Application Engineer

Liquid Process Equipment (“LPE”), is a fast-growing, value-added distributor of sanitary process equipment - think pumps and valves used in making milk, cheese, ice cream, chocolate, and more! We're proud to serve major Fortune 500 customers, and with our service and rebuild facility in Kaukauna, WI, we’re more than just a distributor - we’re a trusted partner in the process.

With growth on the horizon and our recent move into a brand-new office building, the future has never looked brighter. We are seeking an Application Engineer to provide clients with technical guidance on equipment functionality and operation. This role involves advising on how our vendor equipment supports and integrates within food and beverage and industrial manufacturing processes, selecting and sizing equipment, owning technical quotations from engineered solutions through aftermarket parts, and supporting the Outside Sales Team.

Why This Role Right Now?

• Impact: Build hands-on technical expertise supporting sanitary process projects across multiple industries, working alongside our senior engineers and sales team.
• High-Growth Environment: With 2024 being our best year ever and a brand-new office opening in 2025, you’ll be joining at the perfect moment to help us shape what comes next!
• Trusted by Industry Leaders: Serve Fortune 500 food and beverage companies with quality
• Career Growth: This role can be a launchpad to Senior Application Engineer, inside sales or operations
• Culture of Trust: We’re family-owned and long-term focused. We reward results - not reports. Enjoy profit sharing, fast decision-making, and zero corporate bureaucracy.
• Stability: We serve markets that people depend on in good times and bad - people eat and drink in all economic scenarios!

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Engineering and Technical Support (Subject Matter Expert, SME)

• Participate in technical reviews, prepare equipment recommendations, and communicate process concepts clearly to customers and internal teams.
• Serve as a technical resource for assigned clients, supporting projects through their lifecycle with guidance from senior engineers as needed.
• Support customers in the sizing and selection of equipment that best aligns with process goals, sanitary standards, and long-term reliability.
• Review client specifications, P&IDs and drawings to understand process requirements and constraints, recommending appropriate equipment sizes, pump types, and configuration.
• Collaborate with plant managers, engineers, and project teams to identify efficient, cost-effective equipment solutions.
• Support technical presentations to integrators, engineering firms and consultants regarding specifics on LPE Equipment offerings.
• Build product and application knowledge through vendor training and mentorship from senior engineers.
• Travel to customer locations as required (20-30%).

Technical Quoting and Sales Support

• Own the technical quoting process from initial request through customer award, obtaining and evaluating vendor quotes against lead time and margin targets, applying application knowledge so every quote is correctly specified for the process, delivering accurate, timely quotations for equipment supplied by LPE’s key vendors and our in-house value-add capabilities.
• Apply engineering judgment to triage incoming quote requests, identifying which require application engineering review and which can be quoted directly, and prioritize to meet customer deadlines.
• Efficiently quote aftermarket needs (replacement parts, spare kits, like-for-like replacements, and repeat orders), verifying fit, materials, and compatibility against installed equipment.
• Serve as the technical and commercial point of contact for assigned customers and the Outside Sales Team on application questions, pricing, availability, lead times, and order status.
• Maintain quote logs and customer records in our ERP system (M2M), follow up on open quotes to drive conversion, and hand off awarded orders to the Inside and Customer Service team for order entry, remaining the technical point of contact for vendors and operations through delivery.
• Recommend upgrades, spare parts strategies, and rebuild services from our Kaukauna facility that improve customer reliability and uptime.

Education and Experience Profile

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, or Biological Systems, or related field) required.
• 2-5 years of engineering experience in sanitary process (pumps and valves) or related industries preferred.
• Working knowledge of process design, sanitary equipment, and fluid systems.
• Experience supporting customer projects from concept through execution.
• Experience in technical sales, quoting, or applications support within industrial distribution a plus.
• Professional communication and presentation skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, ERP systems (M2M preferred), and process design software (AutoCAD or similar, preferred).

Candidate Attributes

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Team-oriented, eager to learn and develop technical leadership skills.
• Customer-focused mindset with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, growing organization.
• Combines technical rigor with commercial urgency, managing a high volume of quotes without sacrificing accuracy.
• Flexible, proactive, and solutions-driven.

Benefits

• Competitive Base Salary and annual bonus
• Company-subsidized Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Life/Disability Insurance, HSA/FSA
• Retirement plan (401k) with net 4% employer match, plus 5% discretionary profit share plan

About Holland GroupLPE is part of Holland Group, a private, family-owned group of businesses with locations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Massachusetts, & Pennsylvania. We're building businesses to last, not flip. We’re nimble, entrepreneurial, and growing fast - without the burdens of big-company bureaucracy. The ideal candidate is excited about the role sought, but excited at the potential for future growth opportunities throughout Holland Group.
The company deploys a best-in-class profit share program. We invest in our people, share our success, and are always on the lookout for future leaders. If you're ambitious, collaborative, and ready to grow your career, this is the place for you.

Current Holland Group Businesses: Holland Applied Technologies, Liquid Process Equipment, Bio Fab Technologies, W.A. Tompkins