Applications Engineer (Projects)

Salary: $80,000 – $90,000

Location: Crystal Lake 

A growing manufacturing organization is seeking an Applications Engineer (Projects) to oversee custom fabrication and tooling projects from initial customer inquiry through manufacturing and delivery. This role will be responsible for managing project timelines, coordinating cross-functional teams, and ensuring customer requirements are translated accurately into production.

The ideal candidate will have experience working in a manufacturing or engineering environment, and any experience with tooling, fabrication, or custom-built products would be helpful. This position requires strong technical understanding with the ability to read blueprints, organization, and the ability to communicate effectively across engineering, production, and customer-facing teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Prepare quotes, estimates, and proposals for customer inquiries, including material and labor cost evaluations.

• Review customer requirements and develop detailed project scopes to ensure solutions align with manufacturing capabilities.

• Generate and coordinate tooling work orders and project documentation for internal manufacturing teams.

• Work closely with engineering, purchasing, production, and quality teams to ensure projects move efficiently through the manufacturing process.

• Manage project schedules and ensure jobs are completed on time and within scope.

• Serve as the primary point of contact between internal departments and customers to confirm requirements and provide project updates.

• Review completed projects and gather feedback to support continuous improvement and future quoting accuracy.

• Ensure all documentation, drawings, and specifications are maintained accurately throughout the project lifecycle.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related technical field preferred.

• Experience working in a manufacturing, tooling, machining, or fabrication environment.

• Strong ability to interpret blueprints and create technical drawings and manufacturing documentation.

• Experience working with CAD software such as Inventor, AutoCAD, or similar tools is a plus.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to coordinate across multiple departments.