Industrial Fabrics Division Application Engineer

The IFD Application Engineer provides technical support to IFD customers and also leads customer-anchored product development projects from the point of IFD approval through completion.  The technical support duties include product recommendations to customers as well as teaching customers how to effectively integrate the recommended products into their product. As the position leads customer-anchored product development projects, the IFD Application Engineer will seek support and expertise through Operations in the form of process engineering support.  In addition, the IFD Application Engineering will seek expertise from Innovation & Technology (I&T) for formulation, fabric design and test method development on an as-needed basis.  I&T will also be a resource for laboratory testing.   

Key responsibilities for this position include:

Project Management:

• Create and manage a project plan focusing on next steps in achieving project objectives.
• Identify internal resource needs to execute project and engage and influence as needed to drive project to completion.
• Surface resource constraints to IFD leadership as it relates to internal resources for prioritization support.
• Communicate as needed to ensure project team understands actions needed and overall project status.

Product Development:

• Utilize expertise of self and others to develop options to achieve product performance objectives including cost-target objectives.
• Create prototypes as needed for laboratory and market evaluation.
• Create specifications such as recipes, routings, physical properties, testing protocol, and process conditions.
• Engage and communicate with suppliers or third parties as necessary.
• Closely manage transition from development to manufacturing with plant process engineering including hands-on management of trial runs and scale-up orders.

Customer and Market Engagement: 

• Directly engage customer(s) to gain insight into product performance requirements, prototype evaluation methods, prototype feedback, and timeline expectations of project.
• Proactively follow up with customers to gain feedback and status on projects as well as proactively provide updates on internal activities.
• Represent IFD on technical committees or industry initiatives on an ad hoc basis.
• Develop technical support content and documents to be utilized by both product management and customers.
• Provide technical support to customers as requested on a timely basis.
• Evaluate suitability of customer warranty requests.

Business Team:

• Actively participate as member of the IFD management team.

This position requires:

4-year college degree in Engineering or related STEM discipline.  Minimum experience is 3-5 years working in a comparable role in a B2B manufacturing environment.