Applications Engineer Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an applications engineer. Feel free to use our applications engineer job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an applications engineer.
Who is an Applications Engineer?
Applications Engineers are also known as software applications developers, Web Developers, and Front End Engineers. An applications engineer is an individual who designs, develops, and test software application. The world is evolving and there are many software applications; it is the core responsibility of an applications engineer to develop this software. The applications engineer develops the software from its initial stage and the cycle is; supporting application design, analysis, and development and testing processes. They supervise and help in product development by focusing on application development from both user and technical standpoints.
Applications engineers generally do not program or generate core software code, but they have an understanding of writing and structuring source code. They test applications, assess testing and customer reviews and they also work with other team members to enhance and modify the software. They also possess skills in engineering such as removing unnecessary code, features, or components. They also plan, design, direct, implement and coordinate applications development technical documentation. Most application engineers conduct research that brings about rapid development in society. They bridge the gap between customers and engineering teams.
The work environment of an applications engineer is usually an office setup. In some cases, they can work from home and report to an office from there. They can be found in application firms or companies where they work with a different caliber of clients. This career path is highly lucrative and it presents you with diverse opportunities in your organization. For instance, you can pursue project engineering and become a project manager with a few years of experience. You can also be upgraded to earn promotion to jobs involving design engineering, sales engineering, and account management.
Application engineers must also have the requisite knowledge of understanding technical language or specifications of a broad range of software to address client concerns. They are usually customer-oriented because they serve as a link between customers and the engineering team; they are expected to have customer and sales skills.
Team Structure
Applications engineers are usually part of a technical team known as the Application Development and Maintenance (ADM) team. This group is spearheaded or coordinated by a Project Manager who oversees other teams of engineers. ADM works with the client-side Project Owners, and internal senior management to ensure application jobs are completed at the appropriate time and accurately.
The team of ADM may also include several designers and developers and also Application Engineers. The application engineers usually attain the forefront of the team. They are also the channel of contact for clients and they represent the entire team accountable for overall satisfaction. Conclusively, they function as the bridge between ADM and the client. The reach applications engineer spans several departments including sales and marketing engineering, customer service, manufacturing, and beyond.
Applications Engineer Job Description
Below are the applications engineer job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an applications engineer job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The following are the duties and responsibilities of an application engineer:
- Develop apps and improve exciting software
The main responsibility of an Application engineer is to design and enhance the software. They perform this role by evaluating with clients to comprehend the unique goals of each project and they execute them after a thorough assessment. This sometimes may demand them to develop custom software. Application engineers must keep reasoning a step ahead because they are in charge of expanding a project for the client’s current software infrastructure.
For instance, an applications engineer may be saddled with the responsibility of designing or building a database platform for clients and sometimes upgrading a database platform for a client. The database upgrade can allow sales representatives to see more contact information from the database in applications such as Microsoft Outlook. It is the responsibility of the applications engineer when relating with clients to:
- Comprehend what the client is trying to achieve
- Make the best recommendation for the client
- Provide Hardware upgrades
Applications engineers must not only understand the needs of the client but must also comprehend the technical needs of their software. This implies that they must have an in-depth understanding of hardware technical specifications.
Things like server speed and availability, processor speed, and other mechanical components improve software performance. Experts recommend that applications engineers must have general knowledge of computer science and electrical engineering. In some scenarios, applications engineers design and develop custom mechanical components as they relate to software applications.
For example, some Application Engineers jobs the knowledge of solid-state drives for those that particularly work with mobile devices. Some demands for applicants with knowledge of radio technology or knowledge of enterprise servers. The knowledge of an applications engineer cannot be generalized because it varies from one position to another; it is, therefore, paramount that knowledge of hardware is mandated.
- Provide tech support to clients
An Applications Engineer also serves as the first point of contact to clients and also the help desk point of contact. They answer clients’ calls and provide tech support.
When working with the help desk team, the Applications Engineer may set priorities and assist with higher-level calls, they also ensure quality troubleshooting is delivered to clients at the appropriate time.
In some scenarios, an application engineer also responds to client needs on-site and provides additional consultation. This kind of tech support can help the applications engineer to maximize opportunities that bring about steady career growth.
An application engineer is expected to deliver the highest level of customer service via phone or not. They are to channel their knowledge of hardware, software, and critical thinking skills to provide solutions for clients from running software updates, developing software, and installing new hardware components to make their infrastructure run more smoothly.
- Make Sales Recommendation
One of the roles of an Applications Engineer involves evaluating the needs of clients frequently. This implies assessing their current software and hardware inventory and ascertaining where improvements can be made.
Application Engineers are very skilled in the aspect of sales. They usually get first-hand opportunities for selling during consultations with clients and also follow-up tech support calls. During this process, they must be able to change a tech jargon to meaningful and relatable terms that can make sense for clients.
