Applications Engineering Manager

WARNING: This role is only for motivated people with great ideas who thrive in a culture of innovation!
Who We Are
Circuit Check is the market-leading provider of automated test systems and test fixtures for complex electronic products for the automotive, mil/aero, medical, industrial, and energy markets. At Circuit Check, we believe that innovation is a must, and that a challenging and robust environment where the work is consistently new and cutting edge is the best way to foster creativity. If you are ready to further your career in a fast-paced, technology driven organization where our test designs impact products that are used by millions of people around the world every day, then we invite you to join us at Circuit Check. Our design staff includes electrical, software, mechanical engineers, and project managers. Our systems are supported by staff throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Malaysia, and China.
What You'll Be Doing
Primary Objective of Position:
The Application Engineering Manager leads our global Application Engineering team and owns the end-to-end quoting process and toolset. This is a player-coach role that combines people leadership, technical depth, strategic thinking, and cross-functional partnership with Sales, Operations, and the Technology and Solutions Group (TSG). You will ensure the team consistently delivers high-quality, accurate quotes while continuously improving speed, accuracy, and win rate through better people and better tools.
People Leadership
* Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of Application Engineers (junior through senior/principal levels)
* Recruit top talent, set clear expectations, provide regular coaching and career development
* Foster a culture of technical excellence, ownership, and customer satisfaction
* Develop the next generation of application engineering leadership, building a strong bench of future CCI leaders including succession plan.
Quoting Strategy & Execution
* Partner closely with Operations and Sales Management to qualify opportunities early and allocate AE resources effectively for the highest probability of winning profitable deals
* Prioritize incoming RFQs and manage team workload/backlog to meet aggressive customer timelines
* Ensure proper use of Salesforce in the sales tracking function to ensure cross-company collaboration.
Quote Tool Ownership & Modernization
* Act as product owner for the internal quoting platforms
* Maintain current tools, fix bugs, and ensure 100% uptime for the team
* Lead the development of the next-generation unified quoting system that consolidates today's fragmented tools
* Drive integration of new technologies and capabilities from acquired companies into the quoting workflow
* Continuously improve the toolset by adopting AI/ML (e.g., Glue or similar), automation, and modern software practices to reduce quote cycle time and errors.
Process & Tools Innovation
* Identify, evaluate, and deploy new tools (AI-assisted design, configurators, CPQ enhancements, etc.) that dramatically improve AE productivity and quote quality
* Establish and track key metrics (quote cycle time, quote accuracy, win rate, margin achievement).
Cross-Functional Partnership
* Collaborate with Operations to ensure quoted solutions are realistically manufacturable, testable, and deliverable on the committed schedule and cost
* Work with Product Management to feed customer requirements and technology gaps back into the roadmap
* Act as the primary technical escalation point for the most complex or strategic opportunities.
What You Bring to the Table
To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily, and regular attendance is required. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to support individuals with disabilities.
Education and Experience:
* BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent
* 8+ years of experience in applications engineering, systems engineering, or solutions architecture for capital equipment, automated test systems, semiconductor ATE, or similar complex configured products
* 3+ years of people management experience with a proven ability to grow junior engineers into senior contributors
* Hands-on experience building or significantly improving complex quoting/BOM/configurator tools (Excel + VBA at minimum; Python, web apps, CPQ systems strongly preferred)
* Demonstrated success partnering with Sales on deal strategy and opportunity qualification
* Strong business acumen — you understand gross margin, competitive positioning, and risk in custom solution deals.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:
* Experience integrating acquired companies' technologies into existing quoting and engineering workflows
* Experience with formal product management or product ownership of internal tools
* Background in semiconductor test, PCB assembly test, EV battery test, or similar industries
* Player-coach mentality — you still love diving into the toughest quotes yourself
* Exceptional communicator who can translate between customers, salespeople, and engineers
* Agent for continuous improvement.
What to Expect at Work
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to support individuals with disabilities.
Physical Requirements (these physical requirements must be performed with or without accommodation):
* Majority of time is spent in usual office working conditions
* Ability to sit for extended lengths of time is required; bend, reach, stoop and twist as required
* Heavy use of an office computer for completing work
* Regular exposure to moving mechanical parts and vibration; risk of electrical shock
* Regular exposure to manufacturing areas which may entail exposure to dirt, dust, noise, machine chemicals, fumes and other attributes common to this environment
* Ability to lift and carry up to 20 lbs
* Ability to travel as necessary and work extended hours as job duties demand.
This job description reflects management's assignment of key responsibilities; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.
Pay and Benefits
The listed range of $110,000 - $150,000 annual represents the full earning potential in this position. Starting salaries for well-qualified new hires are typically around the midpoint of the range. This range was determined by a market-based compensation approach; we used data from trusted third-party compensation sources to set equitable, consistent, and competitive ranges. We also evaluate compensation annually, identify any changes in the market and make adjustments to our ranges and existing employee compensation as needed.
Base pay is only one element of an employee's total compensation at Circuit Check. Employees (and their dependents in most plans) are covered by medical, dental, vision, basic life, short- and long-term disability and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Employees are able to enroll in Circuit Check's 401k plan, in which the Company will match 50% of your contributions up to 6% with a maximum contribution. Paid time off includes vacation and sick time along with nine paid holidays.
Circuit Check, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on identity, race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex (including sexual identity), age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law. Because Circuit Check is a federal contractor, we participate in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. We will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States. This is not a position for which sponsorship will be provided. Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F-1(including those with OPT or CPT), H-1, H-2, L-1, B, J or TN, or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire.
Compensation details: Yearly Salary