Applications Engineer II
CHL Systems, Inc. Applications Engineer II
Applications Engineer II – Material Handling & Automation
Build Custom Systems That Solve Real Production Challenges
CHL Systems is seeking an experienced Applications Engineer II – Material Handling & Automation to develop custom mechanical equipment and integrated material-handling and automation solutions for food-processing and industrial manufacturing facilities.
This front-end engineering role evaluates customer operations, develops conceptual layouts, selects equipment, defines technical scope, and supports estimating and proposal development before projects move into detailed engineering and execution.
This is not a traditional product-based applications role. The strongest candidates will have experience with conveyor systems, material handling, automation, custom machinery, food-processing equipment, packaging equipment, or another engineered-to-order environment.
Why Join CHL Systems?
- Competitive compensation with growth opportunities
- Weekly pay
- Medical, dental, vision, PTO, paid holidays, and 401(k) with company match
- Stable, family-owned manufacturing company with 65+ years in business
- Collaborative, team-oriented culture built on integrity and accountability
- Opportunity to work on complex, custom automation solutions across multiple industries
- Help shape technical solutions at the earliest stages of customer projects
What You’ll Do
Develop Custom Equipment and System Concepts
- Work directly with customers and Sales to understand operational challenges, project goals, and technical requirements
- Evaluate customer facilities, plant operations, production processes, equipment, and product flow
- Participate in customer meetings, site visits, plant walkdowns, and project-discovery discussions
- Translate customer and plant requirements into practical equipment and system concepts
- Develop conceptual layouts for conveyors, material-handling equipment, process machinery, and automation systems
- Determine equipment arrangement, product flow, system interfaces, and integration requirements
- Select appropriate equipment, technologies, components, and vendors based on the application
- Evaluate capacity, accessibility, maintainability, sanitation, safety, installation requirements, and overall feasibility
Support Estimating and Proposal Development
- Define and document the technical scope of proposed solutions
- Develop equipment lists, preliminary Bills of Material, technical assumptions, and conceptual cost inputs
- Work with vendors and suppliers to obtain technical information and budgetary quotations
- Partner with Estimating to develop project budgets, labor assumptions, and proposal-support information
- Identify technical risks, scope gaps, exclusions, assumptions, and potential cost drivers
- Prepare technical descriptions, system narratives, equipment specifications, and proposal documentation
- Support Sales during proposal reviews, customer presentations, and technical solution discussions
- Ensure proposed solutions are practical, competitive, executable, and aligned with CHL Systems’ capabilities
Transition Solutions into Project Execution
- Serve as the technical connection between customers, Sales, Estimating, Engineering, Purchasing, Project Management, Manufacturing, Installation, and Service
- Coordinate with mechanical, electrical, controls, and automation teams to validate proposed system concepts
- Conduct technical reviews and incorporate cross-functional feedback
- Lead the technical handoff from proposal development into detailed engineering and project execution
- Clearly communicate design intent, technical scope, customer requirements, assumptions, risks, and system interfaces
- Provide technical clarification during procurement, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and field execution as needed
- Apply lessons learned from completed projects to improve future concepts, estimates, and proposals
What You’ll Bring
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in applications engineering, systems integration, proposal engineering, project engineering, mechanical systems design, or a closely related technical role
- Direct experience developing, specifying, designing, or integrating custom mechanical equipment or engineered systems
- Experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Material handling
- Conveyor systems
- Industrial automation
- Custom machinery
- Food-processing equipment
- Packaging machinery
- Process equipment
- Other engineered-to-order industrial systems
- Experience translating customer or plant requirements into equipment selections, layouts, system concepts, and technical scopes
- Proficiency with AutoCAD or comparable 2D layout software
- Experience supporting system estimates, proposals, vendor quotations, equipment budgets, or technical cost evaluations
- Strong understanding of mechanical equipment, manufacturing environments, plant operations, process flow, and system integration
- Ability to independently evaluate technical information, make sound recommendations, and move opportunities forward
- Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, deadlines, and customer requirements
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology, Industrial Technology, or a related technical field preferred
- Equivalent technical education, training, and directly applicable industry experience will also be considered
Preferred Experience
- Conveyor or material-handling system design and integration
- Food-processing, poultry, protein, pet-food, bakery, pharmaceutical, packaging, or sanitary-processing equipment
- Pre-sales engineering or proposal-stage system development
- SolidWorks, Inventor, or comparable 3D CAD software
- Cost estimating, quoting, budgeting, scheduling, or vendor coordination
- Installation, startup, commissioning, or field-support experience
- Project engineering or project-management experience
- Familiarity with controls, sensors, robotics, sortation, packaging, or other automated technologies
What Will Help You Succeed
- Strong mechanical aptitude and technical judgment
- Confidence making decisions when complete information may not initially be available
- Ability to understand both how equipment operates within a plant and how custom systems are designed and integrated
- Clear communication with customers and technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Ability to ask effective questions and uncover the operational need behind a customer request
- Sound judgment when balancing performance, cost, risk, schedule, feasibility, and customer expectations
- Strong organization, follow-through, and attention to detail
- A collaborative approach when working across Sales, Engineering, Estimating, Operations, vendors, and customers
Work Environment
- Combination of office, engineering, manufacturing, and customer site environments
- Frequent computer use for layouts, technical documentation, communication, and proposal support
- Ability to navigate industrial facilities and evaluate equipment, layouts, and plant processes
- Ability to wear required personal protective equipment in designated production and customer areas
- Travel to customer and vendor locations, typically up to 20–25%
- Hybrid work flexibility may be available based on position requirements and demonstrated performance
About CHL Systems
For more than 65 years, CHL Systems has designed and manufactured custom automation, material-handling equipment, and integrated system solutions for customers across the food-processing, pharmaceutical, and general manufacturing industries.
As a family-owned company, we combine engineering expertise, practical problem-solving, quality craftsmanship, and long-term customer relationships to develop systems that keep our customers’ operations moving.
Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/D/V)
CHL Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.