Lead Applications Engineer

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lead Applications Engineer provides technical leadership in designing, selecting, validating, and integrating magnetic tooling solutions for industrial automation. This position converts complex customer requirements into robust application concepts and production-ready designs while serving as a technical partner to sales, engineering, customers, and global project teams. The role leads critical technical decisions, supports project execution from concept through commissioning, and develops less experienced engineers' capabilities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the technical evaluation of customer applications and define safe, reliable, and commercially practical magnetic tooling solutions.
• Partner with sales and customers to clarify requirements, assess feasibility, identify technical risks, and develop application concepts and proposals.
• Design magnetic tools, mounting systems, and custom accessories using 3D CAD, with SolidWorks and/or CATIA, and approve associated 2D fabrication drawings and dimensional layouts.
• Lead the integration of tooling with robots, PLCs, HMIs, sensors, safety systems, and customer production equipment.
• Plan, perform, and review FEA simulations for magnetic performance using ANSYS or comparable tools; validate assumptions through calculations and physical testing.
• Own technical deliverables, design reviews, risk assessments, testing plans, and milestone reporting across the project lifecycle.
• Create and maintain accurate bills of materials and engineering records in NetSuite or other approved business systems.
• Troubleshoot complex application and integration issues remotely and at customer sites, coordinating corrective actions through resolution.
• Enforce corporate engineering standards, reusable designs, calculation methods, documentation practices, and lessons learned.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance, work review, and knowledge transfer without requiring formal people-management authority.
• Use approved AI, digital workflow, collaboration, and simulation tools to improve engineering quality, speed, and traceability.
• Coordinate effectively with international teams and support global customer projects, product development, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure designs and technical recommendations comply with applicable safety, quality, customer, and regulatory requirements.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, mechatronics, automation engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical discipline; an advanced degree is beneficial.
• Minimum of seven+ years of relevant experience in applications engineering, automation, machine design, robotics, industrial equipment, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading technically complex customer or capital-equipment projects from concept through validation and implementation.
• Experience mentoring engineers or coordinating technical work across multiple functions or locations.
• Advanced mechanical design capability, including engineering drawings, tolerances, materials, manufacturing processes, and design for manufacturability.
• Strong working knowledge of industrial automation systems, including robotics, PLCs, HMIs, sensors, interfaces, and machine-safety principles.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD; SolidWorks experience is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of FEA methods, model assumptions, boundary conditions, and result validation; ANSYS experience is preferred.
• Ability to analyze ambiguous customer requirements, make sound engineering judgments, and communicate technical trade-offs clearly.
• Strong project organization, documentation, prioritization, and problem-solving skills.
• Confident customer-facing communication and the ability to influence decisions without relying on formal authority.
• Professional proficiency in English; German proficiency is strongly preferred for local customer and team interaction.
• Experience with Microsoft 365 and engineering data workflows; NetSuite or comparable ERP experience is beneficial.