Application Engineer

Company Profile:

Richards Industrials, founded in 1961, is a manufacturer of pressure regulators, control valves, and other fluid control products, known by customers for high quality products, great customer service, and fast & reliable deliveries. Colesco, a division of Richards Industrials, is a stocking distributor and manufacturer’s representative that specializes in control/safety/regulator/ball valves, gauges, steam traps, and much more. Colesco serves a wide range of end markets, including pharmaceutical, food & beverage, chemical, petrochemical, and various industrial segments. 

Richards has four Core Values:

·       Empowerment – Employees are our most valuable asset

·       Collaboration – Together we achieve more

·       Pioneering Spirit – Curiosity and innovation are our driving forces

·       Service Mindset – Never stop advocating for the Customer

And our purpose is to solve tomorrow’s demanding fluid control problems, today. 

The Position:

Richards Industrials/Colesco is seeking a driven and experienced Applications Engineer to join our growing team in Cincinnati. In this role, you will provide technical expertise across a variety of valve and flow control systems, supporting both internal and external stakeholders. Key responsibilities include performing engineering calculations for valve and pump sizing, conducting pressure and flow analysis, and preparing detailed quotations and proposals. You will collaborate closely with outside sales to develop comprehensive solutions for complex customer needs and provide technical support to the inside sales team.

The successful candidate will work with customers and end users, solving real-world challenges, and working collaboratively with suppliers and internal departments such as Marketing, Engineering, Operations and the General Manager to deliver superior service and innovative solutions.

We’re a dynamic, growth-oriented company specializing in valves and flow control solutions. We pride ourselves on technical excellence, customer responsiveness, and a collaborative culture. This role is pivotal to unlocking our market potential.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

51% commercial/49% technical role

Applications Support

• Supports the Sales Team as required to maintain premier customer service to meet or exceed sales targets and performance metrics. 
• Supports the Inside Sales team to understand customer requirements and propose technical solutions across the portfolio of Colesco products.
• Collaborates with suppliers to gain an in-depth understanding of the technical specifications and features of their products.
• Support the development of quotes and proposals for customers.
• Collaborate with the Sales and engineering teams to resolve customer-specific challenges.
• Project pursuit activities, including Spec review, Sizing, and Selection.
• Prepare technical documents and product packages for customers.
• Travel to customer sites to learn more about their applications

Customer support and engagement

·       Reach out to customers regularly to check on the progress of pending quotes and purchase orders.

·       Establish and maintain strong relationships throughout the sales cycle.

• Remain grounded in transactional needs and challenges.
• Carefully documenting correspondence to make future interactions easier and to allow other team members to quickly determine the application's parameters.
• Identify technical factors in customer inquiries that may affect cost and delivery.
• Develops customer communication programs and special marketing plans.

Vendor management

• Receive and process customer orders, ensuring accurate placement of purchase orders with vendors.

·       Collaborate with the General Manager to ensure prompt implementation of price adjustments provided by vendors.

·       Monitor and track the status of purchase orders with vendors to ensure timely delivery.

·       Uphold and communicate company policies and procedures to vendors to maintain compliance and consistency.

·       Work closely with shipping and receiving teams to guarantee that all necessary documentation is prepared and provided for seamless order processing.

Qualifications Include:

Education & Experience

·       Bachelor Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

·       4 to 7 years of prior experience as a sales engineer is required, with preference given to those who have worked as an F&B or pharmaceutical process/applications engineer in industries such as flow control or valve/pump manufacturing.

·       Strong mechanical comprehension; able to explain and address technical issues with industrial valves and related products.

·       Exceptional communication skills.

·       Problem-solving and analytical abilities to address customer-specific challenges.

·       A proactive and customer-centric approach.