Applications Engineer - Quotations & Customer Solutions

About Kennametal

With over 85 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Learn more at kennametal.com. Follow @Kennametal: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

The Solutions & Quotation Specialist serves as a critical link between customers, Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Operations within Kennametal's Conforma Clad business. This role is responsible for evaluating customer requirements, developing custom-engineered solutions, preparing accurate quotations, and ensuring proposed solutions are technically feasible, commercially viable, and aligned with customer expectations. The successful candidate combines technical aptitude, manufacturing expertise, commercial awareness, and strong communication skills to convert customer inquiries into profitable business opportunities while supporting continuous improvement across quoting and business processes.

Key Job Responsibilities:

Customer Inquiry & Opportunity Management

• Review customer RFQs, drawings, specifications, and technical requirements to determine project scope and feasibility.
• Assess quote requests for completeness and proactively obtain missing information from customers or internal stakeholders.
• Prioritize quotation opportunities based on complexity, business impact, and available resources.

Technical Solution Development

• Analyze customer applications involving wear, abrasion, erosion, corrosion, and high-temperature service environments to recommend appropriate Conforma Clad solutions.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to develop conceptual designs and manufacturing approaches for custom wear-resistant products and assemblies.
• Participate in design reviews and feasibility assessments to ensure manufacturability and technical compliance.
• Identify technical risks, manufacturing constraints, quality requirements, and approval needs throughout the quotation process.
• Coordinate feasibility reviews with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and external suppliers as necessary.

Costing, Pricing & Commercial Support

• Develop comprehensive quotations that accurately reflect scope, cost, lead time, and technical requirements.
• Generate cost estimates based on materials, labor, manufacturing processes, freight, and outside services.
• Ensure alignment between quoted pricing, pricing models, customer agreements, and margin expectations.
• Review and maintain customer pricing while documenting assumptions, exclusions, risks, and pricing rationale.
• Partner with commercial and pricing teams to support profitable growth opportunities.

Manufacturing Documentation & Process Support

• Collaborate with Operations, Production, Engineering, and suppliers to validate material requirements, labor estimates, lead times, and project-specific needs.
• Support the creation and maintenance of manufacturing data, including BOMs, routings, material masters, and related documentation.
• Maintain accurate records of quotations, pricing information, and customer documentation within company systems.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Serve as the primary coordination point among Sales, Customer Service, Product Management, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Finance, and external suppliers during the quotation process.
• Communicate effectively with customers and internal teams to clarify requirements, resolve issues, and provide status updates.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives focused on quote turnaround time, cost accuracy, workflow efficiency, data quality, and customer responsiveness.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing, documentation, and cross-training initiatives that strengthen organizational capability and business continuity.
• Balance speed, technical feasibility, customer expectations, and profitability when making business decisions.

Qualifications:

Required

• Associate degree or equivalent combination of education and 3 to 5 years of experience in manufacturing, design engineering, estimating, applications engineering, technical sales, or a related field.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Knowledge of machining, welding, fabrication, cladding, thermal processing, or related manufacturing processes.
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and ERP (SAP) systems.
• Strong customer focus with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred

• Experience developing custom-engineered solutions in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with product costing, quotation management, pricing analysis, or commercial decision support. .
• Experience creating and maintaining BOMs, routings, manufacturing documentation, or product master data.
• Understanding of manufacturing economics, cost drivers, and margin management.
• Project management or cross-functional coordination experience.
• CAD experience using NX, Inventor, or similar software.

Kennametal Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.