Application Engineer III

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Technical Application Support: Serve as a senior technical authority for complex hydraulic and electrohydraulic systems; define application architecture, analyze system interactions and risk, and lead resolution of high-complexity technical challenges.
• Product Selection & Configuration: Lead complex product/system sizing, selection, configuration, integration, competitive conversion, and design validation across Hengli product families; establish sound technical approaches for strategic and high-value applications.
• Customer & Distributor Support: Own strategic OEM, distributor, and key-customer technical relationships; lead high-level application reviews, technical negotiations, presentations, and solution development with urgency and credibility.
• Application Discovery: Define and enforce disciplined discovery for complex applications, ensuring complete performance, duty-cycle, controls, environmental, installation, safety, validation, commercial, and lifecycle requirements are understood before solution commitment.
• Sales Support: Partner with Sales on strategic opportunities by shaping technical strategy, proposals, specifications, demonstrations, customer training, competitive conversions, and executive-level technical presentations.
• Troubleshooting & Post-Sale Support: Lead complex troubleshooting, root cause analysis, corrective action strategy, validation, and risk reduction; guide RCA/FMEA and cross-functional response for significant field, quality, or application issues.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Lead technical coordination across Sales, Customer Service, Quality, Manufacturing, R&D, Product Management, and Chinabased resources; remove technical barriers, establish accountability, and drive strategic actions to closure.
• Execution & Responsiveness: Set the standard for urgency, prioritization, technical ownership, documentation, and follow-through; guide escalation decisions and improve processes that reduce response time and application cycle time.
• Market & Product Insight: Translate Voice of Customer, competitive intelligence, field experience, and market trends into application standards, product strategy, new-product development priorities, technical documentation, and continuous-improvement actions.
• Customer Engagement & Travel: Lead strategic customer/OEM visits, executive technical reviews, training, field resolution, manufacturing visits, and tradeshow engagement; mentor Levels III and serve as a train-the-trainer resource.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, agricultural, fluid power, mechatronics, or a related engineering/technical field; equivalent relevant education and 35+ years of demonstrated hydraulic application experience may be considered.
• Expert demonstrated competence in hydraulic and electrohydraulic systems, components, schematics, system interactions, controls, application architecture, and complex/high-value application ownership.
• Advanced proficiency in product/system sizing, selection, configuration, integration, design review, structured troubleshooting, root cause analysis, FMEA, corrective action, and technical risk assessment.
• Exceptional written, verbal, presentation, and customer-facing communication skills with the ability to influence OEM engineers, customer leadership, sales professionals, manufacturing teams, and global technical resources.
• Demonstrated technical judgment, leadership, problems-solving, ownership, active listening, mentoring, decision-making, urgency, and ability to lead through complex or ambiguous technical situations.
• Advanced proficiency with CAD/engineering tools, ERP, CRM, product configurators, Microsoft Office, and analytical/modeling tools appropriate to assigned applications.
• Strong working knowledge of quality, safety, documentation, change control, RCA, FMEA, continuous-improvement, and project management practices; functional safety, advanced controls/modeling, or equivalent development is preferred.
• Ability and willingness to travel to customers, distributors, manufacturing locations, training events, and trade shows as business needs require.
• Ability to speak Chinese (Mandarin) is a plus.
• Local to the greater Chicago/Bolingbrook, Illinois area or willing to relocate is ideal.
• Hybrid roles will be considered for well-qualified candidates.

DEVELOPMENT EXPECTATIONS

• Complete and sustain the Level III competency pathway through expert ownership of complex and strategic applications, measurable customer/business impact, advanced technical and leadership development, mentoring of Levels I–II, and documented contributions to standards, product strategy, new-product development, and continuous improvement.
• Development may include advanced project management, functional safety, advanced controls/modeling, engineering leadership, and train-the-trainer capability.
• Advancement and continued standing are based on demonstrated competence, documented experience, performance, and manager/technical-reviewer approval—not tenure.

BENEFITS

• Competitive salary with annual increases
• Participating in annual bonus program
• Insurance options include Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability plans with 100% employer-paid options
• HSA option
• Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays
• 401(k) match 100% up to 4% annual salary
• Company credit card for work expenses
• Monthly stipends