Lead Application Engineer, Bonding and Gasketing

Henkel group • Madison Heights, MI

2d • $85,000 - $120,000 • Onsite

About The Position

This position is with Henkel's Adhesive Technologies business unit, which focuses on providing customers with adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings to give them a competitive advantage. The role involves leading product recommendations, customized product applications, new product demonstrations, and troubleshooting for customers. It also includes supervising laboratory work, leading and mentoring interns and technicians, and conducting hands-on testing and application work. The engineer will quantify, document, and report technical results, document engineering activities, and perform customer technical visits. Additionally, the role involves identifying new business opportunities, enhancing customer experience, and using customer feedback to improve service delivery. The position also requires providing product application and technical training for field sales teams and customers, acting as a liaison with various internal departments, promoting internal innovations, and adhering to safety, health, and environment (SHE) standards.

Requirements

• Chemical/mechanical engineering background required
• 5-10 years of experience in automotives adhesive, tapes and other materials
• Demonstrated ability to lead adhesive testing, process validation, troubleshooting, and technical problem-solving
• Strong communication skills, ability to function in customer facing roles
• Entrepreneurship skills, especially agility to act in a timely manner to meet customer requests
• Experience working cross-functionally within an organization (Sales, BDM, PD, Marketing)
• Ability to act as a leader and ability to influence, organize, coordinate and guide others
• Demonstrated mentorship skills in guiding, training, and teaching application engineers, technicians and interns

Nice To Haves

• Master’s or Ph.D. preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead product recommendations, customized products applications, new product demonstrations and troubleshooting for customers
• Supervise laboratory work for samples coming from customers
• Lead and mentor interns and technicians
• Conducts hands-on testing and application work to identify and deliver solutions for customers
• Quantifies, documents and reports technical results to customer
• Documents all engineering activities in Henkel's internal systems
• Perform and document customer technical visits (meetings, audits, demonstrations, troubleshooting, etc.)
• Identifies new business opportunities, enhances the customer experience, and leverages customer feedback to improve service delivery
• Provide product application and technical training for field sales teams and customers while serving as a key liaison with Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Innovation, and other cross-functional partners
• Promotes internal innovations and best learnings across accounts
• Adhere to and promote SHE standards while ensuring quality issues and customer claims are reported and escalated appropriately

Benefits

• Health Insurance: affordable plans for medical, dental, vision and wellbeing starting on day 1
• Work-Life Balance: Paid time off including sick, vacation, holiday and volunteer time, flexible & hybrid work policies (depending on role), and vacation buy / sell program
• Financial: 401k matching, employee share plan with voluntary investment and Henkel matching shares, annual performance bonus, service awards and student loan reimbursement
• Family Support: 12-week gender neutral parental leave (up to 20 weeks for parents giving birth), fertility support, adoption & surrogacy reimbursement, discounted child and elderly care, and scholarships
• Career Growth: diverse national and international growth opportunities, access to thousands of skills development courses, and tuition reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior