Application Engineering Manager

Application Engineering Manager

A leading global manufacturer of CNC machine tools and advanced manufacturing solutions is seeking an Application Engineering Manager to serve as the operational leader of its Applications Engineering organization at a major Chicago-area Technical Center.

The facility is undergoing a significant transformation and investment focused on advanced manufacturing, automation, digital manufacturing, turnkey solutions, and engineering excellence.

Reporting directly to the Director of Applications Engineering, this individual will serve as the Director's right hand and own the day-to-day leadership, execution, and technical operations of the department. The role will ensure engineering priorities are executed, customer commitments are met, demonstrations and turnkey projects are successfully delivered, and the engineering team continues operating at a high level.

This is a hands-on technical leadership position for someone who has built their career through CNC machining and manufacturing engineering and can lead engineers while remaining actively engaged in complex technical challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the daily operations of the Applications Engineering Department, coordinating engineering priorities, workloads, schedules, and technical resources.
• Ensure successful execution of customer demonstrations, turnkey projects, machine validations, training events, and engineering activities.
• Maintain Technical Center and showroom readiness, ensuring machines remain customer-ready.
• Lead execution of major demonstrations, open houses, customer events, and strategic engineering initiatives.
• Mentor, coach, and develop Applications Engineers while driving accountability, ownership, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Support customer visits, executive demonstrations, technical presentations, machine evaluations, and manufacturing assessments.
• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Service, Operations, Facilities, Marketing, and Executive Leadership to ensure successful project execution.
• Develop and maintain relationships with strategic manufacturing technology partners.
• Establish engineering standards, best practices, processes, and technical documentation.
• Identify process improvements and remove technical or operational obstacles impacting engineering execution.
• Support recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and development of engineering personnel.
• Ensure continuity of engineering operations while supporting global initiatives and collaborating with international engineering teams.

Technical Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field preferred; equivalent hands-on manufacturing experience will receive equal consideration.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive hands-on experience within CNC machining, manufacturing engineering, applications engineering, machine tool applications, or turnkey manufacturing.
• Previous hands-on experience as a CNC Machinist, CNC Programmer, Manufacturing Engineer, Applications Engineer, or similar manufacturing position.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams while remaining actively involved in engineering activities.
• Extensive hands-on experience with:
  • CNC machine setup and programming
  • Machine/process prove-out
  • Tooling selection
  • Workholding
  • Fixture design
  • Machining and process optimization
• Expert knowledge of multi-axis machining, mill-turn, and multitasking machine tools.
• Experience with Fanuc and/or Siemens CNC controls.
• Experience with one or more major CAM platforms, including Mastercam, Siemens NX CAM, hyperMILL, ESPRIT, GibbsCAM, or similar.
• Strong understanding of advanced workholding, cutting tools, fixture design, manufacturing strategy, and machining process optimization.
• Strong leadership, organizational, communication, and customer-facing capabilities.

Ideal Background

This position is designed for someone who built their career through hands-on manufacturing experience and has personally programmed CNC machines, set up machine tools, proven out new processes, selected tooling/workholding, and solved difficult machining problems.

The Application Engineering Manager must be able to provide credible technical leadership to experienced engineers. Team members should be able to approach this individual with a programming issue, machining problem, fixture concept, or process challenge and receive guidance from someone who has personally performed similar work.

The ideal individual will be equally comfortable on the shop floor troubleshooting a manufacturing problem, mentoring engineers, meeting with customers, presenting technical solutions, coordinating complex projects, and leading a high-performing Applications Engineering organization.

Success will require someone who takes ownership, anticipates problems, removes obstacles for the engineering team, develops technical talent, and consistently drives projects through execution.

Work Environment

• Based onsite at a major Chicago-area manufacturing Technical Center in Schaumburg, IL.
• Hands-on environment combining engineering leadership, CNC machining, customer demonstrations, turnkey manufacturing projects, and advanced manufacturing technology.
• Approximately 10% travel.
• Regular interaction with customers, technology partners, internal engineering teams, sales, service, operations, and executive leadership.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation based on experience
• 401(k)
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance and short-term disability
• Paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• Employee referral program
• Professional development and growth opportunities