[Hiring] Application Engineer @JPW Industries

Role Description

Be the technical expert who turns a customer's toughest bending challenge into a won deal and a running cell. Our press brake business is growing, and we need an Application Engineer who lives and breathes CNC bending. You will be the person prospects trust in the demo room, the one Account Managers pull into their hardest quotes, and the one customers count on when a production bending cell must hit accuracy and cycle time on day one. This is a hands-on, high-visibility role for someone who loves solving real fabrication problems and getting credit for the win.

What You Will Own

• The technical win on press brake opportunities: machine, tooling, and automation recommendations that fit the customer's parts and prove out in trials and demos.
• Successful installs and ramp-ups: start-up, process setup, and troubleshooting so new customers hit accuracy and cycle time fast.
• The feedback loop to Product and Engineering: field insight that shapes the roadmap, tooling, and competitive positioning.
• JPW's credibility in the room: confident, clear technical representation at trade shows, demos, and on customer floors under pressure.

Your First Year: What Success Looks Like

• You are the go-to technical resource on Baileigh press brake opportunities, trusted by Sales and Account Managers to close the technical gap on quotes.
• You have performed demonstrations, bending trials, feasibility studies, and offline simulations that directly supported won deals.
• You have supported installs and start-ups that reached target bend accuracy and cycle time on schedule.
• You have delivered field feedback and at least one tooling or process idea that improved the product or the customer experience.

How You'll Spend Your Time

Win the technical sale.

• Evaluate customer parts, drawings, and bend sequences and recommend the right press brake, tooling, and robotic or automation configuration.
• Run bending trials, demonstrations, cycle-time estimates, feasibility studies, and offline programming simulations to move deals forward.
• Partner with Sales and Account Managers on-site or virtually and prepare technical proposals, process recommendations, and application write-ups.
• Represent JPW at trade shows and customer demonstrations, running equipment and explaining capabilities to prospects.
• Create content for both promotional and training documentation and videos.

Make customers successful

• Assist with press brake and robotic bending cell installation, start-up, and initial process setup at customer sites.
• Troubleshoot bend accuracy, tooling, offline programming, and automation integration issues.
• Train customers, dealers, and internal staff on CNC press brake programming, setup, and operation.
• Serve as the technical escalation point between customer service, service technicians, and engineering on complex issues.

Improve the product

• Feed field and application insight to Product Management and Engineering and stay current on cross-brand press brake technology.
• Propose tooling concepts and process improvements, support competitive benchmarking, and help build application notes and training materials.

Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a technical field such as manufacturing or mechanical engineering, or equivalent hands-on experience in CNC press brake applications.
• Strong to master-level knowledge of CNC press brake programming, setup, and operation.
• Experience with robotic bending and automation, plus proficiency with offline bending and programming software.
• Proficiency with SolidWorks or similar 3D CAD, working knowledge of sheet metal fabrication, and the ability to read complex part drawings, bend sequences, and flat patterns.
• Broad industry knowledge of competing press brake features, options, and technology.
• An outgoing, likable presence and excellent communication skills for customers, trade shows, and demos, with the judgment to make sound decisions in high-stress situations.
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• This role is remote, and we prefer candidates within about two hours of our Manitowoc, WI area (Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee, or Chicago). Willingness to travel up to 75% to customer sites, trade shows, and demo facilities is required.

Benefits

• Competitive Pay plus Annual Bonuses
• Comprehensive Benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and telehealth from Day 1
• Retirement Plans and Employer Contributions
• Generous PTO plus Paid Holidays
• Career Development and Learning Opportunities
• Team Member Appreciation Events
• A Culture That Values Integrity, Teamwork, and Innovation

Company Description

JPW Industries is a woodworking and metalworking machinery and tools company behind trusted brands including Jet, Powermatic, Wilton, Edwards, Baileigh, and Axiom.