Associate Application Lab Engineer

Graco manufactures and markets premium equipment to move, measure, control, dispense and spray a wide variety of fluid and powder materials. What does that mean? Well, we pump peanut butter into your jar, and the oil in your car. We glue the soles of your shoes, the glass in your windows and the screen on your phone. We spray the finish on your vehicle, coatings on your pills, the paint on your house and texture on your walls. Graco is part of your daily life.

The Associate Application Engineer, Intermediate plays a pivotal role in collaborating with material manufacturers to drive application development and ensure seamless material validation. This position is focused on bridging technical expertise with customer and market needs, providing hands-on support to sales, channel, material manufacturers and contractors to optimize product integration and enhance solution adoption. By fostering strong partnerships with manufacturers, sales teams, and distributors, the Application Engineer ensures the successful alignment of technical strategies with business objectives, driving innovation and market growth. 

What You Will Do at Graco 

Client and Distributor Relationship Management 

• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, distributors, and material manufacturers to support application development and material validation efforts. 

• Provide hands-on technical support to address customer challenges and optimize product integration into their operations. 

• Coordinate joint initiatives such as training sessions, product demonstrations, and co-marketing activities to enhance solution adoption. 

• Act as the primary technical consultant for material manufacturers, sales and distributors, ensuring alignment on product offerings and application strategies. 

Sales and Revenue Growth 

• Advise sales strategies that leverage validated applications and materials to capture new market opportunities.

• Collaborate with sales teams to integrate validated solutions into annual sales plans, ensuring alignment with customer needs and business goals. 

• Identify and capitalize on opportunities to cross-sell or upsell products to contractors and end-users. 

• Participate in industry events and trade shows to showcase validated solutions and strengthen market presence. 

Operational & Cross-Functional Collaboration 

• Facilitate the start-up of new equipment for contractors, providing training to ensure proper operation and seamless integration into their workflows. 

• Partner with internal teams such as marketing, engineering and sales to align technical solutions with customer requirements. 

• Collaborate with material manufacturers to validate their material and ensure product compatibility with customer needs. 

• Share insights from customer engagements with internal teams to inform product improvements and innovation strategies. 

• Support the commercialization of new products by providing technical training and documentation. 

Performance Tracking & Reporting 

• Document and analyze application development activities, validation results, and customer feedback to refine strategies. 

• Generate detailed technical reports on validation outcomes and share them with internal stakeholders and leadership. 

• Monitor the adoption and performance of validated solutions at distributor and sales team level, providing insights to guide future efforts. 

• Track and report on key metrics to ensure alignment with business objectives and customer satisfaction goals. 

What You Will Bring to Graco  

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Paint Chemistry, or a related field.

• 3+ years of experience in customer-facing technical roles, particularly within industrial applications. 

• Strong expertise in application development, material validation, and technical troubleshooting. 

• Problem-solving and diagnostic skills to address complex technical issues.

• Ability to work independently in a highly technical capacity across diverse industrial environments.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences. 

• Willingness to travel up to 25% to engage with customers, distributors, and stakeholders. 

Accelerators 

• Global industrial manufacturing experience and knowledge. 

• MBA or Master’s degree preferred. 

• Familiarity with PLC communication and troubleshooting is a plus.

• FROSIO and AMPP (formerly NACE). 

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent and unrestricted basis. This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship now or in the future (e.g., H-1B, TN, E-3, O-1, L-1, or employment-based permanent residence sponsorship). Candidates working under temporary employment authorization, including F-1 OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, or similar programs, are not eligible for this position. 

At Graco, you truly make a difference. Your unique talents contribute to our organizational growth and future. Not only do you make a difference, but Graco’s culture empowers employees to create their own career path. Whether you choose to advance within your current department or explore new opportunities in different divisions, you have the ability to build your future. Our managers are here to provide support and guidance as you continue to grow within your career.

Graco has excellent opportunities available to individuals who want to be part of a fast-moving, growing company that is committed to quality, innovation and solving fluid handling problems for our customers. Graco is proud to be named a Best Place to Work by Fortune Magazine in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021 & 2022. Graco offers attractive compensation, benefits and career development opportunities. Graco’s comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, stock purchase plan, 401(k), tuition reimbursement and more.

Our company uses E-Verify to confirm the employment and eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.

The base pay range for this position is listed below, exclusive of fringe benefits or other compensation.  If you are hired, your final base hourly rate will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, competencies, education, and/or experience.  In addition to those factors, we will also consider internal equity of our current employees.  Please keep in mind that the range provided is the full base salary range for the role.  Hiring at or near the maximum of the range would not be typical to allow for future and continued salary growth.