The Sales Applications Engineer will serve as the primary technical bridge between our defense customers and our manufacturing facilities. Primarily responsible for evaluating complex project requirements, providing design-for-manufacturability (DFM) feedback, and ensuring that our extruded solutions meet the rigorous standards of the defense and aerospace industries.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Technical Sales Support: Lead technical engagements with defense contractors and OEMs to understand unique mission requirements and provide tailored extrusion solutions.
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM): Analyze customer blueprints and CAD models to recommend profile optimizations that enhance structural performance while reducing production costs.
• Defense Proposal Development: Review and respond to complex Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and RFQs, ensuring all technical, material, and regulatory requirements are addressed.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with the production, die shop, and quality teams to verify the feasibility of custom profiles and manage order timelines.
• Project Oversight: Monitor the launch of new defense-related projects, serving as the lead technical point of contact for any issues arising during the initial sales and production cycles.
• Market Analysis: Stay current on defense industry trends, specifically regarding high-performance alloys and military-grade specifications.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related engineering field.
• Minimum 3–5 years of direct experience working within or for the defense and aerospace sectors. Candidates must demonstrate deep familiarity with defense procurement processes and material requirements.

Requirements and Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Deep understanding of aluminum alloys, extrusion processes, and secondary operations like friction stir welding and machining
• Solid understanding of ITAR Regulations, MIL-STD compliance, and defense-specific certification standards.
• Advanced skills in CAD software and the ability to interpret complex technical drawings
• Demonstrate leadership and organization skills.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate with the sales staff, customers, and other management.
• Individuals are familiar with all applicable Quality System documents, policies and procedures.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups and/or boards of directors.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Physical Demands/Work Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, stand and use hands to finger, handle or feel.  The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.