Science & ResearchISCO 2149
Application engineer
An application engineer is a person who brings a technical solution into working order at the customer and supports it after it goes live.
Check yourself in a minute: application engineer
Rate 5 of the 30 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
use an application-specific interface
identify customer requirements
determine suitability of materials
use software design patterns
perform scientific research
About application engineer
The application engineer starts from requirements. Technical requirements are interpreted and turned into a design: what has to be built, what configured, and what changed in an existing system. System components are integrated, application-specific interfaces are used and software libraries drawn on.
The engineer also provides technical support for products and answers questions about how a product functions — from the client, from service and from sales — and assists the sales team when it has to be judged whether what a customer is asking for is feasible at all. Customer feedback on the application is gathered and passed on.
The engineer also implements product and process improvements, researches design trends and manages product data: versions, configurations, documentation. Engineering principles underpin all of it, applied to the technical requirements of systems, new product designs and process improvements. Formal requirements are set by the employer.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a application engineer.
1
Requirements Analysis and Technical Planning
- Analyze client requirements and technical specifications to understand project scope and objectives
- Develop technical solutions architecture and design documents
- Task algorithmisation and decomposition of complex requirements into implementable components
- Create technical drawings and specifications for development teams
2
Software Development and Implementation
- Write and optimize code in appropriate programming languages for specific applications
- Develop and test algorithms to ensure efficiency and correctness
- Implement engineering systems and process improvements according to design specifications
- Conduct code reviews and quality assurance testing before deployment
3
Problem Solving and Maintenance
- Identify, diagnose, and resolve software anomalies and performance issues
- Debug code and implement fixes while maintaining system stability
- Perform system testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing
4
Technical Support and Documentation
- Provide technical support to end users and respond to questions about software functionality
- Create and maintain comprehensive technical documentation and user guides
- Offer technical guidance to sales teams regarding product capabilities and limitations
5
Technology Research and Continuous Improvement
- Research new technologies, frameworks, and methodologies to improve engineering solutions
- Evaluate tools and platforms for applicability to project needs
- Participate in professional development and stay current with industry standards
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (30)
computer programmingcomputer programmingThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms (e.g. object oriented programming, functional programming) a...software anomaliessoftware anomaliesThe deviations of what is standard and exceptional events during software system performance, identification of incidents that can alter the flow and the process of system execution.algorithmsalgorithmsThe self-contained step-by-step sets of operations that carry out calculations, data processing and automated reasoning, usually to solve problems.technical drawingstechnical drawingsDrawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.project managementproject managementThe discipline of project management, the activities which comprise this area and the variables implied in it, such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.task algorithmisationtask algorithmisationThe techniques to convert unstructured descriptions of a process into step-by-step sequence of actions of a finite number of steps.computer engineeringcomputer engineeringEngineering discipline that combines computer science with electrical engineering to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineering occupies itself with electronics, software design, and...integrated development environment softwareintegrated development environment softwareThe suite of software development tools for writing programs, such as compiler, debugger, code editor, code highlights, packaged in a unified user interface, such as Visual Studio or Eclipse.advanced materialsadvanced materialsInnovative materials with unique or enhanced properties relative to conventional materials. Advanced materials are developed using specialised processing and synthesis technologies that provide a dist...product data managementproduct data managementThe use of software to track all information concerning a product such as technical specifications, drawings, design specifications, and production costs.use an application-specific interfaceuse an application-specific interfaceUnderstand and use interfaces particular to an application or use case.identify customer requirementsidentify customer requirementsApply techniques and tools, such as surveys, questionnaires, ICT applications, for eliciting, defining, analysing, documenting and maintaining user requirements from system, service or product.determine suitability of materialsdetermine suitability of materialsWhile designing products, determine if materials are suitable and available for production.use software design patternsuse software design patternsUtilise reusable solutions, formalised best practices, to solve common ICT development tasks in software development and design.perform scientific researchperform scientific researchGain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.use technical drawing softwareuse technical drawing softwareCreate technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.define quality standardsdefine quality standardsDefine, in collaboration with managers and quality experts, a set of quality standards to ensure compliance with regulations and help achieve customers' requirements.identify customer's needsidentify customer's needsUse appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.manage engineering projectmanage engineering projectManage engineering project resources, budget, deadlines, and human resources, and plan schedules as well as any technical activities pertinent to the project.collect customer feedback on applicationscollect customer feedback on applicationsGather a response and analyse data from customers to identify requests or problems in order to improve applications and overall customer satisfaction.analyse test dataanalyse test dataInterpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.use software librariesuse software librariesUtilise collections of codes and software packages which capture frequently used routines to help programmers simplify their work.conduct research on trends in designconduct research on trends in designConduct research on present and future evolutions and trends in design, and associated target market features.interpret technical requirementsinterpret technical requirementsAnalyse, understand and apply the information provided regarding technical conditions.process customer ordersprocess customer ordersHandle orders placed by customers. Receive the customer order and define a list of requirements, a working process, and a time frame. Execute the work as planned.integrate system componentsintegrate system componentsSelect and use integration techniques and tools to plan and implement integration of hardware and software modules and components in a system.analyse software specificationsanalyse software specificationsAssess the specifications of a software product or system to be developed by identifying functional and non-functional requirements, constraints and possible sets of use cases which illustrate interac...define technical requirementsdefine technical requirementsSpecify technical properties of goods, materials, methods, processes, services, systems, software and functionalities by identifying and responding to the particular needs that are to be satisfied acc...computer sciencecomputer scienceThe scientific and practical study that deals with the foundations of information and computation, namely algorithms, data structures, programming, and data architecture. It deals with the practicabil...engineering principlesengineering principlesThe engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.
