Sales & Applications Engineer

SUMMARY: The Sales & Applications Engineer serves as the primary technical interface between customers and EPI, supporting advanced microelectronic packaging, Glass-to-Metal Sealing (GTMS), High Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (HTCC), hermetic assemblies, and custom engineered solutions. The position combines technical sales, applications engineering, and product design support to translate customer requirements into manufacturable solutions and guide opportunities from concept through production.

Working across Sales, Engineering, Operations, Quality, and customers, the role develops application concepts, performs design-for-manufacturability reviews, supports technical proposals and quotations, and uses CAD tools to create or refine package and component designs that align with EPI capabilities.

CORE VALUES: All employees are expected to demonstrate the Company’s Core Values through daily actions, decision-making, and interactions.

Inspired by the well-known quote from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, “be excellent to each other,” our values highlight how we excel: by being supportive, transparent, and wicked good at what we do.

• Excellent. We bring out the best in each other so we can deliver the best in our work.
• X-factor. We bring an authentic, unique edge that makes our people - and our work - stand out.
• Collaborative. We create stronger solutions by teaming up, turning shared ideas into shared wins.
• Effective. We focus on what truly matters: solutions that solve problems, support people, and strengthen results.
• Leading. We lead by leveling up together, mixing know-how, curiosity, and transparency to drive innovation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the primary technical resource for customers from initial inquiry through production release.
• Analyze customer requirements, drawings, specifications, performance needs, and application conditions to recommend appropriate product and process solutions.
• Support business development by identifying opportunities for GTMS, HTCC, hermetic packages, assemblies, and related engineered products.
• Create and revise preliminary mechanical layouts, package concepts, tooling concepts, seal and feedthrough concepts, and customer-facing design proposals using CAD software.
• Lead or support design-for-manufacturability and design-for-excellence reviews, including dimensional, material, process, tolerance, thermal, sealing, and inspection considerations.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain to develop feasible custom solutions and define the technical scope for quotations.
• Provide technical input to proposals and quotations, including materials, manufacturing processes, tooling, qualification needs, assumptions, risks, and deliverables.
• Prepare and present technical proposals, product capabilities, design concepts, and application recommendations to customers.
• Participate in customer meetings, site visits, technical reviews, and design discussions to maintain alignment on requirements and expectations.
• Support new product introduction and the transition of customer designs from concept and prototype through qualification and production.
• Provide ongoing technical support, including application guidance, troubleshooting, root-cause support, and coordination of design changes.
• Maintain accurate opportunity, design, and commercial documentation in applicable CRM, ERP, and document-control systems.
• Develop technical product documentation, application notes, capability presentations, and other sales-enablement materials.
• Monitor relevant industry trends, customer needs, competitor offerings, and emerging technologies in advanced electronic packaging.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Required

• Working knowledge of engineered manufacturing products and advanced microelectronic packaging.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and technical data.
• Proficiency with 2D and/or 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, Creo, AutoCAD, or an equivalent platform.
• Ability to translate application requirements into practical design concepts and manufacturing recommendations.
• Strong analytical, technical problem-solving, organizational, and project-management skills.
• Effective written, verbal, and presentation skills for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Customer-focused, consultative approach with the ability to manage multiple priorities and build long-term relationships.

Glass-to-Metal Sealing (GTMS) Expertise

• Demonstrated expertise in glass-to-metal seal design, materials, and manufacturing methods.
• Understanding of matched and compression seal principles, glass selection, metal and alloy selection, coefficient-of-thermal-expansion compatibility, surface preparation, pre-oxidation, furnace processing, and post-seal finishing.
• Knowledge of hermetic terminals, feedthroughs, headers, connector bodies, seal geometry, tooling, dimensional control, and manufacturability considerations.
• Ability to advise customers and internal teams on electrical isolation, mechanical integrity, thermal cycling, leak-rate requirements, plating, brazing, and package-level design tradeoffs.
• Familiarity with hermeticity testing, high-reliability applications, and applicable customer or industry specifications.

HTCC Expertise

• Demonstrated expertise in HTCC package design, ceramic material systems, and manufacturing methods.
• Understanding of ceramic process flow, including tape handling, via formation and fill, screen printing, sublayer lamination, multilayer lamination, firing, metallization, plating, brazing, and hermetic sealing.
• Knowledge of conductor systems, ceramic shrinkage, layer registration, tolerancing, warpage, design rules, and manufacturability considerations.
• Ability to advise customers and internal teams on layer construction, metallization, thermal paths, mechanical interfaces, cavity and via design, and package-level tradeoffs.

Preferred Additional Knowledge

• Experience with materials used in electronic packaging, including ceramics, sealing glasses, Kovar, stainless steels, nickel-iron alloys, refractory metals, copper-based alloys, and related joining systems.
• Knowledge of RF, power electronics, sensors, aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or other high-reliability applications.
• Experience with thermal analysis, mechanical simulation, tolerance analysis, or finite element analysis is a plus.
• Experience with Microsoft Office and applicable ERP, CRM, and product lifecycle or document-control systems.

KEY COMPETENCIES:

• Excellence and Accountability
• Authenticity and Value Creation
• Collaboration and Teamwork
• Results-Driven Execution
• Leadership and Continuous Improvement

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline preferred.
• Five or more years of relevant experience in applications engineering, product engineering, manufacturing engineering, technical sales, or a related function preferred.
• Direct experience with Glass-to-Metal Sealing and/or HTCC design and manufacturing strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting custom engineered-to-order products and customer-facing technical development preferred.
• Experience in microelectronics, hermetic sealing, ceramic packaging, semiconductor packaging, aerospace, defense, or high-reliability manufacturing preferred.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to travel as needed to support customer engagements, industry events, and training.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality, compliance, and accurate documentation.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment.
• Ability to safeguard customer, technical, proprietary, and export-controlled information in accordance with company requirements.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly sit and use a computer, CAD workstation, telephone, and other standard office equipment.
• Occasionally stand, walk, reach, handle documents or samples, and move within office and manufacturing areas.
• Occasionally lift or carry items weighing up to 20 pounds.
• Communicate effectively in meetings, presentations, manufacturing settings, and customer visits.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work is performed primarily in an office and engineering environment with periodic activity in manufacturing areas.
• Manufacturing-area visits may involve moderate noise and require compliance with applicable safety and personal protective equipment requirements.
• The position may require occasional evening or weekend work and travel based on customer and business needs.