Technical Application Engineer

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you’re empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work.


This position will be located in: Lacey, WA or, Yakima, WA, or Hubbard, OR

Application Deadline: Posted Until Filled

Please note that the position may be filled before or after the listed application deadline. Applications will only be accepted while the posting remains active.

Job Summary

The Technical Application Engineer supports the day-to-day operations of the Sales Engineers and Account Managers in promoting sales, securing orders, and providing quality service to our customers. Regularly consults with customers on product and system applications. Provides technical product support for branches and customers, evaluates new products, provides field troubleshooting assistance, assists customers with field programming of equipment, contributes to all aspects of customer training, conducts product application assessments, and frequently develops bid and proposal documentation to support customer projects. This position is focused on technical product application, customer support, and pre-sales activities and does not involve software development or coding responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Provides technical, specific, or specialized product support for branches and customers.
• Consistently provides responsive, quality service to meet and exceed customer expectations.
• Contributes to planning and sale of Border States’ products and services and supports the promotion of Border States’ agency and distribution lines.
• Contributes to in-depth, technically difficult conversations with consultants, customers, and employees related to product technology and/or specifications.
• Provides customers with timely follow-up on quotations, technical inquiries, and other requests.
• Provides continuous contact and interaction with customer’s engineering staff and consultants.
• Leads customer and Border States employee training on new and existing product lines and applications in the specified product areas.
• Maintains an in-depth understanding of the assigned area.
• Works with a broad range of products and services.
• Resolves complex issues related to product technology and assists the sales engineer and customer as needed.
• Inputs TCCM cost savings documentation that is relevant to the assigned customer base.
• Provides field trouble shooting assistance, training, and information/documentation support.
• Conducts product application assessments including TCCM savings, elimination of duplicate items/material consolidation, alternative to materials, equipment, methods and practices, and regional, industry, and national standards for material, equipment, and apparatus.
• Performs product updates and new product launches of branches and customers as required.

Non-essential Functions

• Attends and assists with trade shows and training programs as needed.
• Provides technical training and presentations for Border States personnel internal as well as external customers.
• May evaluate demo equipment and makes suggestions for new products in specified product areas.
• Ensures existing product demos are functional condition.
• Provides input to the pricing and purchasing departments on product evaluations and code descriptions, inventory management, pricing developments, and other related functions.
• Familiar with all relevant SAP processes to support order entry and management.

Qualifications

• 4-year technical or engineering degree or equivalent experience required.
• Knowledge and technical competence in understanding of utility distribution and transmission systems preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Access and PowerPoint), Internet, Email and SAP software preferred.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication and customer service skills preferred.
• Ability to effectively plan and organize.
• Excellent atention to detail and organizational skills.

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day:
Occasionally 0 – 33% Frequently 34 – 66% Continuously: 67 – 100%

• Lift from Waist:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Lift from Floor:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Occasionally
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all
• Carried for Distance:
  • < than 10 lbs. - Not at all
  • 10 to 25 lbs. - Not at all
  • 26 to 50 lbs. - Not at all
  • 51 to 75 lbs. - Not at all
  • 75 to 100 lbs. - Not at all
  • 100+ lbs. - Not at all

Physical Activity

Frequency at which you would do the following in a typical day:

• Sitting (a continuous period of being seated) - Frequently
• Standing (for sustained periods of time) - Frequently
• Walking (moving about on foot to accomplish tasks) - Continuously
• Bending/stooping (downward and forward) - Frequently
• Crawling (moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet) - Not at all
• Climbing/Walking Stairs (ascending or descending) - Occasionally
• Reaching (extending arms in any direction) - Occasionally
• Crouching/squatting (bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine) - Occasionally
• Kneeling (bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee(s)) - Occasionally
• Balancing (maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling) - Frequently
• Repetitive motion (substantial movement (motions) or the wrists, hands, and/or fingers) - Occasionally
• Pivoting (movement in any direction with one foot, keeping the other in contact with the floor) - Not at all
• Pushing/Pulling (using upper extremities to press against or draw or tug) - Occasionally
• Grasping (Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm) - Frequently
• Fingering (picking, pinching, typing; working with primarily fingers and not whole hand) - Occasionally
• Talking (expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word) - Continuously
• Driving (the control and operation of a motor vehicle) - Occasionally
• Desk work (work usually performed at a desk) - Continuously
• Use of a computer - Continuously
• Use of a telephone - Frequently
• Hearing (Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels) - Continuously
• Exposure (to adverse weather & temperature conditions) - Frequently
• Travel (travel needed to perform job duties) - Frequently

Additional Information

This job description is a summary of the job duties and responsibilities and is not intended to cover all possible job duties and is subject to change at the employer’s discretion. Employees must be able to perform the essential job duties and satisfy job requirements either with or without a reasonable accommodation. The pay range for this position is $81,000 per year to $115,000 per year, depending on experience.

Our History

Border States is a leader in the electrical supply distribution industry with approximately 130 locations in 31 states. Our employee-owners are second to none in delivering top-notch customer service and in demonstrating extra-ordinary people skills. We are one of the largest independent electrical distributors in the United States providing products and services to the construction, industrial and utility industries. Border States has a competitive benefit package and is a 100 percent employee-owned company. Employee-ownership is a significant part of our culture and our success stems from the dedication of our employee-owners. We practice open-book management and our employee-owners are empowered with clearly defined levels of authority to be innovative and decisive, allowing us to respond quickly to the needs of customers. Employee-owners understand their roles in the success of the company and care about customers’ needs, which drives our focus on adding value to everything we do. We recognize that not all customers are the same and each has specific requirements. Our employee-owners understand these diverse needs and have the commitment, resourcefulness and flexibility to outperform all others.

Values
As a Border States employee-owner, you’re responsible for living our mission, service philosophy and service standards.

Our Purpose
We believe unstoppable businesses shouldn't go it alone. We are owners - of relationships, of outcomes, of every moment these unstoppable businesses need to deliver.

Service Philosophy
We earn customer loyalty and confidence by caring about their needs and adding value to everything we do.

Service Standards
Border States employee-owners are competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged .

Your career
Join an experienced team at one of the largest electrical distributors in the United States. What are you waiting for?

Border States has a competitive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

Health, Dental and Vision Benefits
Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity
FSA & HSA
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Disability Benefits
401(k) Retirement Plan
Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Paid Holidays
Paid Volunteer Time
Personal Leave time and more!
Border States provides bonuses to their employee-owners upon the achievement of branch and company goals.

Equal Opportunity For All

It’s not just the law. It’s something we’ve believed in since our founding. We value the diversity of all of our employee-owners and will always be an equal opportunity employer.

Drug Free/Smoke Free workplace

Employment may be contingent on the offered candidate successfully passing one or more of the following pre-employment screenings:

• Criminal background check (required for all positions)
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check (required for positions involving driving)
• Drug testing

The MVR check and drug testing vary by role and will be communicated to the offered candidate during the onboarding process and as applicable.