Senior Application manager DACH
Industrial Automation & Electrical Drive Technology
About Inovance
Founded in 2003, Inovance Technology Europe is a $5bn global industrial automation group headquartered in Shenzhen, China, with a strong focus on R&D and advanced manufacturing techniques. A leading global provider of industrial automation solutions to OEMs and end users, it offers the full range of industrial automation products, including LV and MV AC drives, servos, motion control, CNCs, PLCs, HMIs, and industrial robots to all industry sectors. The company has a network of sales and engineering offices and distributors across Europe and Asia, combining specialist expertise with a strong understanding of the local markets and languages. For more information, visit inovance.eu.
About the Mission
To accelerate our growth in core strategic industries, we are establishing a new, high-impact Pre-Sales Applications Engineering team for the DACH region. We are seeking an experienced Senior Applications Manager to build this team from the ground up. You will be the pioneer and leader, shaping the technical engagement model for our target sectors, with an initial and strong focus on our major sectors such as Print & Packaging, Machine Tools, Plastic etc.
You will act as the key technical bridge between our advanced motion control and servo portfolio and our customers' most complex application challenges. This is a role for a hands-on leader who is as comfortable discussing servo loop tuning with an engineer as they are presenting a system-level value proposition to a managing director.
About You
* You have a degree in electrical/electronic engineering with a focus on automation technology, or a comparable qualification in related industries.
* You have >10 years’ experience working in the fields of electrical drive technology/frequency inverters/motion and servo technology/PLCs.
* Good communication skills, with a high level of networking EQ.
* Willingness to travel across the DACH region and Europe.
* Proven leadership experience (5+ years) in building, managing, or significantly developing a technical team. A strong desire to mentor and grow talent is essential.
* Deep, practical expertise in servo motion control and AC drives. Hands-on experience with drives tuning, dynamic response optimization, multi-axis coordination, and related software tools is required.
* Direct application experience within the Print & Packaging industry or with relevant OEMs is a significant advantage.
* Excellent communication and presentation skills in German and English are mandatory, with the ability to engage confidently at all levels of a customer organization.
* A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset with a strong drive to build something new and impactful.
About the Job
* Lead Pre-Sales Application Strategy: Build and lead a new Pre-Sales Applications Engineering team. Define the technical application strategy for key verticals in the region.
* Own the Technical Pre-Sales Cycle: Serve as the senior technical authority throughout the pre-sales process, from initial discovery to solution design and technical validation for strategic opportunities.
* Architect & Present Application Solutions: Design and propose comprehensive application-centric solutions that leverage Inovance's motion control portfolio to solve specific customer challenges.
* Drive Pre-Sales Technical Validation: Lead high-impact pre-sales activities including deep-dive application workshops, proof-of-concept (PoC) demos, and technical presentations to secure customer confidence.
* Develop Deep Application Expertise: Build and evangelize expert-level knowledge of target industry applications (e.g., printing registration, web tension control) to serve as a trusted advisor.
* Enable Sales & Product Teams: Provide critical pre-sales technical support to the sales force and deliver actionable application feedback to Product Management to influence roadmap development.
* Standardize Pre-Sales Application Processes: Establish and optimize team workflows for technical qualification, application-focused proposal development, and competitive application benchmarking.