Purpose and MissionAs an Application Engineer, you are the technical backbone of the commercial team. You bring deep application expertise directly to the field, bridging the gap between engineering and sales. You ensure that our customers receive the highest level of technical support, that quality concerns are resolved swiftly and thoroughly, and that Bekaert remains at the forefront of innovation in every segment we serve. You lead the deployment of advanced services and inspection technologies, turning our Ropes 360 offering into a key competitive differentiator. You act with integrity, think boldly, and deliver results that strengthen customer loyalty and grow market share.
Key Activities and Responsibilities- Field Technical Support: Serve as the primary technical resource for the sales team in the field, providing on-site support during customer visits, product demonstrations, troubleshooting, and application consultations across Mining and Oil & Gas segments.
- Quality Claims & Complaint Resolution: Lead the investigation and resolution of quality claims, including field sample collection, root cause analysis, and delivery of customer-facing reports. Collaborate with manufacturing and quality control departments to close complaints swiftly and prevent recurrence.
- Equipment & Rope Inspection: Conduct comprehensive on-site inspections of wire ropes, sheaves, drums, fairleads, and reeving systems on cranes, draglines, rope shovels, oil rigs, and other heavy equipment. Provide detailed technical reports with actionable recommendations for maintenance and rope life optimization.
- Innovation & New Product Development: Lead innovation efforts for each market segment by identifying opportunities for new rope designs, product improvements, and performance optimization.
- Ropes 360 Service Ownership: Own, deploy, and grow the Ropes 360 advanced services platform in North America
- Customer Training & Education: Develop and deliver internal and external training programs
- Team Development & Mentorship: Train new team members on technical processes, inspection protocols, rope applications, and customer engagement standards.
- Lunch & Learns / Customer Training Sessions: Organize and deliver lunch & learn sessions and structured training programs for customers, distributors, and internal teams.
- Technical Publications & White Papers: Spearhead the development of white papers, technical bulletins, and thought-leadership content for each market segment.
- Preventive Maintenance & Equipment Assessment: Conduct preventive maintenance assessments on customer equipment including sheaves, drums, fairleads, and reeving systems.
- Technical Advisory & Rope Selection: Provide expert input on product substitutions, rope selection, lifetime calculations, and application engineering for customer-specific needs.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with segment managers, regional sales managers, customer service, manufacturing, and global engineering teams to deliver tailored technical solutions and ensure seamless customer support.
- OEM Specification & Demand Generation: Drive the specification of Bridon as the preferred wire rope brand in OEM equipment designs
Skills- Hands-on experience with cranes, draglines, rope shovels, drilling rigs, or similar heavy equipment
- Knowledge of wire rope construction, inspection standards (OSHA [redacted], ISO 4309, ASME B30), and discard criteria
- Experience with non-destructive testing (MRT, VisionTek, ultrasonic) is preferred
- Proven ability to investigate quality claims and deliver root cause analysis reports
- Willingness and ability to travel upwards of 40% throughout North America
- Experience in the assigned markets (Mining, Oil & Gas, Crane & Industrial) is required
- Experience in steel ropes is preferred
- Strong presentation and training delivery skills (classroom and field)
- Familiarity with equipment maintenance, repair, or operations in one or more of the served markets is highly preferred
- Demonstrated ability to author technical white papers, bulletins, and thought-leadership content
- Customer Service Orientation
- Technical Writing and Reporting Skills
- Problem Solving and Analytical Skills
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills
- Project Management Skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook)
- Administrative Skills (Visit Reports, Inspection Records, Training Materials)
- A desire to grow, learn, and innovate
- A competitive mindset and a passion for technical excellence
Previous Experience- Minimum of 7 years of experience in wire rope applications, heavy equipment maintenance, or technical field service
Qualifications and Education- BS/BA degree (preferably Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Materials Science, or related technical field)
- Candidate will preferably be based in proximity to key customer operations or Bekaert facilities (Hanover Township, PA or Wilkes-Barre, PA preferred)
