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Applications Engineer
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Location: Waukesha
Job type: Permanent
Aircraft type:
Contact:
Sector: Manufacturing
Job Role:
US - WI - Waukesha
Job Description
The Company
J&L Fiber Services is part of the Industrial Distribution Group within the Airframe Division of Precision Castparts Corp., a multi-billion dollar subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, which produces a wide range of highly engineered mechanical components and subsystems for a variety of general industrial markets including aerospace, power generation, medical, pulp and paper, automotive and housing/construction markets. This global corporation is growing, highly profitable, and highly acquisitive.
This operationally focused Division has multiple (10) locations within the United States, Asia and Europe and produces a range of aerospace fasteners and components, refiner plates, and advanced metal components serving a broad spectrum of industries. Within the markets served, there are opportunities for growth through development of new products and services as well as through geographic market development and product line extensions via acquisitions.
The Business Group
J&L Fiber Services, (J&L), located in Waukesha, Wisconsin is recognized as an international market leader. We are a progressive, team-based organization built on a foundation of continuous improvement and employee engagement.
J&L is the world leader in the design, manufacture, and sales of refiner plates to the pulp and paper industry. A refiner plate is a cast-metal component in the refiner that processes wood chips to develop the necessary characteristics to produce various types of paper. The business’ expertise in plate design and alloy development has been instrumental in the production of better quality paper, the improvement of mill productivity, and the reduction of mill costs.
The Position
The Applications Engineer will focus on low consistency refining and fiberboard process applications and charged with providing technical support for sales worldwide and advancing the application engineering model for the organization. This is a highly visible position within the company, critical to the advancement and growth of the organization.
The Applications Engineer has the following resources available for this role:
1. J&L sales personnel and reps.
2. Existing product line and technology.
3. Design engineering support for new design concepts.
4. Manufacturing and pattern making support for manufacturing new concepts.
5. Extensive marketing database.
6. Presentation Tools
7. Proven and advancing technology
8. Brand Name Recognition
9. Established Sales Volume
10. Product/application expansion capabilities
11. Established customer network (75% North American low consistency refiner plate market share - #1 in North America)
The Responsibilities
The Applications Engineer has two major roles:
⦁ Reactive – Working closely with customers and the sales force through issues of competitive threats, delivering a higher level of technical support in an emergency situation: providing complete systems analysis – being an advanced resource, when a cursory approach is not providing insights necessary to solve problems quickly.
⦁ Proactive – Look at the customer base, determining where the company’s best products are running and where they are not. Work with the Sales Managers and Sales to develop action plans for new product development, technical support, etc. in order to advance coverage of products and service throughout the customer base.
Additional Responsibilities:
⦁ Provide the technical expertise to sales plans. Working closely with the Sales Reps, the Applications Engineer will provide plate recommendations to support sales growth.
⦁ Investigate, research, analyze, and work with mill personnel to recommend solutions to problems, ideas for process improvement, and proper operating procedures for refining systems.
⦁ Provide responses to problems/opportunities directly related to plate design specification.
⦁ Advance training and understanding of internal and external customers in the refining process through preparation and presentation of technical papers, seminars, and training sessions.
⦁ Participate in improvement efforts on the Application Engineering process.
⦁ Develop tools to predict and analyze refiner performance resulting in process characteristics.
⦁ Create measurable difference in the refiner filling product line through participation in the product planning and new product development process.
The percentage breakdown of time devoted to key functions within the scope of the Applications Engineer position is as follows:
70 – 80% External/customer requirements. Working with the Sales Force, responding to needs and problem solving issues.
20 – 30% Product development/new concepts. Developing tools to be used to bring technology closer to the customer. Working within the culture of the organization, including personnel training.
Note: The Applications Engineer will continually be educating and training; both internally and externally. (S)He will be sharing his/her capabilities
Experience
⦁ Process knowledge is a requirement. The Applications Engineer will be working with Pulp Mill and Paper Mill Operations and Production Management. The Applications Engineer must understand how the pulp and paper making process works.
⦁ Within the company, the Applications Engineer is viewed as the “window to the customer” the “expert witness”, the “go to technical resource.” The qualified individual will have knowledge of the paper industry. They will understand the lingo and overall papermaking process with a technical background related to papermaking operations/solutions.
⦁ An innate ability to teach/educate. This involves formal presentations and one-on-one spontaneous teaching opportunities with customers and field personnel.
Comfort with presentations. Possessing a teaching mindset with a “to-the-point” delivery. The ability to share knowledge is important. This displays expertise and credibility to the customer.
⦁ Computer skills. It’s expected the qualified individual will be computer literate as a user and have the ability to analyze large amounts of data. The company supports computer training and acclimation. The individual needs to have the desire to stay current in this area
Education
⦁ Technical degree is required. Preferably in Paper Science, Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering
⦁ Minimum of 1 - 5 years of experience in the Pulp & Paper Mill and/or Fiberboard Plant (includes Co-Op and Internships)
Personal Skills and Attributes
⦁ Strong work ethic
⦁ Strong interpersonal skills
⦁ Effective Communicator
⦁ Work in a team environment where the management style is one of participation and empowerment
⦁ Collaborative and constructive relationship with sales managers, customer service, manufacturing, engineering, applications team
⦁ Ability to work autonomously
⦁ Comfortable working in a high travel, remote role while maintaining effective communication with teammates
⦁ Good presence to address groups or one-on-one
⦁ Resilient, optimistic attitude
⦁ Desire to stay current on new technology
⦁ Flexible, adaptable to change; participate in initiation of change
⦁ Be creative and have the ability to move through roadblocks via creative approaches
⦁ Take initiative to obtain information, opinions of ideas from well-informed people
Precision Castparts Corp. is an equal opportunity employer committed to recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job categories without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or other status protected by applicable law.
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