Application Engineer -Columbia/Okura

DescriptionAt Columbia we come to work every day driven by the belief that innovation can transform industries, empower communities, and create a more efficient, sustainable world.

With operations spanning five continents and a commitment to excellence in service and support, our purpose extends beyond engineering advanced equipment. We are pioneering innovation and paving a better tomorrow with factory automation solutions worldwide.

Summary

Reporting to the Director of System Delivery & Service, this position is part of a cross-functional commercial and technical team. This role plays a critical function in translating customer business objectives, operational requirements, and site constraints into practical, executable solutions. The Application Engineer works directly with sales, channel partners, internal teams, suppliers, and end customers to execute technical discovery, solution development, and proposal validation.

The individual in this role will bring a collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset to develop accurate, executable proposals that align with organizational capabilities and customer expectations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Role Responsibilities

Collaborate with Sales throughout the opportunity lifecycle to ensure alignment between customer requirements, solution direction, and commercial strategy.

Jointly perform technical discovery, including site assessments, system requirements definition, and evaluation of field conditions to develop viable solutions with the Sales Partner.

Lead technical solution development activities, ensuring customer requirements, site conditions, and application challenges are clearly defined and addressed.

Serve as the primary technical authority for solution architecture, component selection, and system approach during the pre-sale process.

Develop and validate technical concepts, layouts, equipment configurations, and system approaches that meet customer needs while aligning with engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

Lead technical engagement with suppliers, technology partners, and channel partners to evaluate capabilities, validate solution compatibility, and support solution development.

Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Production, Supply Chain, and Service teams to confirm feasibility, timelines, and resource requirements for proposed solutions.

Identify and communicate technical risks, assumptions, constraints, and information gaps that may impact solution feasibility or execution.

Develop technical proposals, including system descriptions, layouts, and supporting documentation; participate in customer presentations.

Ensure proposal integrity by reviewing and validating that technical solutions, assumptions, and scope definitions are accurate, complete, and aligned with company standards and execution capabilities.

Contribute to resource planning by identifying technical scope, complexity, and inputs required for successful project execution, including installation and commissioning considerations.

Support continuous improvement by providing feedback on product performance, application challenges, and opportunities for standardization based on customer and field experience.

Travel as required to support customer engagement, site evaluations, solution validation, channel partner support, and project support activities.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Software

Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)

CAD Tools (e.g., AutoCAD, Inventor, or equivalent)

CRM or business systems (experience preferred)

Skills

Written and oral communication

Technical problem solving and solution development

Analytical thinking and attention to detail

Project and process awareness

Customer orientation and collaboration

Cross-functional teamwork

Critical thinking and decision-making

Technical presentation and documentation

Bilingual/Multilingual (Spanish) preferred

Abilities

Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, cross-functional environment

Ability to translate customer needs into technical solutions

Ability to balance technical requirements with business and operational constraints

Strong attention to detail and organizational skills

Ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences

Education and/or Experience

Associate degree, vocational, or technical certification in Engineering, CAD, or a related field required

Bachelor’s degree (Engineering or related technical field) preferred

Experience in applications engineering, technical sales support, or system design preferred

Bilingual/Multilingual (Spanish) preferred

Columbia Machine offers a full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, short and long term disability, 401(k), incentive compensation, paid holidays, paid time off, and tuition reimbursement. Equal Opportunity Employer - Women and Minorities are encouraged to apply. Columbia does participate in E-Verify. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The company does not sponsor employment visas or work authorization. To apply for this exciting career opportunity today, please apply online at <www.columbiamachine.com>

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

401(k)
401(k) matching
Dental insurance
Employee assistance program
Flexible spending account
Health insurance
Life insurance
Paid time off
Professional development assistance
Referral program
Tuition reimbursement
Vision insurance

Schedule:

8 hour shift
Day shift
Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

Vancouver, WA 98661: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person