University Applications Engineer

About the role

In this position, you will act as the primary technical representative for Fictiv, engaging with universities throughout North America. Your mission will be to promote the adoption of Fictiv's components and digital tools, thereby enhancing engineering education and supporting design projects. You will serve as the main technical liaison for a specific portfolio of schools, ensuring that Fictiv remains the partner of choice for engineering departments. Your work will involve translating complex manufacturing capabilities into practical academic benefits for students and faculty. You will be responsible for articulating how Fictiv's platform supports modern prototyping and production workflows. Success in this role will require you to act as an advocate for both the university's innovation goals and Fictiv's solution roadmap. You will play a key role in shaping the future of hands-on engineering curriculum through direct collaboration with academic stakeholders.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Manage and cultivate relationships with a designated group of universities, serving as the main contact for Fictiv across academic engineering departments.
• Establish and nurture collaborations with professors, lab personnel, and student organizations such as robotics teams and capstone projects to integrate Fictiv into active design work.
• Design and implement tailored engagement strategies for each university, including workshops, curriculum integration, and direct project assistance for students and faculty.
• Identify new opportunities to enhance Fictiv's presence and engagement within each institution by analyzing academic trends and departmental needs.
• Provide technical guidance on component selection, system design, and the use of Fictiv tools to ensure optimal outcomes for academic engineering projects.
• Monitor and report on university engagement metrics, adoption rates, and relationship development to inform internal strategy and planning.
• Develop multi-level relationships within each university, working with faculty, administrators, and students to ensure ongoing program success and expansion.
• Contribute to the quality management system as part of your responsibilities, ensuring that academic engagement aligns with broader operational standards.
• Coordinate logistics for in-person and virtual academic events, including workshops, career fairs, and design symposiums across North American campuses.
• Act as a subject matter expert during university visits, providing clear and compelling demonstrations of Fictiv's manufacturing platform.
• Support the creation of academic case studies and success stories that highlight student achievements using Fictiv's digital tools and components.
• Collaborate with internal product and engineering teams to relay university feedback, helping to shape features that better serve academic users.
• Assist in the development of proposal materials and technical documentation specific to university procurement and program adoption.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of academic engineering curricula and emerging technologies to ensure relevant and timely engagement with schools.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• 2 to 5 years of experience in application engineering, technical sales, or design engineering.
• Proficient in CAD software such as SolidWorks, Inventor, or similar tools.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation abilities, capable of conveying complex ideas effectively to diverse academic audiences.
• Experience with student teams or academic programs is advantageous for understanding the university environment.
• Strong written communication skills to produce clear and professional documentation for university stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while maintaining attention to detail.
• Willingness to travel approximately 50% of the time across the US and Canada for university visits, team meetings, career fairs, and trade shows.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively within a distributed team structure.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes and supply chain concepts relevant to engineering education.

Nice to have

• Experience with student teams or academic programs is advantageous.

Practical notes

• This role requires approximately 50% travel annually across the US and Canada for university visits, team meetings, career fairs, and trade shows.
• The compensation for this position ranges from $70,000 to $90,000 USD, depending on your experience.

If you believe this role aligns with your skills and interests, we encourage you to apply.