Senior Application Engineer at JTEKT North America in Chicago, IL

Summary/Purpose:
The Sr. Application Engineer position provides technical support to our OE Industrial customers in the North American market. JTEKT is looking for an Application Engineer that can demonstrate strong engineering skills while conducting bearing analysis, failure investigation, statistical analysis, and other design related activities using a variety of calculation methods and computer modeling programs to select suitable bearings to meet customer requirements. Additional duties for this position will include issuing drawing requests, processing investigation and test requests, ordering samples, reviewing customer drawings, generating VA/VE ideas, investigating warranty issues, providing technical training, providing service engineering, and visiting the customer as required. Identifying new business opportunities or providing innovative solutions will also be a key to success. Organizational and project management skills will be essential in order to meet multiple project milestone goals on time. This position requires a motivated individual, able to work independently and without close supervision.

Ideal candidates for this position will have excellent mechanical aptitude with a good understanding of rotating machine dynamics in off-highway equipment, excellent verbal and written communication skills, and are willing to travel to meet our customers needs (requires 25% travel).

Essential Duties and Accountabilities:

• Meet with customer engineers to understand bearing requirements, application specifications, and project details.
• Select and analyze bearings in complex applications using a variety of proprietary and commercial engineering software tools to conduct life analysis, stress analysis, interface checks and guidance on how to properly apply Koyo products, fitting practices and validation recommendations.
• Write reports and make presentations of analysis results to customers.
• Coordinate cross-functional collaboration among design engineering, manufacturing, and the quality teams to develop bearing designs, support sample production, and ensure customer technical and quality requirements are fully met.
• Develop test plans, review/analyze test results, and create final test reports to support the validation of product proposals.
• Provide failure analysis, root cause analysis, and problem solving of internal testing, customer testing or application field issues.
• Regular visit customers to meet with their engineers on maintenance, design, and VA/VE projects.
• Complete detailed customer visit reports with actionable items within required time constraints.
• Building customer rapport based on excellence, responsiveness, and support.
• Manage projects from conception through analysis and testing until orders are received.
• Conduct training seminars for customer personnel.
• Support the development of new products and technologies.
• Share broad knowledge of interdisciplinary aspects of bearing application technology with colleagues
• Render assistance as necessary to technicians and other engineering staff.
• Update supervision and generally assist in providing answers to inquiries from sources inside and outside the company.
• Support global company resources in arriving at the best corporate solution to a particular problem or opportunity.
• Adapt emerging technology to enhance application engineering capabilities and services.
• Strive to continuously improve the execution of the aforementioned responsibilities as a key part of a broader commitment to personal development and growth.
• Conduct technical training as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• This position has no supervisory responsibilities

Job Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Good multitasking capabilities along with proficiency in time and project management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Familiarity/training in formalized problem-solving methodologies (Red X, DOE, 8D, etc.).
• Familiarity/training in failure analysis.
• Able to read and interpret engineering drawings with knowledge of GD&T.
• Understanding of basic gage usage and various inspection techniques and their limitations (dimensional, noise/vibration, surface finish, hardness, torque, etc,).
• Familiarity/experince with DFMEA/PFMEA process.
• Self-starter with willingness to learn new applications and analysis techniques.
• Superior computer skills (Word, Excel, etc.).

Education and Experience:

• BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering with 3 ~ 5 years of experience in the bearing or related industries.

Work Environment/Physical Demands:
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work is mostly performed in a normal office setting with minimal exposure to health or safety hazards, and with substantial time spent working on a computer. Requires sufficient hand, arm, and finger dexterity to operate computer keyboard and other office equipment.
• The performance of this position may occasionally require exposure to manufacturing areas which require the use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses with side shields and mandatory hearing protection.
• This position will require ~25% travel by automobile and plane.