Company Overview:
IMG-NA, LLC (IMG) is a System Integrator specializing in Assembly and Joining automation equipment.
We provide custom Turn-Key automation equipment from our 60,000 sq ft facility in Warren and we service Tier 1 automotive suppliers throughout the Continental US, Canada and Mexico.
We pride ourselves on employing the best and most talented professionals in the industry.
Our growing team consists of engineers and project managers with extensive experience, and we are looking to find the next key individual to join our organization and add to our talent pool.
IMG’s Guiding Principles & Core Beliefs
We have a Passion for Innovation and Invention
This passion is our motivation to provide our Customers with solutions that are the Benchmark of the Industry
Integrity is Who we are, What we do and How we Operate
- Ethical Business Conduct is the basic foundation of our Organization
- We do the right thing even when no one is watching
We strive to create a Workplace where Employees can and want to contribute their Very Best
- Our employees’ diverse Talent, Initiative, Leadership and Creativity are keys to our success
- We Motivate & Empower our employees to adopt Extreme Ownership
We believe in Accountability
- We hold each other accountable through supportive actions
- We uphold our responsibility towards our Customers by sharing a vested interest in their Success
- We recognize our Social responsibilities towards the Communities in which we operate, and we strive to participate by providing Opportunities, Support and Engagement
Position Description:
IMG is seeking a senior-level Application Engineer to lead the technical development, process definition, and commercial estimating of complex general assembly and automation opportunities. This role is responsible for converting customer requirements into executable manufacturing concepts, competitive cost models, and clear technical proposals that support profitable growth for the General Assembly Business Unit.
The ideal candidate has extensive hands-on experience with assembly processes, tooling, automation integration, labor and material estimating, and customer-facing technical leadership. This individual will serve as a primary technical contact during the pursuit phase, lead cross-functional estimating activities, mentor other application and estimating resources, and provide continuity from RFQ review through project kickoff and execution handoff.
Primary Responsibilities:
Opportunity Leadership & Customer Engagement
- Lead technical engagement with customers from initial opportunity review through proposal presentation, scope alignment, and contract clarification.
- Facilitate customer discovery meetings to understand product requirements, assembly sequence, quality expectations, throughput, ergonomics, plant standards, and acceptance criteria.
- Present IMG concepts, process assumptions, technical alternatives, risks, and value propositions to customer engineering, purchasing, operations, and leadership teams.
- Build trusted customer relationships by providing clear, timely, and technically credible responses throughout the pursuit process.
- Support commercial negotiations by defining the technical impact of scope changes, timing constraints, customer standards, and requested exceptions.
Assembly Process Development
- Lead the development of complete assembly processes for manual, semi-automated, and fully automated systems.
- Define station content, work sequence, cycle time, operator requirements, error-proofing, traceability, quality checks, part presentation, material flow, and tooling strategy.
- Evaluate appropriate assembly and joining technologies, including fastening, pressing, dispensing, riveting, welding, clipping, leak testing, vision inspection, functional testing, conveyors, robotics, and material handling.
- Challenge customer-supplied processes and develop alternate IMG-engineered concepts that improve safety, quality, maintainability, throughput, or total installed cost.
- Perform concept reviews and process risk assessments to confirm technical feasibility before proposal release.
Estimating & Proposal Development
- Own the technical estimate for assigned opportunities, including labor, purchased material, fabricated content, controls, robotics, tooling, installation, commissioning, travel, freight, contingency, and specialized services.
- Develop detailed station-by-station cost models and validate estimating inputs with Mechanical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Manufacturing, Procurement, Project Management, and external suppliers.
- Estimate engineering, build, integration, debug, installation, launch support, and project management hours using historical performance and current execution assumptions.
- Identify and document assumptions, exclusions, customer responsibilities, technical risks, commercial risks, long-lead items, and required clarifications.
- Develop proposal content that clearly communicates scope, process approach, deliverables, schedule, acceptance criteria, and value to the customer.
