Career Opportunities

Application Engineer

Performance Controls is hiring an Application Engineer who will work closely with sales, sales management, engineering, customer service and marketing. Position requires familiarity with motor controls, motors, motion control and automation applications; experience and knowledge with high power PWM amplifiers and non-motor related applications would be a plus. The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills and will be comfortable in technical discussion at all levels of management. He or she must also be able to build relationships with customers and outside sales staff by telephone. Some domestic overnight travel will be required.

  1. I. Responsibilities
    1. 1. Handle customer service requests
      1. Understand and maintain product and application knowledge relevant to company products and applications
      2. Understand customer specifications and other requirements
      3. Review customer specifications for completeness
      4. Determine best solutions for customer needs
      5. Seek to minimize application risk, i.e., PCI ability to meet customer expectations
      6. Participate in design reviews
    2. 2. Provides application support to field salesmen and representatives
      1. Outline and communicate application solutions to salesmen
      2. Provide pricing guidance
      3. Provide lead time estimates
      4. Help develop competitive selling tactics for individual sales opportunities (joint with sales)
      5. Maintain knowledge of competitive products including price, performance and application
      6. Prepare in-plant demonstrations of PCI solutions when required (and practical)
      7. Test drives and amplifiers to document performance information for customer when requested (and practical)
      8. Provide product and application training when warranted
      9. Maintain contemporaneous documentation of applications (knowledge base) for future reference
    3. 3. Provide interface to customers
      1. Maintain a positive and productive (tactful) relationship when in direct contact with customers
      2. Convert customer language to PCI language and vice versa
      3. With agreement and coordination with salesman or rep, contact customers to clarify needs or present solutions (the primary responsibility for this function belongs to sales)
      4. Perform and document telephone troubleshooting assistance when provided
      5. Participate in purchase order reviews
      6. Maintain contemporaneous records of all communications with customers
    4. 4. Provide interface to marketing/sales management
      1. Provide summary input for product development or revision (based on knowledge of customer requirements and market trends)
      2. Assist sales manager with preparation of forecasts
      3. Assist sales manager in the evaluation of sales staff in relation to performance expectation
    5. 5. Other duties as apparent or assigned
  2. II. Expected Outcomes
    1. Sales increase
    2. Specifications are clearer and more complete
    3. Sales people can devote more time to selling
    4. Customer satisfaction increases
    5. Misapplications are minimized
    6. Engineer’s efficiency is improved
  3. III. Desired personal skills and traits
    1. Able to handle and manage multiple tasks and set priorities
    2. Flexible – priorities can change in a short time
    3. Able to complete tasks with short deadlines
    4. Able to tactfully talk to customers and potential customers without reluctance or procrastination
    5. Self starter who can work without close supervision
    6. Well organized and productive
    7. Technically oriented and analytical when necessary
    8. Reliable; high level of integrity; ability to quickly create trusting relationships via phone
    9. Conversant with Microsoft PC applications (Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint)
    10. Comfortable with a small company environment
  4. IV. Minimum Qualifications; the selected candidate will have:
    1. Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline or completion of a qualifying technical school, or military training in a discipline that can be reasonably related to PCI product applications
    2. Five years of related experience
  5. V. Basic Physical Requirements
    1. Able to talk to sales people and customers via telephone or face to face
    2. Able to document application and customer service events
    3. Able to travel alone by air
    4. Able to prepare bid documents, specifications, BOMs, emails and similar written communications
    5. Able to use a computer for communication, data entry, quote preparation, etc.