Proposal Engineer ( Advanced Manufacturing) (Expanison)

Job Description

Job Description

⚙️ Proposal Engineer – Industrial Machinery & Advanced Manufacturing

Exciting Growth Opportunity | $80,000–$90,000 Base Salary + Bonus Potential

Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
Employment Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire
Industry: Industrial Machinery / Capital Equipment Manufacturing
Compensation: $80,000–$90,000 annually, plus bonuses

Help Engineer the Next Generation of Industrial Machinery!

Big projects. Exciting expansion. A career where your engineering knowledge makes a difference.

Our confidential client is an established industrial machinery manufacturer entering an exciting period of expansion and growth!

With increasing opportunities and continued investment in advanced manufacturing, we're looking for a talented Proposal Engineer who enjoys combining technical engineering knowledge, creative problem-solving, and business development.

This isn't your typical engineering desk job. You'll have the opportunity to help shape projects before the first component is manufactured, collaborate with experienced engineers, and contribute directly to the success of complex industrial equipment projects.

If you're mechanically inclined, understand how machines are built, and enjoy turning customer requirements into real-world solutions, this could be the career opportunity you've been waiting for!

⭐ Why You'll Love This Opportunity

• Exciting Company Expansion: Join an established manufacturing organization with new opportunities and continued growth.

• Competitive Compensation: Earn $80,000–$90,000 in base salary, with additional bonus potential.

• Make a Real Impact: Your engineering expertise will help shape custom machinery projects from the earliest stages.

• Career Development: Opportunities to expand your technical knowledge, take on new responsibilities, and grow professionally.

• Collaborative Environment: Work alongside talented professionals in engineering, manufacturing, and sales.

• Challenging Projects: Work on sophisticated industrial equipment rather than repetitive, off-the-shelf products.

• Long-Term Opportunity: Build your career with an established manufacturer investing in its future.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Proposal Engineer, you'll play a critical role in turning customer requirements into technically sound, competitive proposals.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Review customer Requests for Quotation (RFQs), technical specifications, and project requirements.

• Develop detailed technical and commercial proposals for custom industrial machinery and equipment.

• Work closely with mechanical engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, and sales teams to develop practical solutions.

• Prepare cost estimates covering materials, components, engineering hours, manufacturing, and assembly.

• Evaluate machine concepts, layouts, and technical feasibility.

• Communicate with suppliers and internal departments to gather accurate pricing and technical information.

• Identify potential engineering challenges, project risks, and cost-saving opportunities.

• Support customer discussions regarding technical requirements, project scope, and equipment capabilities.

• Help ensure proposals are accurate, competitive, and achievable within project timelines.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• Previous experience preparing technical proposals, quotations, estimates, or RFQ responses in an engineering or industrial manufacturing environment.

• Experience working with industrial machinery, manufacturing equipment, automation, or capital equipment.

• Strong ability to interpret technical specifications and engineering documentation.

• Understanding of manufacturing processes, equipment components, and project costing.

• Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving abilities.

• Ability to collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, and commercial departments.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

Important: Proposal, estimating, or technical quoting experience must be clearly demonstrated on your resume to be considered.

⚙️ Big Plus: Machine Building & Mechanical Experience!

We're especially interested in individuals who understand what happens beyond the engineering drawings.

Experience in machine building and strong mechanical aptitude are major advantages!

Additional strengths include:

• Hands-on experience building, assembling, troubleshooting, or commissioning industrial machinery.

• Mechanical engineering or mechanical design experience.

• Familiarity with machine tools, CNC equipment, automation systems, or custom manufacturing equipment.

• Ability to understand machine layouts, mechanical assemblies, and component functionality.

• Experience with AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Inventor, or similar CAD software.

• Knowledge of bills of materials (BOMs), manufacturing costs, and supplier quotations.

We value candidates who understand both how machinery is designed and how it actually comes together on the manufacturing floor.

Your Job Title Might Be Different — And That's Okay!

If you've performed technical proposal work, we'd love to hear from candidates with backgrounds such as:

• Applications Engineer

• Mechanical Applications Engineer

• Estimating Engineer

• Technical Sales Engineer

• Sales Applications Engineer

• Manufacturing Estimator

• Capital Equipment Engineer

• Machine Tool Engineer

• Mechanical Design Engineer with proposal experience

• Project Engineer with technical quoting experience

The most important thing is your ability to combine mechanical understanding, technical estimating, and proposal development .

Build Something Bigger Than Your Next Job

This is an opportunity to join a company focused on its next chapter of growth.

You'll have the chance to contribute to challenging engineering projects, build valuable relationships across the organization, and develop your career in a specialized manufacturing environment.

We're looking for someone who takes pride in their work, enjoys solving complex problems, and wants to be part of a team building exciting things.

Your next career move could help shape the next generation of industrial machinery.

Apply Today – Confidential Opportunity

This position is being managed confidentially by an external recruiting partner.

Qualified candidates will receive additional company information during the screening process.

Ready to turn engineering ideas into winning proposals? We'd love to hear from you!