Applications Engineering and Estimating Manager

Flow Control Group•St Louis Park, MN

About The Position

Lead Indelco’s centralized applications engineering and estimating function, supporting both distribution sales (~23 branches, 5 brands) and fabrication operations (7 fabrication sites). This is a builder role: the mission is to establish a unified national capability that qualifies opportunities, engineers solutions, and prices complex work faster and more accurately than any competitor.

Requirements

Engineering degree or equivalent deep technical fluency in fluid handling, corrosion-resistant materials, or process piping.
Working familiarity with industrial fabrication and value-add operations: thermoplastic fusion joining, hot air welding, process piping, and CNC machining.
Strong software competency: Microsoft Office suite, workflow and project management tools, digital design, drawing intelligence, and supply chain platforms.
Demonstrated AI fluency: has personally used AI tools to change how work gets done, not just aware they exist.
Strong process builder: has designed or rebuilt an operational workflow, not just run one.
Coachable, hungry, and change-oriented — wants to build something, not inherit something.

Responsibilities

Lead technical support for customer applications: material selection, chemical compatibility, equipment selection (i.e. pump sizing, valve type), and part selection across corrosion-resistant thermoplastics and metals product sets
Serve as escalation point for branch sales on complex application questions across core end markets: water/wastewater, chemical processing, semiconductor/UPW, pharma/life sciences, and data center.
Own opportunity qualification for complex assembly and spool fabrication work.
Own the specification review gate at the RFQ stage - no complex quote releases without documented specification review.
Drive design-for-manufacturing input on fabrication opportunities: joint method selection (IR fusion, butt fusion, socket fusion, solvent cement, hot air/extrusion welding), machining scope (CNC milling/turning), and tolerance and compliance review (ASME B31.3, SEMI F57/F63, USP <665>).
Build and run the centralized estimating function as a national capability serving all fabrication sites, with direct management of estimating staff.
Own the RFQ-to-quote pipeline end to end: intake, triage, technical review, estimate development, and quote release.
Develop standardized estimating logic for spool fabrication
Establish estimating standards, win/loss discipline, and cycle-time metrics.
Lead, develop, and grow the applications engineering and estimating team; build the hiring plan as volume scales.
Deploy AI and software tools to expand team capacity