Applied Engineer Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an applied engineer. Feel free to use our job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an applied engineer.
Who is an Applied Engineer?
An applied engineer is a software developer who plans, manages, and designs technology products for a company. These engineers usually have at least a four-year degree in an engineering-related field and a few years of experience in the field. This type of professional must possess good math, communication, and teamwork skills. They can also conduct research and develop new products. An applied engineer’s main task is to gather information about the needs of clients and design new or better products.
An applied engineer helps solve product problems by using advanced technology to develop new products. The responsibilities of these professionals are varied, and they are often key technical resources for a company. This person must be adept at using critical thinking to develop solutions for all technical issues. In addition, an applied engineer should be able to recommend new hardware components and software solutions. This person should also have good people skills and be able to communicate effectively. If you’re interested in becoming an applied engineer, you should start by exploring all of the options available to you. If you’re not sure which route to choose, you can look at other career paths in the field.
As an applied engineer, you will need to understand how enterprise solutions work and be able to translate these into business-friendly products and software. You should be comfortable working in many different coding languages so that you can create complex software. Besides that, you should be able to handle simple tasks and complex assignments.
Aside from building different products, an applied engineer also has to be good at communicating. You must be able to present your ideas to your colleagues. An applied Engineer must be good at communicating with people and have excellent math skills. In addition, an applied Engineer should have the ability to handle multiple tasks. An applied engineer must be able to solve problems and understand how they fit together with each other. They must have a strong knowledge of all office software and technologies. The more you know about the latest technologies, the better your chances of securing a job.
Applied Engineer Job Description
Below are the applied engineer job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The job and responsibilities of an applied engineer include:
- Analyzing the needs of the customer, and the user and constituting the functional specifications (specifications, deadlines, costs, etc.)
- Developing and writing technical specifications of the IT applied
- Designing and developing computer programs
- Defining and carrying out phases and procedures of technical and functional tests of computer programs
- Analyzing technical and functional problems and proposing corrective measures, technical compliance, etc.
- Developing and writing technical documents and supports intended for developers, users, IT departments, etc.
- Determining solutions and analyzing the characteristics and constraints of the project
- Developing and improving existing software and program
- Providing technical support to customers
- Defining operating modes, industrialization, or manufacturing processes
- Following homologation, patentability, certification, or freedom to operate files
- Choosing suppliers, negotiating their contracts, and monitoring the performance of the intervention
- Determining and synchronizing research and development programs
- Supervising and coordinating the achievements, studies, or IT developments
- Performing programming in a specific computer language
- Developing and assigning an applied link to a database
- Adapting and configuring Integrated Management Software -PGI – / – ERP-
- Determining technical choices of software and hardware architecture and selecting technologies, hardware, software, configurations, etc.
- Designing and producing a presentation mockup (design applied)
- Selecting, assembling, and integrating IT components (software packages, databases, specific developments, etc.)
- Putting software solutions into production in an operating environment (servers, workstations, operating systems, etc.)
- Developing and writing technical specifications
- Evaluating costs, risks, and resources (time budgets, personnel, costs, etc.) and plan the completion of an order, an IT project
- Selecting suppliers/service providers, negotiating the conditions of the contract, and controlling the performance of the intervention, products, etc.
- Supervising and coordinating the achievements, studies, or IT developments (employees, subcontractors)
- Identifying market needs
- Developing tailor-made technical solutions for special customer requirements
- Directing or assisting in the coordination and execution of technical activities
- Analyzing technical needs, requirements, and opportunities in the implementation processes of CAD technologies and Design services.
- Preparing didactic material for training in the different modules
- Evaluating updates and new versions of CATIA to identify the impact and benefits in the industry.
- Creating and demonstrating design-based solutions that support the CATIA software commercialization process.
- Teaching intermediate-advanced courses in the use of the CATIA tool in its different modules and functionalities.
- Developing design projects to provide solutions to challenges posed by the industry.
- Working closely with engineering counterparts to provide technical advice and help translate ideas into 3D designs and models.
An applied engineer can also modify technical systems for production based on new requirements. This can include CAD / CAM programming for computer-aided design. On the other hand, customer service is an important field of activity. In the B2B area, customers need information on production optimization, which is often associated with on-site support. Industrial companies and the manufacturing sector offer employment opportunities for this occupational group.
When companies develop new products, they do not always correspond precisely to customer needs from the outset. They have to be adapted to this. Before doing this, it is necessary to precisely determine this customer’s needs. The knowledge gained from this is incorporated into product development.
The finished product ultimately requires technical support in the sales process. Special product descriptions are necessary, and the benefits of the product in marketing must be communicated briefly and concisely.
