Field Application Engineer, Staff

Location: Boston, Massachusetts area preferred
Reports to: Director of Sales - East
Department: Sales
Travel: Up to 50%

Hiring Range: $130,000 - $150,000 annually, plus eligibility for a target annual incentive opportunity of 9% of base salary under the Bourns Sales Incentive Plan.

Bring Technical Expertise Closer to the Customer

Bourns is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Field Application Engineer, Staff to support customers, sales representatives, and channel partners throughout the Northeastern Region. The ideal candidate will be based in the Boston area.

In this customer-facing role, you will combine technical expertise with commercial awareness to create demand for Bourns components, influence customer designs, and identify new product opportunities. You will work closely with customer engineering teams, Regional Sales Managers, representative firms, distribution partners, Product Management, and Engineering.

This position is ideal for an experienced applications or sales engineer who enjoys solving complex design challenges, building strong customer relationships, and helping shape future electronic component solutions.

The Background You’ll Need

Education:

A Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering is required, with a preference for a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. A degree in another engineering discipline, physics, or science may be acceptable with appropriate electrical engineering experience.

Training and Experience:

• Five to ten years of component sales and/or applications or sales engineering experience, with knowledge of product applications, specifications, technical drawings, and engineering analysis, is desired.

• Detailed knowledge of the assigned market’s design platforms and applications is essential. Semiconductor, power supply, and military or aerospace application support experience is a plus.

Other Skills:

• Time-management and organizational skills.
• Public-speaking and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to identify innovative solutions that overcome customer obstacles.

Your Role in Customer and Market Growth

Create demand for Bourns’ components and provide technical design assistance to direct and indirect customers within the assigned territory. Work with distribution branches and internal and external sales representatives to provide ongoing and new product training. Penetrate major IC reference design house locations. Identify new product opportunities and drive new product ideas into Engineering. Identify and communicate market trends. Support corporate distribution initiatives, such as regional technology shows and territory-specific shows.

Turning Customer Opportunities into Design-Ins

Achieve design-ins through the qualification of Bourns solutions by performing the following activities:

• Engage directly with key customers and focus accounts.
• Identify and focus on opportunities with a high return on investment (ROI).
• Develop solutions that meet technical specifications and commercial requirements.
• Coordinate sales and design activities with local Regional Sales Managers (RSMs) and their representative firms.
• Resolve customer technical issues related to solution selection, quality concerns, and other matters, and engage the appropriate product line resources.
• Select appropriate application block diagrams from previous uses or generate new ones as needed to foster total-solution sales.
• Work through Marcom to develop technical sales collateral for use by RSMs, representative firms, and distribution channel partners.
• Support sales activities by specifying and procuring custom samples, required testing, and reports.
• Provide training to RSMs, representative firms, and distribution channel partners. This may include preparing and presenting technical information at conferences and trade shows.
• Publish technical papers in trade magazines and through other appropriate channels.
• Actively seek to improve the technical understanding of our customers’ applications.

Bringing Customer Needs into New Product Development

• Identify gaps in the Bourns product portfolio by understanding the needs of new and existing customers.
• Communicate new product ideas to Product Management and Engineering through new specifications, sketches, and other materials.
• Participate in new product development as the technical liaison between the development team and the customer, from initial identification through qualification and production.
• Participate in regulatory and standards meetings as directed by management.
• Attend trade shows as directed by management.
• Collect and disseminate market intelligence relating to:
  • Competitor behavior, activities, and product releases;
  • Marketplace trends and developments;
  • Regulatory changes that may impact our business;
  • New competitors or customers; and
  • The product characteristics that best meet marketplace demands regarding price, performance, and packaging.

Supporting Sales Strategy and Execution

• Complete monthly design-in and customer activity reporting.
• Maintain CRM activity records.
• Assist management in preparing sales-support program strategies, including collateral materials, promotions, sales training programs, press release coordination, and sample kits.
• Assist management in preparing annual sales and manufacturing plans.
• Execute the Bourns Counselor Sales Process.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Building Relationships Across the Business

• Demonstrates independence, resourcefulness, and the ability to self-motivate.
• Develops and maintains strong relationships with customer engineering staff and internal departments.
• Demonstrates the ability to organize and prioritize work.
• Assumes leadership responsibilities and delegates effectively.
• Possesses a strong work ethic and demonstrates cultural sensitivity.
• Communicates effectively with customers and management.
• Remains flexible and able to work in a fast-paced environment and travel frequently.

Communicating Technical Solutions Clearly

Oral Communication:

Excellent oral communication skills are required for customer-facing activities. The individual must possess the ability to deliver effective technical presentations to customers and management.

Written Communication:

Strong written communication skills are required to communicate with customers; present ideas, concepts, and solutions; develop technical presentations; and provide instructions to employees and customers at all levels.

Managing Priorities Across the Territory

Must have the ability to prioritize projects, manage time effectively, and plan travel schedules accordingly.

Technology and Tools

Personal computer and office software, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.

Travel and Work Environment

• The position primarily operates in office and factory environments, with up to 50% travel required.

• The physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Additional Information

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee.