help Desk.
• Attend and support tradeshow activities including equipment set-up and customer demonstrations.
• Tests alternative techniques and methods; recommends changes in procedures, consumables, or equipment as necessary.  Evaluates items being considered for addition to product line.
• Benchmarks and evaluates competitive products.  Supports new product development activities.
• Reviews and provides guidance to internal personnel on technical bulletins per product group.
• Participates in training sessions, seminars, and continuing education to stay abreast of new technical developments.
• Maintains focus on continuous improvement by applying 80/20, PLS, and USa principles/techniques and makes process improvement recommendations to management  .
• Position Qualifications Requirements
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering field or Associates degree with 5 or more years related experience.
• Skills: Preferred engineering skills include knowledge of electronics, mechanics, pneumatics, and computer programming.
• Five years of relevant experience, with at least two years in application engineering preferred.
• Experience in the design and development of programmed applications.
• Experience with SolidWorks or other design software preferred.
• Ability to handle multiple projects in a short period of time, multitask, and cope with deadlines.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Demonstrated ability to generate technical reports.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Excellent problem solving, troubleshooting and teamwork skills.
• Excellent verbal, written, communication, and presentation skills.
• Other Requirements and Conditions
• Physical/Visual Activities or Demands: Physical/visual activities or demands that are commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to talk, hear, sit and type, occasionally twist/turn, reach above shoulder and outward, stand, walk, bend, and grasp with hands.
• The employee must carry up to 50 pounds occasionally and push and pull up to 20 pounds occasionally.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include concentrated attention, close vision, far vision, depth perception, color vision, and the ability to bring object into sharp focus.
• Working Conditions: Working conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.
• Typical Office (50%) & Plant Conditions (50%)
• Travel (25%-50%)
• This St. Charles, Missouri-based position works primarily in an office and technical lab environment when not traveling, with occasional work in manufacturing and customer production environments. Travel is typically required one to two weeks per month, up to approximately 50%, depending on business needs.
• Machines, Tools, Equipment and Work Aids that may be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position:
• Computer, Microsoft Office Suite, calculator, telephone, scanners, printers.
• License(s)/Certification(s) Required: None
• This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws.
• Certain job functions described herein may be subject to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.
• "Commonly associated" is not intended to mean always or only . There are different experiences that suggest other ways or circumstances where reasonable changes or accommodation are appropriate.
• All activities, demands, conditions and requirements are linked to essential job functions.