DescriptionThe Senior Application Engineer is responsible for supporting Regional Sales Managers in developing proposals and cost estimates for opportunities in the municipal and private water and wastewater market. This role will interface with engineering, purchasing, sales and marketing. Success in this position is measured by delivering accurate, timely, and commercially sound proposals that instill customer confidence, support profitable project execution, and enable the sales organization to win business.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONISIBILITIES: - Supports sales for proposal generation and process reviews.
- Responsible for developing project specific specifications from Process Engineering product specifications to meet customer expectations.
- Review proposals with the Process Engineer to ensure content meets the required design parameters.
- Develop process flow schemes as defined by the Process Engineer. Engages with the Process Engineer when the limits of treatment are outside of the normal scope.
- Coordinates proposals with the Project Manager and Senior Buyer to ensure lead time and availability of resources. Ensures sign off from the Project Manager and Purchasing Manager prior to releasing proposals.
- Travels and supports sales during client interactions when required by Regional Sales Manager.
- Accountable for receiving written approval above delegation of authority requirements for binding proposals.
- Accountable for accuracy of pricing spreadsheets.
- Responsible for sign-off by Process Engineer for process flow diagrams prior to budget and final proposal submissions.
- Responsible for developing cash flow diagrams for project deliveries with Finance support and sign off.
- Other duties as defined by the direct manager.
CORE COMPETENCIES:- Planning and organizational skills. Manage time efficiently and effectively, prioritizing tasks appropriately.
- Communication skills and ability to express their ideas and instructions, as well as to establish good interpersonal relationships.
- Ability to work in a team environment
- Results-oriented. Analytical sense for problem solving, but with practicality and problem-solving capacity.
- Internal and external customer orientation. Ability to understand and detect customer needs, providing accurate and reliable responses (to internal and external requirements.
- Ability to respond effectively and flexibility high-pressure situations and work demands. Adaptation to change with the ability to work adequately in new or adverse situations.
- Accountable for adhering to the Fluence EHS policy
SKILLS & EXPERIENCE: - Bachelor's degree from an accredited 4-year college or university, specializing in chemical, civil or mechanical engineering or equivalent.
- Minimum 10-12 years plus of biological process or drinking water process for highly engineered products.
- Expert user in Excel for data management and analysis.
- Experience with BioWin or other biological process design tools.
- Experience working with remote teams.
EXPECTATIONS TO BE SUCCESSFUL:- Demonstrates a high degree of ownership and accountability for assigned opportunities, requiring minimal day-to-day supervision.
- Delivers technically accurate proposals, specifications, process flow diagrams, and pricing packages with a high level of attention to detail.
- Supports the sales organization by consistently meeting proposal deadlines and responding quickly to customer and sales requests.
- Produces complete and well-documented proposals that minimize commercial, technical, and execution risk.
- Develops accurate project cost estimates that contribute to profitable project awards and meet established gross margin objectives.
- Builds trusted working relationships with Regional Sales Managers, Process Engineering, Purchasing, Project Management, and Finance through timely communication and collaboration.
- Demonstrates sound engineering judgment by recognizing when technical issues fall outside standard design practices and proactively engages Process Engineering for guidance.
- Maintains a high level of organization, ensuring proposal documentation, pricing files, and supporting calculations are complete, traceable, and audit-ready.
- Continuously develops knowledge of the company's products, treatment technologies, and municipal procurement practices to improve proposal quality and competitiveness.
- Contributes to a culture of continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to simplify proposal development, improve standardization, and reduce proposal cycle time.