- Document & inventory system
The applications engineer is responsible solely for documentation calls and the inventory service systems for clients. They are very organized and detail-oriented in keeping records of installations and software. In addition, logging all technical specifications required to keep systems performing at their best.
In most cases, inventory software and other office suites are utilized to complete tasks of inventory and documentation. The Application Engineer is expected to be conversant with all office software necessary to complete the job.
- Analyze and design databases in an application area
- Supervise computer programmers
- Plan and implement expansion projects for client’s software infrastructure
- Enhance or upgrade exciting software
- Understand client base to make valuable
- Keeping with advancements in the application engineering and new technologies
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, information system, computer software engineering, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, or a related field
- Proven experience of at least two years as an applications engineer
- Experience in sales or customer service will be advantageous
- Advanced proficiency in programming languages such as Java, SQL, .NET, and C.
- Extensive experience in deploying, optimizing, and maintaining software
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
- Exceptional customer and interpersonal skills
- Superb collaboration and communication skills
- Great organizational and time management skills
- Ability to develop and improve software application
- Strong knowledge of software and coding
- Project management abilities
- Superior troubleshooting skills
- Familiarity with hardware
- A little knowledge of electrical engineering
Essential Skills
The following are the skills and competencies an applications engineer must have:
- Attention to detail
Application engineers need to focus when performing a task because their job can be complicated sometimes. They need to focus when dealing with clients and inventory of client system
- Teamwork skills
Since application engineers are part of the engineering system; they usually work with a team. It is very paramount for application engineers to work in harmony with the team and bring about tremendous growth in the organization.
- Interpersonal skills
Application engineers use their interpersonal skills to build strong relationships with clients so that clients can keep patronizing them. These interpersonal skills also help them to have a good working relationship with their colleagues at work which brings about a smooth working environment.
- Technical skills
As an application engineer, you need to have strong technical skills to respond to customers’ complaints. Application engineers need this skill to meet customers’ demands and have steady career growth.
- Knowledge of Hardware technical specifications
Application engineers need to understand some terminologies in the field such as server speed, server availability, and processor speed to help with their client’s software needs.
- Customer service
- Analytical Skills
- Time-management
- Decision-Making skills
- Creativity
How to Become an Application Engineer
An individual that wants to become an application engineer must meet the qualifications and requirements. Getting the qualifications gives you a chance to impress the job recruiter to get hired for the job. Follow the following steps to become an Applications Engineer:
- Acquire a bachelor’s degree
Enroll for a bachelor’s degree in computer software engineering, computer science, or a related field. This degree may usually take five years to complete. A bachelor’s degree program in this area of study may cover aspects like programming basics, computer administration, software testing, software architecture, and systems programming.
You can also enroll for a master’s degree in software engineering which will take 18 months to complete. This gives you more knowledge and an edge over other candidates.
- Get Experience
After acquiring a bachelor’s degree in computer science; get the requisite experience because no employer wants to hire a novice. You can enroll in a voluntary internship or paid internship to acquire skills in programming. An internship gives you a first-hand opportunity to work as an applications engineer which will expose you to contacts in your discipline.
Apart from the internship, getting a professional experience of 1-2 years will help you qualify for bigger positions in the workforce. Start your career with entry-level roles that may involve customer service, maintaining software, and coding.
- Earn Certifications
Earn a relevant certification to enhance your qualification and impress hiring managers. Consider a software development credential that can boost your abilities. Make sure you meet the standard requirement to stand out. As an entry-level professional; you can acquire a certificate in Certified Software Development Associate (CSDA). This certification mandates a candidate to comprehend the principles and processes in software requirements, software design, software construction, and software testing.
You can also acquire certification through IEFE known as Professional Software Developer Certification. This certification trains an application engineer to have competencies in areas such as Software Engineering Requirements, Software Engineering Design, Software Engineering Construction, and Software Engineering Testing.
- Apply for Open Job Positions
Prepare your resume and apply for open job positions both online and offline. Applications engineers often work remotely in this digital age; you should create a LinkedIn profile so that clients can easily reach out to you. Apply for positions that are available in your area. If your application is successful and you are shortlisted for an interview; demonstrate your working experience to impress the interviewer. If for instance, you have upgraded a company’s database; you can demonstrate it to the interviewer to prove that you are the most eligible candidate for the job. The world is becoming global and so the services of application engineers are needed in various industries.
Where Can an Applications Engineer Work?
- Manufacturing Companies
- Online Media Industry
- Computer Firms
- Academic Institutions ICT Units
- Online Sales Store
Applications Engineer Salary
The salary of an application engineer depends on the location and experience of the application engineer.
- In the United States, an average applications engineer earns $92,306 per year and $47.34 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $75,000 per year while most experienced workers earn up to $140,000 per year.
- In Nigeria, a person working as an applications engineer earns 333,000NGN per month. Salaries range from 170,000NGN to 513,000NGN. This average monthly salary includes other benefits like housing, transport, and other benefits.