Job Description

About Us: Cognex is the world’s leading provider of vision systems, software, sensors, and industrial barcode readers used in manufacturing automation.   Cognex vision helps companies improve product quality, eliminate production errors, lower manufacturing costs, and exceed consumer expectations for high quality products at an affordable price. Typical applications for machine vision include detecting defects, monitoring production lines, guiding assembly robots, and tracking, sorting and identifying parts. 

Cognex serves an international customer base from offices located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and through a global network of integration and distribution partners. The company is headquartered close to Boston in Natick, Massachusetts

We will consider candidates located within these areas of the US - Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Summary: As a Senior Applications Engineer, you will join an Applications Engineering (AE) team that is responsible for supporting customers through their journey with Cognex. The AE team determines the right combination of Cognex products, lighting, optics and automation engineering for an optimal solution that fits within the customer’s defined budget and skillset. The AE team provides technical expertise to customers and collaborates with the Sales organization to influence the selling of Cognex products

Essential Functions:

• Provides application guidance for high-complexity applications across all Cognex products and prioritizes as necessary. For complex applications, may require the support of more experienced AEs.
• Provides advanced integration of Cognex products with devices such as PLCs, PCs, or Controllers
• Performs advanced troubleshooting for Cognex products and develops knowledge of peripheral technology
• Provides Sales with technical options when communicating with or visiting customers to help Cognex win.
• Shares advanced findings and creates documentation and trainings for the AE community
• Responsible for maintaining business systems information in a timely manner for accurate reporting
• Provides product/customer feedback to AE Manager and product owners to improve products.

Knowledge:

• Develops an advanced technical knowledge of Cognex’s vision and sensor product families.
• Advanced knowledge of image processing, optics and lighting for machine vision.
• Advanced knowledge of industrial communication methods, networks, two or more programming languages*, controls (installation, wiring, operability), PLCs, and/or Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). *Programming languages may include: javascript, VB, VB.Net, C#, .Net, C++
• Advanced industry knowledge to include movement of product, understanding of motion control, robotics, and other automation equipment.
• Advanced knowledge of controls engineering concepts such as installation, wiring, and operability from prior experience
• Working knowledge of MS Office applications. Windows based PC industrial connectivity in a lab and automation environment.
• Begins to gain knowledge of business processes and decision-making for product development and commercial impacts 

Skills & Abilities:

• Advanced understanding of electro-mechanical solutions.
• Advanced ability to conduct and troubleshoot onsite optimizations, perform trials, and conduct data analytics to improve performance on solutions.
• Advanced ability to handle challenging customer situations.
• Advanced interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively establish relationships, communicate, influence, and present to various stakeholders
• Advanced presentation skills
• Mentors other AEs

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline such as Engineering, Computer Science; or an otherwise equivalent technical experience
• Typically requires a minimum of 4-6 years of experience in technical application development. Experience in a related or high-tech industry preferred.
• Ability to adapt to flexible working hours including the availability to work evening and weekend hours or varying work patterns depending on customer or project needs. Ability to be on-call and respond to customer emergencies.
• Ability to travel up to 50% of th