Digital Application Engineer (SSA)

Smiths Group•Edgewood, MD

About The Position

The Digital Application Engineer enables the digital pre-sales team by providing application expertise and technical customer support throughout complex sales opportunities. Serving as a bridge between Sales, Product Management, Solution Architects, and customers, the role translates customer challenges into value-driven digital solutions. It uses knowledge of digital applications, aviation X-ray networking, and AI-powered screening technologies to demonstrate solution value, address technical concerns, and help advance opportunities toward successful closure. The position focuses on technical sales enablement and solution consulting, without ownership of product strategy, pricing, architecture, implementation, or commercial opportunities. The engineer supports digital portfolio upsell opportunities, leads customer-facing demonstrations and proof-of-concept engagements, and shares customer and market requirements with product teams. The role also contributes technical input to business cases and contract schedules, maintains opportunity records and handover documentation, monitors technology and competitor trends, and supports strategic aviation pursuits as well as other target market segments. It includes advising customers and colleagues, identifying risks, and ensuring activities follow company policies, ethical standards, regulatory requirements, and governance processes. Success is reflected in confident, effective digital sales support; customers understanding the operational value of digital applications; improved conversion of supported upsell opportunities; adoption of reusable technical playbooks across regions; credibility with strategic accounts and regulators; positive customer adoption; and growth in software penetration across the installed base. The position offers training and career growth opportunities, an inclusive environment, and a flexible benefits package. Total compensation ranges from $147,521.25 to $221,281.25 per year, depending on factors including education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and market and internal alignment. The role also offers a competitive Business Profit Plan and benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, and other benefits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Engineering, Computer Science, IT, or a related technical field.
Background in solutions architecture, network or systems engineering, or technical pre-sales; ideally in security screening, aviation, critical infrastructure, or enterprise software/SaaS.
Strong grasp of networking, systems integration, and cloud and on-premises deployment models; comfort working across IT and OT environments.
Experience supporting complex, multi-stakeholder tenders and RFPs.
Ability to assess customer environments, interpret operational requirements, and identify practical ways digital applications can improve performance.
Structured approach to technical questions and customer challenges.
Ability to explain complex technical concepts in clear, accessible, value-focused language to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Strong understanding of how technical capabilities contribute to customer value and commercial success, including operational performance, productivity, cost efficiency, investment protection, compliance, and risk reduction.
Understanding of the organisation’s commercial environment and how to support its commercial success.
Strong understanding of digital/IT technology, procurement processes, and industry regulations.
Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
Collaboration and influencing skills, global mindset, and cultural awareness.
Ability to engage, challenge, and work effectively with others; strong relationship-building skills with technical and commercial stakeholders.
Proven matrix and stakeholder management skills, including experience working virtually in diverse teams.
Collaborative working style and comfort working closely with sales, product, and delivery teams.
Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills.
Effective planning, prioritisation, and multi-pursuit management capability.
Willingness and ability to identify and support change and continuous improvement.
High degree of resilience, self-motivation, and accountability.
Willingness to travel to support regional pursuits.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of cybersecurity, cloud solutions, AI-enabled applications, or digital transformation programmes.
Experience participating in government procurement and tender processes.
Exposure to customers in market segments such as Aviation, Ports & Borders, and Urban Security.

Responsibilities

Partner with Digital Sales Executives and Key Account Managers on proposals for wider digital portfolio upsell opportunities.
Run technical demonstrations, workshops, and proof-of-concept engagements with prospective and existing customers.
Feed customer and market technical requirements back to Digital Portfolio and Product teams to inform the roadmap.
Support senior and C-level technical engagements with strategic accounts and regulators, positioning the company's open-architecture and interoperability credentials.
Build and maintain standardised technical playbooks and collateral to make pursuits repeatable across regions.
Apply technical and commercial judgement to support business case development, solution pricing input, and contract technical schedules.
Maintain accurate technical opportunity records and handover documentation through CRM and governance processes to support delivery planning.
Monitor technology trends, competitor architectures, and emerging standards to identify risks and opportunities for the digital portfolio.
Prioritise support for strategic aviation pursuits while extending technical coverage into Ports & Borders, Urban Security, and other target market segments.
Contribute to onboarding and enablement of new digital and technical sales colleagues by sharing solution and architecture expertise.
Ensure technical and commercial activities comply with company policies, ethical standards, regulatory requirements, and governance processes.
Identify technical, operational, and business risks early in the sales cycle and support opportunity qualification activities.
Serve as a trusted technical advisor during customer engagements, workshops, executive briefings, demonstrations, and industry events.
Support customers in understanding best practices and operational use cases for digital solutions.