Application Engineer Supervisor PTS Sanitary

GEA Group•Columbia, SC

10d

About The Position

The Application Engineer Supervisor supports the Director of Technical Offer Management (TOM) – PTS with the daily operations of the PTS-Sanitary application engineering group. The role coordinates priorities, deliverables, and due dates across Sales, Process Engineering, and TOM leadership, and provides functional leadership through coaching, mentoring, and training. The Supervisor is a first point of escalation for team members, supports adherence to TOM governance, policies, and procedures, and also performs Application Engineering work for assigned opportunities. Leadership activities account for half of working time. The position includes coordinating team workloads and deadlines, reviewing proposals and related deliverables, supporting process adoption and continuous improvement, and fostering collaboration and professional development. Application Engineering responsibilities include reviewing customer RFQs, preparing cost estimates and proposals, coordinating technical documentation and reviews, obtaining vendor pricing, and supporting sales activities. GEA describes itself as a global engineering solutions provider with more than 18,000 employees worldwide and a U.S. presence since 1929. The position is based in the United States and does not offer visa or work sponsorship; applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without current or future sponsorship. GEA states that it is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Requirements

Mechanical or chemical engineering degree, or equivalent experience.
More than 5 years of experience in Application Engineering, Process/Project Engineering, Project Management, and/or Estimating.
Relevant technical experience within the PTS portfolio and experience estimating projects in the NPE – NAM PTS portfolio.
Ability to read and interpret technical specifications and drawings.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills for supporting team members and communicating with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to provide functional leadership through influence, including coaching, mentoring, prioritization, and coordination of work.
Ability to lead engineering teams by establishing clarity and direction and building a positive team.
Technical-commercial awareness and ability to identify risks and opportunities in proposals and project estimates.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including breaking down complex issues and removing roadblocks.
Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
Self-motivation, good interpersonal skills, and ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
Strong customer focus, organizational skills, attention to detail, and time management, with the ability to meet deadlines.
Ability to prioritize tasks and delegate or coordinate work when appropriate, and to function in a fast-paced, sometimes stressful environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Background experience in dairy, food, chemical, pharmaceutical, environmental, or beverage projects is highly desirable.
Creativity in developing innovative and competitive solutions.

Responsibilities

Coordinate day-to-day workload and priorities with the Director of TOM – PTS; assign tasks, establish deadlines, and track progress to ensure timely deliverables.
Ensure team work complies with Company requirements and TOM governance, policies, and procedures.
Provide technical guidance, expectations, and feedback to team members; serve as the first point of escalation and escalate issues further when appropriate.
Communicate process changes, clarify requirements, and reinforce standard work.
Review proposals, costing, and supporting documentation for accuracy, completeness, and compliance before submission.
Foster collaboration, professional development, and continuous improvement within the team.
Identify workflow and process gaps and opportunities; recommend and support approved improvements to efficiency, quality, and competitiveness.
Review customer RFQ documents and engineering specifications to determine appropriate offer content and identify exceptions or exclusions.
Prepare cost estimates and written proposals for GEA equipment, services, and systems in coordination with Procurement, Sales, Engineering, and other departments.
Ensure technical proposals, costing, and other deliverables receive proper review and approval under TOM governance, policies, and procedures.
Research past customer opportunities and projects to identify comparable pricing.
Prepare equipment specifications and obtain component pricing from vendors.
Check process calculations, heat and mass balances, PFDs, P&IDs, and GAs; coordinate development of these documents with discipline leads.
Participate in technical and business training, including hands-on, classroom, remote European-center-of-competence, and independent learning.
Participate in customer and internal meetings.
Maintain the historical pricing database and update the Offer Tracking List.
Develop and share ideas with team members.
Support sales activities with customer presentations.
Follow GEA procedures and perform other assigned tasks.