Applications Engineering Manager

Job Title: Applications Engineering Manager

Reports to: Vice President of Business Development

Department: Business Development

Location: Remote

Updated: August 2023

Position Summary: Kahler Automation designs control systems for bulk material handling of grain, chemicals, fertilizer, minerals, and a wide array of other industries. These automated systems provide the ability to run a facility with ease and accuracy while reducing or more efficiently utilizing headcount. Kahler Automation solutions control product loadout, receiving and inventory and tie directly into an accounting/invoicing software, allowing customers to increase competitiveness while reducing overhead. Kahler also develops relationships with manufacturer customers as a supplier of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) automation solutions.

This technical, full-time position is essential to the success of the business as it involves developing specific product/service solutions to meet customer’s needs. The Sales Engineering Manager leads a team of Solution Consultants that interfaces with the sales force and assists with determining the operational and technical scope of new business opportunities with customers and prospects. The team that reviews customer needs, matches standard or customized solutions to them, and creates winning proposals for automation system projects.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following.

• Exhibit, promote, and use Kahler Automation’s core values in daily work and management:
• Curious Attitude - An employee who is curious is motivated to take time to question and explore new things to find answers that will ensure the best outcomes for the organization.
• Focus on Quality - An employee who values quality has integrity and produces results that meets high standards, set by the organization.
• Passion for Service - An employee who is service oriented displays a positive behavior and responds to customers using good business practices to meet their needs and expectations.
• Dedicated Spirit - A dedicated employee is one who takes ownership for their role and the whole organization to ensure that goals are achieved.
• Leads and mentors a team of Solution Consultants to meet proposal demand, sets priorities and workload, and evaluates and improves team member performance routinely.
• Documents, maintains, and ensures use of estimating procedures, tools, and best practices.
• Ensures team members work with Territory Sales Mangers (TSM) and customers to review the Project Needs Assessment Documents (PNA), Scope of Work (SOW), and Process Flow Diagram (PFD) and other submitted project information to create an accurate proposal involving key items necessary to complete the project.
• Guides team members to create proposals of appropriate certainty (Rough Order of Magnitude, Budgetary, Firm, Time & Expense) using standard templates and obtaining costs through the ERP system and worksheets.
• Monitors team performance in delivering accurate, timely, and profitable proposals.
• Ensures that all proposals created by the team are priced within decision authority guidelines for margin, terms & conditions, delivery, and overall price, and elevates recommendations to leadership when market conditions require unique price actions.
• Maintains the proposal revisions and estimating worksheets with accurate and up to date information as a project gains clarity.
• Participates in stakeholder meetings including customer scope meetings, proposal delivery meetings, internal and external project kick-off meetings.
• Collaborates regularly and frequently with Engineering, Marketing, Sales, and CEO on feedback regarding product pricing, promotion, advertising, and new product development necessary to achieve objectives.
• As necessary, provides on-site support in effort to ensure accurate estimating.
• Where appropriate, assists the TSM in closing the sale of products and solutions.
• This job description is not comprehensive, and all employees must be adaptable, flexible, and willing to perform other duties as assigned by their manager/supervisor.

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, and individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience:

• Experience as Controls Engineer or Journeyman Electrician. 5 + years of related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Two (2) or more years as a Sales Engineer, Application Engineer, People Manager in an Automation Company are preferred.

Skills:

• Familiarity with Programable logic controllers (PLC), Human Machine Interfaces (HMI), instrumentation, pneumatics, motor controls, and motor control centers.
• Ability to read and understand technical documentation including electrical schematics, PFD’s, P&ID’s, standards, and regulations, as well as general business periodicals and professional journals.
• Ability to accurately count I/O points and train others in the same.
• Ability to accurately estimate motor starter panel and motor control center (MCC) costs using supplier quotes and/or estimation worksheets developed by or jointly with Engineering.
• Ability to create an estimated bill of material (BOM).
• Ability to learn and use an ERP system for estimating and entering project resources.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees in the organization. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, presentations, and verbally communicate effectively and clearly.
• Manage multiple priorities with highly effective follow-through. Apply judgement and company core values to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables in situations in a logical manner to come to conclusion. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Math Ability:

• Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, margins, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra and geometry.

Language Ability:

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Certificates and Licenses:

• N/A

Travel:

• Must have a valid Driver’s License. Must be able to travel as necessary to gather site specific customer information necessary for developing a solution to meet the customers goals.
• Travel (likely 20-30%) may include overnight stays and may be by automobile and airplane.

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee may be required to spend time in industrial plants in proximity to equipment, processes, products, and chemicals. Certain personal protective equipment is required when in the plant or on a construction site.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; sit and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to walk; use hands to fingers, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. Communicate by talking, listening, and writing.

Location

• Fairmont, MN office. Hybrid office/remote work may be possible following appropriate onboarding and establishment in the role.