What are the responsibilities and job description for the Application Engineer - Automation & Factory Solutions - St Louis, MO position at GCG?
Overview
GCG is currently seeking an Application Engineer to join our Automation & Factory Solutions division in the St. Louis, MO area. This role supports a key region and will provide technical, pre-sales, and post-sales support for automation controls and related technologies.
As our Application Engineer, you will work closely with the local sales team, customers, and engineering partners to specify components, develop bills of materials, and deliver hands-on support across a variety of industrial projects. You’ll also participate in product training, lead customer demonstrations, and collaborate with the broader technical team to drive automation solutions in a highly collaborative environment.
What You’ll Do
Education
GCG Automation & Factory Solutions is dedicated to advancing the growth of automation and factory solutions across key verticals in North America. With a comprehensive product and service offering that spans the entire automation value chain, our customers trust us as a reliable partner to meet their diverse needs. Our strength lies in our deep technical expertise and specialized knowledge of the products we offer. This enables us to support customers in deploying and delivering high-quality, efficient solutions tailored to their specific requirements. Our commitment to providing an exceptional customer experience—marked by responsiveness, reliability, and personalized service—sets us apart as the supplier of choice in the industry.
This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this classification. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.
GCG provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
GCG is currently seeking an Application Engineer to join our Automation & Factory Solutions division in the St. Louis, MO area. This role supports a key region and will provide technical, pre-sales, and post-sales support for automation controls and related technologies.
As our Application Engineer, you will work closely with the local sales team, customers, and engineering partners to specify components, develop bills of materials, and deliver hands-on support across a variety of industrial projects. You’ll also participate in product training, lead customer demonstrations, and collaborate with the broader technical team to drive automation solutions in a highly collaborative environment.
What You’ll Do
- Provide technical and application support in both pre- and post-sale efforts for a broad range of industrial automation technologies, including:
- PLCs, HMIs, drives, motion control, robotics, IO systems, and fluid power components
- Collaborate with the sales team to assist in specifying the right components for projects and create accurate bills of materials
- Deliver technical presentations and product demonstrations to customers in coordination with the sales team
- Lead or assist with customer training sessions on automation and electrical control systems
- Utilize vendor software tools to size, select, and quote appropriate automation components
- Provide troubleshooting support and assist customers with product integration and commissioning
- Work cross-functionally with customer service, operations, and product teams to ensure seamless service delivery
- Maintain accurate activity records in CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) to track sales support and project engagement
Education
- Required: Associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, or equivalent technical experience
- Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering
- Required: 3–4 years of industry experience in automation, electrical distribution, or control systems
- Preferred: 5 years of experience working with automation technologies, distributors, or OEMs
- Proficiency with PLC platforms, especially Siemens (certification highly preferred or required within 6 months)
- Knowledge of motion control, sensors, safety switches, IO systems, and fluid power
- Familiarity with sizing tools, vendor software platforms, and component integration
- Understanding of electrical circuit design and industrial automation architecture
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with cross-functional sales and technical teams
- Comfortable with technical presentations and customer-facing communication
- Proficient in MS Office Suite and CRM tools
- Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and committed to continuous learning
- Clean driving record to facilitate travel to customer sites as needed (approximately 20% travel)
- Competitive annual salary
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Multiple medical plan options (CDHP and PPO) to get you the coverage you need
- Robust Financial Security: Company-paid life and disability insurance, 401(k) with company match, plus options for supplemental critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity plans
- Generous Time Off: PTO plan with paid holidays, paid parental leave, and paid compassionate care leave to support personal well-being and family needs
- Wellness & Support Programs: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), wellness incentives, and telehealth access
- Extras That Matter: Dental and vision plans, FSAs/HSAs with company contributions, pet insurance, legal services, and ID theft protection for peace of mind
- An employee-centric company that values and truly appreciates our most important asset: You!
GCG Automation & Factory Solutions is dedicated to advancing the growth of automation and factory solutions across key verticals in North America. With a comprehensive product and service offering that spans the entire automation value chain, our customers trust us as a reliable partner to meet their diverse needs. Our strength lies in our deep technical expertise and specialized knowledge of the products we offer. This enables us to support customers in deploying and delivering high-quality, efficient solutions tailored to their specific requirements. Our commitment to providing an exceptional customer experience—marked by responsiveness, reliability, and personalized service—sets us apart as the supplier of choice in the industry.
This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this classification. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.
GCG provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.