Qualifications
These professionals work under the supervision of a supervisor. An applied engineer needs to have formal education, particularly in a relevant industry. A bachelor’s degree in a technical field is an advantage in the job market. Those who have a Master’s degree in a technical field can also apply for management jobs. While many companies prefer graduates with a bachelor’s degree in an engineering field, the position itself can be filled by people without a college education.
Due to the complex job description, the working hours are often flexible. It is seldom a typical office job that ends on time. You can even work at night during the product development phase. In many cases, fieldwork is required.
Employees in this profession obtain the necessary certification through further training; the IHK, for example, offers such courses. They typically last 160 hours and end with a practical thesis. The prerequisite for this further training is a certain professional qualification in the technical field. It can also be a technical degree.
The companies also like it very much when applicants for this job have practical experience. Professional know-how and a lot of personal responsibility are part of the job description. The latter in particular results from a certain professional experience. As part of their job, these employees can also gain qualifications in a specific subject. The commercial area, for example, would then lead to very good opportunities for advancement.
Essential Skills
Working as an applied engineer requires in-depth knowledge of database management, web platform development, and familiarity with programming languages such as the programming language Java, SQL, and C. An applied engineer must also possess strong analytical skills.
In addition to developing and improving the operation of existing software, an applied engineer must also understand the technical specifications of a wide range of software to meet customer needs. They are the referents of the project to the client and must have the general skills associated with sales and customer service.
Some of the essential skills they must possess include:
- Creativity
One would think that this quality would be reserved for artists but not at all! The engineering profession requires great creativity. The applied engineer must constantly solve complex problems by innovating. For this, he must spend a lot of time looking for innovative solutions.
- Rigor
Rigor is probably the essential quality for any engineer. Any software and program need to be tested with great care before being sold to other people. The role of the applied engineer involves many responsibilities.
- Communication and teamwork
Another essential skill for any applied engineer is knowing how to communicate within a team. An applied engineer will never work alone on a large project. Depending on the companies and the projects, he can work with a project manager or directly manage a team of technicians.
Where to Work
The following are examples of fields and places where an applied engineer can work:
- Technological infrastructure: Set of hardware and software that make up a project or allow the development of the operation of a company. For example, the set of computer networks and banking information systems. The ability to build, evaluate and implement projects in technological infrastructure is also being worked on.
- Software construction: Design and construction of computer programs. Creating meaningful and productive software through coding, verification, unit testing, integration testing, and bug-debugging processes.
- Web Development: Creation of websites for the Internet through the use of software technologies that involve a combination of database processes with the use of a web browser. All this to perform certain tasks or display information.
- Computer security: Information protection, to guarantee confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
According to these knowledge bases, the professional will be able to apply them to whatever type of company they work in, that is, an applied engineer will not work only in computer, information technology, or multimedia companies (which are the well-known occupations), but will apply their knowledge in those areas for different business sectors.
Among those sectors are:
The financial or banking, health, entertainment, environment, telecommunications, food, education, and culture.
Thus, within each of these fields, an Applied Engineer can perform in any of the following positions, it all depends on the need of the institution or the company:
- IT project manager (information technology): Planning and execution of information technology projects.
- Support Engineer: Provide support to the different areas of the business, by training staff and supporting IT systems.
- IT Architect: Identify how each of the IT components is articulated to meet their objective, as well as have the ability to apply new technological environments to support business strategies.
- Infrastructure manager: Maintain the large technological infrastructures of a company aligned with the business objectives.
- Researcher: Carry out projects aimed at the search for knowledge and/or the explanation of facts and their relationships. A researcher can work in academic, industrial, governmental, private institutions, among others.
- Web developer: Create, program, and implement websites oriented to the needs of a company or institution.
- Computer security professional: Design the security architecture of an organization according to diagnostic studies and computer security simulations for the prediction of risks and threats on the integrity of information. Apply the concepts, tools, techniques, and countermeasures necessary to protect the information of an organization against any computer attack.
As you can see, applied engineering is a career that allows you to practice in very diverse fields. The knowledge of an applied engineer is essential for almost any type of organization and that is why it has become one of the professions with the most demand.
Applied Engineer Salary Scale
There are many specializations within this field, which can influence salary levels. The range of salaries is based on the type of applied and experience. The salary range for an applied engineer varies. The average salary for a new applied engineer is around 54,000 to 73,000 dollars. This can be an excellent salary for someone just out of school or someone who has years of experience.
In the United States, applied engineers are paid slightly higher than developers. While applied engineers may have good job prospects, they must stay on top of their skills and continue to learn.
The average salary for an applied Engineer varies by location, although the range is similar across most states. Some states and cities have better salaries than others. You can find out which city is best for you by using Zippia’s free online tool. In addition to salary data, there are other factors to consider such as cost of living. The best-paid applied engineers in the United States are in large companies, mostly in California and Georgian regions.