Application Engineering Manager

Our client is a leading producer and distributor of premium specialty alloys (titanium alloys, nickel/cobalt‑based superalloys, stainless steels, alloy steels, tool steels) serving aerospace, transportation, medical, and energy markets. Their advanced process capabilities include wrought and powder technologies, plus next‑generation methods such as additive manufacturing and novel magnetic materials.

What you’ll own (and why it matters)

As the Manager, Application Engineering (IC), you will serve as the technical bridge between customer application insights and internal product development—driving ideation, accelerating development timelines, and enabling breakthrough products for performance‑critical markets such as aerospace and defense.

Core Responsibilities (high-impact, senior IC scope)

• Lead innovation and application development from ideation through market launch—owning the technical story from concept to commercialization.
• Translate customer needs into actionable requirements and partner cross‑functionally to define specs and accelerate development timelines.
• Advise leadership on product and process development strategies and contribute to product development program direction and goals.
• Co‑own the business development funnel by aligning application opportunities with strategic growth initiatives (technical influence that drives revenue).
• Build forward‑looking product strategy through market intelligence, including competitive and patent landscape analysis, and by monitoring standards/certifications that affect adoption.
• Define performance targets and collaborate with internal teams to rapidly assess feasibility through agile prototyping/testing.
• Support technical marketing with application‑based value propositions and early customer engagement.

What makes you a strong match (Must‑Haves)

• Master’s degree in Metallurgy, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 3 years in application engineering, product development, or technical marketing—preferably in metals, aerospace, or defense.
• Strong understanding of specialty alloys (high‑performance stainless, superalloys, titanium) and associated manufacturing methods.
• Proven ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly across disciplines and in customer‑facing environments.
• Demonstrated success collaborating cross‑functionally to define requirements and accelerate timelines; strong analytical skills with ability to compile/assess research data.

The “top talent” profile (Nice‑to‑Haves)

• You naturally uncover latent customer needs and can convert them into crisp technical requirements and product concepts.
• You’re comfortable influencing strategy without formal authority—driving alignment through expertise, data, and clear recommendations.
• You enjoy connecting dots across application, materials science, processing, and commercialization.

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive salary ($150K base/DOE) plus a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, disability coverage, and 401(k) with company contributions.

Why this role is different (and worth applying to)

• High visibility, high influence: your application insights shape what gets developed next.
• Technical ownership: you drive concepts from customer need → validated solution → market launch.
• Materials that matter: advanced alloys and next‑gen manufacturing tied to performance‑critical markets.