Senior Applications Engineer

Safran•Rochester, NY

About The Position

The Senior Applications Engineer serves as a technical leader and subject matter expert supporting advanced defense systems, with a specialization in simulation, timing, or navigation. The role supports the sale, implementation, and servicing of R-PNT and GNSS simulation products, leads product integrations and complex planning and deployments, and provides customer support nationwide. The position also mentors Applications Engineers and helps develop technical best practices and expertise across the team. The engineer works with customers and internal Sales, Program Management, Engineering, Product Management, and Applications Engineering teams. Responsibilities span pre-sales support, demonstrations and training, on-site installation and integration, testing and troubleshooting, technical escalation, and the development of technical resources. The role involves nationwide travel of up to 25% for customer engagements and requires the ability to obtain and maintain a secret-level security clearance. An active clearance is preferred but not required.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in a customer-facing technical role, such as Applications Engineering, Sales Engineering, or Field Support, within a defense or high-reliability environment; stated as preferred.
Proficiency with GPS/GNSS receivers, simulators, inertial navigation fundamentals, or oscillator holdover timing.
Strong background in conceptualizing, planning, and delivering technical solutions.
Strong technical judgment and decision-making in high-pressure environments supporting mission-critical systems.
Collaborative, proactive approach to working across applications, engineering, programming, and product teams.
Ability to innovate, adapt, independently manage tasks, and collaborate effectively in a team setting.
Excellent communication skills for working with diverse audiences and leading technical discussions.
Demonstrated track record of progressive leadership.
Ability to obtain and maintain a secret-level security clearance.
Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% within the USA for demonstrations, integrations, trade shows, and customer engagements.
Demonstrated customer service skills applied to advancing sales capabilities with external customers.
Ability to address complex problems using analytical thinking.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or a related field; a combination of education and experience will be considered.
Prior military experience or intimate knowledge of the U.S. defense industry.
Experience with lab environments, hardware testing, and multi-sensor PNT integration.
An active security clearance.

Responsibilities

Provide technical assistance for sales activities, including identifying current and future customer requirements through discussions, implementations, and configuration support.
Respond to customer inquiries with product, service, and technical information.
Collaborate with Sales and Program Management to grow the business while maintaining high customer satisfaction.
Capture and relay customer insights to Engineering and Product Management to support deployments, resolve complex challenges, and inform roadmap and design decisions.
Organize and deliver pre-sales demonstrations and training on system understanding, performance, operation, maintenance, and safety protocols.
Conduct on-site demonstrations, training, evaluations, testing, installation, troubleshooting, and system integration.
Diagnose complex technical issues and develop solutions to maintain system uptime and reliability.
Oversee development of demo environments, Proof of Concept initiatives, and internal and customer-facing enablement materials.
Lead hands-on integration and testing with software and hardware designs to verify performance, reliability, and compliance.
Serve as a primary escalation point for critical or high-visibility technical engagements, including complex infrastructure, troubleshooting, Proof of Concept initiatives, pre-deployment planning, and high-stakes demonstrations.
Contribute to process improvement and help define Applications team standards, documentation, and training materials.
Provide advanced technical training and support to Applications Engineers and mentor team members to support their technical growth.
Travel nationwide to provide on-site support and execute customer engagements.
Serve as the technical subject matter expert for assigned products and technologies, such as simulation, timing, and navigation.
Document testing and field activities, prepare reports, and maintain accurate records for compliance and quality assurance.