Solutions Engineer (Application Engineer): End-of-Line Automation

About the team:

The Solutions Engineering Team is responsible for delivering robotics-driven automation deployments across a wide range of customer applications. The team partners cross-functionally to translate customer requirements into deployed systems, ensuring solutions are integrated, commissioned, and validated to perform reliably in real manufacturing environments. Automation Engineering works closely with customers, internal technical teams, and external integrators to execute deployments on schedule while maintaining high standards for quality, safety, and repeatability.

About the role:

In this role, you will serve as the primary pre-sales technical and applications partner for Formic’s prospective customers. You will build credibility through strong production knowledge, technical fluency, and consultative problem-solving. You will quickly develop a deep understanding of a customer’s production goals, constraints, and success criteria, then translate those inputs into scoped automation solutions that align operational needs with Formic’s product capabilities.

You will also partner cross-functionally to ensure clean handoffs from pre-sales to deployment and ongoing support, helping ensure the solutions you design translate into successful customer outcomes.

In this role you will:

• Partner with prospective customers and Sales to understand production challenges, operational constraints, and automation requirements
• Lead technical discovery and requirements gathering to inform solution design
• Analyze production data, CAD files, parts lists, and process details to build accurate scopes of work
• Design and scope robotic automation solutions using Formic’s modular automation portfolio
• Produce quick-turn cost estimates to support proposal development and deal execution
• Iterate solutions based on feedback from customers, Sales, and internal technical stakeholders
• Participate in customer meetings and design reviews throughout the pre-sales process
• Drive clean handoffs from Sales/Solutions to Deployment, ensuring requirements and assumptions are clearly documented
• Manage multiple proposals and technical workstreams in parallel
• Recommend improvements to standard designs, tools, or procedures based on learnings from the field
• Identify gaps in Formic’s technical, operational, or commercial offering based on customer feedback
• Visit customer sites as needed to support discovery, validation, and scoping

What makes you a great fit:

• 3+ years of experience in a pre-sales technical role (Solutions Engineer, Applications Engineer, Automation Engineer, etc.)
• 3+ years of experience in manufacturing environments (packaging, food production, industrial operations, or related fields)
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Robotics, or related technical field) required; equivalent combination of technical education and relevant automation experience may be considered
• Strong ability to build credibility and lead solution-oriented conversations with manufacturing customers
• Ability to run meetings with diverse stakeholders and translate technical detail into clear business outcomes
• Expertise in one or more automation segments (palletizing and/or case packing strongly preferred)
• Familiarity with one or more major 6-axis robot OEMs (FANUC, KUKA, Yaskawa, ABB, Universal Robots, etc.)
• Proficiency in CAD drafting and reviewing customer layout/process data
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple parallel scopes and deliverables
• Willingness to travel up to 35–40%
• Valid driver’s license and access to a personal vehicle for local travel

Bonus points if you have: 

• Experience in consultative sales, technical sales, or customer-facing solution design
• Experience supporting new technology adoption in production environments