Application Specialist - Cutting Tools

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

Under the direction of the VP of Product Management & Business Development, this position is an extension of the sales team and is responsible for providing technical cutting tool support to customers and Guhring employees. This position also works closely with management, sales, customer service, and marketing on various projects where technical assistance is needed.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBLITIES:

• Become an expert with regards to Guhring’s complete line of cutting tools and how to apply them.
• Become an expert with respect to Guhring’s competition in order to recommend the proper competitive tooling from Guhring’s offering.
• Acquire and provide market feedback on competitive products.
• Provide technical support to end users, distributors, the Guhring sales team/employees with regards to the application of cutting tools. Support is primarily provided over the phone and through email, but can also include web blogs, online chat, etc.
• Help customers diagnose and troubleshoot application issues and coordinate solutions with the outside sales force.
• Assist the marketing department by offering technical expertise for the design of product literature, website information, training materials, etc.
• Assist with customer and employee technical training.
• Assist Product Managers in a technical capacity with new product inductions and help to identify new product needs based on feedback from customers and our sales team.
• Learn SAP and assist with basic customer service duties when needed from time to time (order entry, quotations, etc.).
• Process RFQ’s and provide customer quotations.
• Communicate with the technical experts at Guhring KG (Germany) in order to provide solutions for difficult applications.
• Make occasional on-site customer visits when needed to help support end user activity.
• Help coordinate customer tool testing with the sales team on the machine in the test lab.

EDUCATION:

A high school diploma with at least five years related experience in the machining trades is required. A bachelor’s degree or associates degree related to manufacturing/machining trades is preferred.

SKILLS/EXPERIENCE:

• Must have in-depth knowledge and understanding of machining principles and practices.
• Must have the ability to understand and process machining application information through communications with customers and offer applied cutting tool solutions.
• Must be able to read blueprints and visualize complex part geometries and machining setups.
• Must be able to offer speed & feed recommendations using basic machining formulas.
• Must possess excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Must have a genuine desire to help people and provide the highest level of customer service.
• May be required to travel out of the office from time to time to offer on-site customer training and application assistance, work trade shows, etc.
• Must have experience with basic Microsoft Office programs (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint is a plus.
• Experience with SAP is a plus.