Optional (55) — show
SAS languageSAS languageThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in SAS language.warehouse operationswarehouse operationsThe basic principles and practices of warehouse operations such as goods storage and the organisation of warehouse facilities.human-robot collaborationhuman-robot collaborationHuman-Robot Collaboration is the study of collaborative processes in which human and robot agents work together to achieve shared goals. Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) is an interdisciplinary researc...production processesproduction processesMaterials and techniques required in the production and distribution processes.model based system engineeringmodel based system engineeringModel-based systems engineering (MBSE) is a methodology for systems engineering that uses visual modelling as the primary means of communicating information. It is focused on creating and exploiting d...precision mechanicsprecision mechanicsPrecision or fine mechanics is a subdiscipline in engineering that focuses on the design and development of smaller precision machines.manufacturing processesmanufacturing processesThe steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing.PerlPerlThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Perl.Assembly (computer programming)Assembly (computer programming)The techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in Assembly.RRThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in R.ICT debugging toolsICT debugging toolsThe ICT tools used to test and debug programs and software code, such as GNU Debugger (GDB), Intel Debugger (IDB), Microsoft Visual Studio Debugger, Valgrind and WinDbg.robotic componentsrobotic componentsThe components that can be found in robotic systems, such as microprocessors, electronics, sensors, circuit boards, encoders, servomotors, controllers, pneumatics or hydraulics.cost managementcost managementThe process of planning, monitoring and adjusting the expenses and revenues of a business in order to achieve cost efficiency and capability.linguisticslinguisticsThe scientific study of language and its three aspects, language form, language meaning, and language in context.Microsoft Visual C++Microsoft Visual C++The computer program Visual C++ is a suite of software development tools for writing programs, such as compiler, debugger, code editor, code highlights, packaged in a unified user interface. It is dev...TypeScriptTypeScriptThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in TypeScript.quality standardsquality standardsThe national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose.mechatronicsmechatronicsMultidisciplinary field of engineering that combines principles of electrical engineering, telecommunications engineering, control engineering, computer engineering, and mechanical engineering in the ...VBScriptVBScriptThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in VBScript.roboticsroboticsThe branch of engineering that involves the design, operation, manufacture, and application of robots. Robotics is part of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science and over...ABAPABAPThe techniques and principles of software development, such as analysis, algorithms, coding, testing and compiling of programming paradigms in ABAP.transportation engineeringtransportation engineeringThe subdiscipline of civil engineering that plans, designs and studies the operation and management of the transportation of people and goods in a safe, efficient, comfortable, economical and environm...supply chain managementsupply chain managementThe flow of goods in the supply chain, movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.carry out inventory planningcarry out inventory planningDetermine the optimal quantities and timings of inventory in order to align it with sales and production capacity.utilise computer-aided software engineering toolsutilise computer-aided software engineering toolsUse software tools (CASE) to support the development lifecycle, design and implementation of software and applications of high-quality that can be easily maintained.manage budgetsmanage budgetsPlan, monitor, report on the budget and prepare set production budgets.debug softwaredebug softwareRepair computer code by analysing testing results, locating the defects causing the software to output an incorrect or unexpected result and remove these faults.handle customer complaintshandle customer complaintsAdminister complaints and negative feedback from customers in order to address concerns and where applicable provide a quick service recovery.develop translation memory softwaredevelop translation memory softwareDevelop and improve translation memory software for retrieving equivalent target texts in existing databases when translating from one language to another.conduct quality control analysisconduct quality control analysisConduct inspections and tests of services, processes, or products to evaluate quality.adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.perform test runperform test runPerform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, ...create a product's virtual modelcreate a product's virtual modelCreate a mathematical or three-dimensional computer graphic model of the product by using a CAE system or a calculator.meet contract specificationsmeet contract specificationsMeet contract specifications, schedules and manufacturers' information. Check that the work can be carried out in the estimated and allocated time.manage distribution channelsmanage distribution channelsOversee distribution channels with regards to the requirements