Application Engineering Manager

JOB PURPOSE or JOB SUMMARY

The Application Engineering Manager provides hands-on technical and people leadership for JEM’s Application Engineering team. This role is responsible for leading customer-facing engineering activities from concept through production while actively contributing to the technical execution of complex hydraulic, electro-hydraulic, and control system solutions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES

• Technical Leadership & Execution

• Remain actively engaged in application engineering work, including system architecture, design reviews, troubleshooting, and validation of hydraulic, electro-hydraulic, and control systems.
• Serve as technical lead or co-owner on complex, high-risk, or high-visibility customer projects.
• Review and approve system concepts, component selections, schematics, drawings, and technical documentation to ensure quality and consistency.
• Support development and validation of prototype and production systems, including test planning, execution, and results review.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance to engineers during problem-solving, root-cause analysis, and performance optimization efforts.

• Customer Engagement & Project Ownership

• Act as a primary technical interface for key customers, guiding requirements definition, solution development, and performance validation.
• Partner with sales and applications teams to support customer meetings, proposals, and technical presentations.
• Ensure customer requirements are clearly understood, documented, and translated into robust engineering solutions.
• Address technical escalations, field issues, and customer concerns with urgency, professionalism, and sound engineering judgment.
• Support system commissioning, startup, and troubleshooting activities at customer sites when required.

• People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of application engineers, fostering technical excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Assign and balance workloads to ensure effective project execution and professional growth opportunities for team members.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, and development planning.
• Establish clear expectations for technical quality, customer engagement, documentation, and responsiveness.
• Support onboarding and training of new engineers to accelerate productivity and integration into the team.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with design, controls, manufacturing, quality, and operations teams to ensure alignment on project goals and execution.
• Cook up with production to ensure manufacturability and smooth product launches.
• Participate in engineering change (ECO) processes and new product development (NPD) initiatives.
• Collaborate with leadership to align application engineering priorities with business objectives.

• Process Improvement & Technical Standards

• Establish and maintain best practices for application engineering workflows, documentation, and customer engagement.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, and consistency across application engineering activities.
• Contribute to development of technical standards, design guidelines, and lessons learned.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to engineering tools, testing capabilities, and project execution.

COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrates deep understanding of hydraulic and electro-hydraulic systems, mechanical design principles, and system integration. Applies engineering theory effectively to real-world applications in testing, prototyping, and production environments.

• Understands the interactions between mechanical, electrical, and control systems. Anticipates how design choices affect manufacturability, reliability, and performance across the full product lifecycle.

• Leads by example through direct technical involvement while effectively guiding and developing others.

• Understands customer needs and priorities. Communicates clearly, builds trust, and delivers solutions that meet or exceed expectations.

• Applies structured, practical approaches to complex technical and organizational challenges. Makes timely, well-reasoned decisions.

• Works effectively across disciplines and departments. Communicates complex technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. Represents JEM with integrity and a customer-focused attitude.

• Drives projects from concept through completion, managing priorities, risks, and resources effectively.

• Actively seeks opportunities to improve processes, tools, and team effectiveness.

• Prioritizes safe work practices and adherence to ISO, OSHA, and AWAIR standards. Consistently contributes to maintaining high product and process quality standards.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

• The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, climb, or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

• This position is based on-site at JEM’s Orono facility to support hands-on engineering, customer interaction, and production activities.

• Occasional exposure to test labs, production areas, and customer sites is expected.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to work near moving mechanical parts.

• The noise level in the work environment can be loud at times.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Fluid Power, or related discipline required.

• 7+ years of experience in application engineering, hydraulic systems, electro-hydraulic integration, or related fields.

• Prior experience leading or mentoring engineers strongly preferred.

• Strong understanding of hydraulic systems, controls integration, and customer-specific applications.

• Proficiency in 3D modeling and 2D drafting (SolidWorks preferred).

• Experience with test planning, system validation, and troubleshooting.

• Knowledge of ECO processes, PDM/ERP systems, and NPD workflows.

• Strong communication and customer engagement skills.

• Valid driver’s license, ability to drive independently, and maintain a safe driving record.

• Experience working cross-functionally in manufacturing or production environments.

• Ability to travel up to 25%.