- Lead internal estimate reviews and obtain cross-functional approval before proposal submission.
- Perform post-award estimate-to-actual reviews and incorporate lessons learned into future cost models and estimating standards.
Technical Leadership & Team Development
- Provide technical leadership and direction to Application Engineers, estimators, designers, and subject-matter experts supporting proposal development.
- Mentor less-experienced team members in assembly process development, concept evaluation, estimating methods, customer communication, and proposal quality.
- Assign and coordinate estimating work packages when multiple resources are supporting a large or complex opportunity.
- Conduct peer reviews to ensure concepts and estimates are complete, consistent, competitive, and aligned with IMG standards and business objectives.
- Promote accountability, collaboration, and disciplined decision-making across the pursuit team.
- Serve as the escalation point for complex technical or process-related questions during the estimating phase.
Cross-Functional Execution & Handoff
- Partner with Sales and Business Unit leadership to prioritize opportunities and develop pursuit strategies aligned with IMG capabilities, target markets, margin objectives, and capacity.
- Coordinate supplier input, budgetary quotations, and technical evaluations for high-risk or specialized equipment.
- Lead the technical portion of internal job kickoff following purchase order acceptance.
- Ensure a complete handoff of quoted scope, assumptions, risks, customer commitments, budget structure, and concept intent to Project Management, Engineering, Procurement, and Manufacturing.
- Remain engaged during early project execution to clarify quoted intent and support resolution of scope or process gaps.
Estimating Systems & Continuous Improvement
- Lead improvement of estimating tools, standard cost libraries, labor standards, proposal templates, and technical checklists.
- Maintain awareness of market pricing, supplier capability, customer standards, emerging technologies, and competitive automation approaches.
- Develop and maintain reusable process concepts and cost models for common general assembly applications.
- Support business-unit forecasting by providing accurate opportunity timing, resource demand, technical risk, and estimate confidence information.
- Help establish and track estimating accuracy, estimate-to-close margin erosion, proposal cycle time, and lessons-learned metrics.
Education/Skills/Required Experience:
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Technology, or a related technical field; equivalent combination of technical education and extensive automation experience may be considered.
Required Experience
- 15+ years of experience in industrial automation, automotive manufacturing, or custom capital equipment.
- 10+ years of direct experience developing and estimating assembly processes, automation systems, tooling, or joining applications.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex RFQ responses, technical proposals, and customer-facing concept reviews.
- Proven ability to develop detailed labor and material estimates for multi-station assembly systems.
- Experience providing technical leadership, mentoring engineers or estimators, and coordinating cross-functional teams.
- Experience with automotive Tier 1 or OEM customer standards is strongly preferred.
Technical Skills
- Advanced understanding of manual, semi-automated, and fully automated assembly systems.
- Strong knowledge of robotics, conveyors, fastening, dispensing, pressing, riveting, welding, vision, testing, error-proofing, and general assembly tooling.
- Ability to develop process flow diagrams, cycle-time analyses, station concepts, equipment lists, and detailed cost breakdowns.
- Ability to interpret customer specifications, engineering drawings, CAD models, product data, and process documentation.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel for cost modeling and data analysis; strong proficiency in Word and PowerPoint.
- Working proficiency with 2D and 3D CAD tools and the ability to review concepts and layouts.
- Understanding of project schedules, resource planning, risk management, and gross-margin drivers.
Leadership & Professional Skills
- Executive-level communication, presentation, facilitation, and negotiation skills.
- Ability to lead technical discussions, challenge assumptions constructively, and drive decisions across multiple functions.
- Strong commercial judgment with the ability to balance technical risk, customer value, competitiveness, and profitability.
- Highly organized, self-directed, and capable of managing multiple high-priority opportunities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Commitment to mentoring others, sharing knowledge, and improving team capability.
- Willingness and ability to travel to customer and supplier sites as required.
Pay: $130,000.00 - $160,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Disability insurance
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Referral program
- Vision insurance
Experience:
- industrial automation, automotive manufacturing: 10 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