of customers.create technical planscreate technical plansCreate detailed technical plans of machinery, equipment, tools and other products.archive documentation related to workarchive documentation related to workSelect relevant documentation related to the ongoing or complete work and take steps to archive it in a way that ensures its future accessibility.run laboratory simulationsrun laboratory simulationsRun simulations on prototypes, systems or newly developed chemical products using laboratory equipment.develop software prototypedevelop software prototypeCreate a first incomplete or preliminary version of a piece of software application to simulate some specific aspects of the final product.use automatic programminguse automatic programmingUtilise specialised software tools to generate computer code from specifications, such as diagrams, structured informations or other means of describing functionality.utilise machine learningutilise machine learningUse techniques and algorithms that are able to extract mastery out of data, learn from it and make predictions, to be used for program optimisation, application adaptation, pattern recognition, filter...maintain contract administrationmaintain contract administrationKeep contracts up to date and organise them according to a classification system for future consultation.manage localisationmanage localisationModify content or a product for the transference from one locale to another through the use of content translation or localisation service providers.compare contractors' bidscompare contractors' bidsCompare proposals to award a contract in order to execute specified jobs within a prescribed frame of time.read engineering drawingsread engineering drawingsRead the technical drawings of a product made by the engineer in order to suggest improvements, make models of the product or operate it.install machineryinstall machineryBuild the pre-assembled components of a machine on site, adjust it according to specifications and put it into operation.present artistic design proposalspresent artistic design proposalsPrepare and present detailed design suggestions for a specific production to a mixed group of people, including technical, artistic and management staff.implement efficiency plans for logistics operationsimplement efficiency plans for logistics operationsImplement efficiency plans developed by managers in facilities. Use techniques, resources, and training in order to improve workplace efficiency.perform project managementperform project managementManage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project's progress in order to achieve a specific g...estimate duration of workestimate duration of workProduce accurate calculations on time necessary to fulfil future technical tasks based on past and present information and observations or plan the estimated duration of individual tasks in a given pr...prepare production prototypesprepare production prototypesPrepare early models or prototypes in order to test concepts and replicability possibilities. Create prototypes to assess for pre-production tests.develop test proceduresdevelop test proceduresDevelop testing protocols to enable a variety of analyses of products, systems, and components.design user interfacedesign user interfaceCreate software or device components which enable interaction between humans and systems or machines, using appropriate techniques, languages and tools so as to streamline interaction while using the ...analyse supply chain strategiesanalyse supply chain strategiesExamine an organisation's planning details of production, their expected output units, quality, quantity, cost, time available and labour requirements. Provide suggestions in order to improve products...principles of artificial intelligenceprinciples of artificial intelligenceThe artificial intelligence theories, applied principles, architectures and systems, such as intelligent agents, multi-agent systems, expert systems, rule-based systems, neural networks, ontologies an...
Related Occupations
Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.
software developer15 shared essential skillslanguage engineer10 shared essential skillscompliance engineer8 shared essential skillscomponent engineer8 shared essential skillsdesign engineer8 shared essential skillsequipment engineer8 shared essential skillslogistics engineer8 shared essential skillsprecision engineer8 shared essential skills
Frequently asked questions
What does an application engineer do?
Application engineers deal with the technical requirements, management, and design for the development of various engineering applications, such as systems, new product designs, or the improvements of processes. They are responsible for the implementation of a design or process improvement, they offer technical support for products, answer questions about the technical functionality and assist the sales team.
What skills does an application engineer need?
An application engineer needs 30 essential skills, including computer programming, software anomalies, algorithms, technical drawings, project management.
Will AI replace application engineer jobs?
The AI disruption score for application engineer is 73/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: quality standards, collect customer feedback on applications, archive documentation related to work. Most resilient: install machinery, utilise machine learning, linguistics.
AI Replacement Risk
73/ 100
High Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Skills most at risk from AI
Skills resilient to automation
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