Applications Engineer - JHB at Howden

What needs to be done?

• Applications Engineering:  Effectively engage customers with applications enquiries. Perform fan selections based on customer specifications. Understand all customer specifications clearly as received with enquiries. Prepare well written and presentable tender documents inclusive of all tender returnable documents. Capture all sales opportunities on CRM including pipeline maintenance. Lead each applications opportunity through the process of tender to order. Drive accurate forecasting of opportunities in the business and ensure customer feedback is always captured, add value to customer engagements.
• Documentation: Pre-engineer fan system designs and generate fan curves suitable for selections made and to meet customer specifications. Engage with legal and commercial department with the objective of mitigating risks while satisfying client contractual expectations to secure orders. Generate a budget document suitable for project execution. Accurate tender programs and organograms to define full scope and overhead requirements within shortest possible lead times.  Assess contract to ensure compliance with legal, commercial and health and safety requirements to minimize risk to the organization. Generate hand-over documentation following receipt of purchase orders.
• Engineering Support: Engineering support during tendering phase. Run the actual selections past the engineering team to ensure the best solution and scope of supply is clearly defined, checked, and tested. Assist the engineering team with the latest market and engineering trends to save on cost, design, and time.
• Project Management: When required act as project manager for various projects to ensure relevant projects meet agreed standards and is delivered within an agreed timeframe.
• Customer relations: Develop customer relationships to promote the Howden products and services, with a view to introducing enhancements to existing equipment. Work towards early customer involvement by becoming a partner through their respective planning phases by regularly meeting up high level project teams from Customers (end-users), Project Houses, EPCs, and consulting firms. Become a partner in solutions and product supply, to ensure we are well considered at tender stage.
• Managing Tenders: Adhere to the tender process (enquiry, risks, contracts, costs, and submission of documents) to be accomplished in line with client specifications and in accordance with Howden standards.
• Marketing:   Contribute to the effective marketing of company products and technologies to ensure the conversion of a tender into a sale conducted in accordance with company procedure.
• Compliance: SOX Compliance: Adhere to Sarbanes Oxley and AX controls.

What do you need to bring? 

• A tertiary qualification in Mechanical Engineering (B-Tech, B-Eng or BSC Eng)
• Membership of reputable engineering body such as ECSA and/or SAIMechE
• Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Projects, and AutoCAD
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a mining or industrial sales environment.
• Exposure to multiple disciplines of Engineering.
• Above average general communication skills – spoken and written.
• Negotiation skills
• Working knowledge of standard contracting methodologies, preferably NEC & FIDIC.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and CFD studies.
• 2 years’ experience in a project management environment
• 3 years’ experience in tender preparation