Application Engineer
Novanta
Irvine, CA · Posted November 5, 2026
Just laid off? Start here: a plan for the first weeks
See every open role at Novanta
More in California job market · All Application Engineer jobs (53) · Manufacturing & Industrial · Engineering jobs
More roles at Novanta
Similar jobs
- Test Engineer, Lead · Curtiss Wright · Santa Clarita, CA
- Mechanical Design Engineer · Curtiss Wright · CA
- Electromechanical Design Engineer II – Power Distribution Equipment · Uft · Sacramento, CA
- Staff Mechanical Design Engineer · Lettrlabs · Los Angeles, CA
- Senior Mechanical Design Engineer, Turbomachinery · Critical Energy · Hawthorne, CA
- Senior Mechanical Engineer · Critical Energy · Hawthorne, CA
Where Irvine, CA ranks
Where Irvine, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #6Cities with the most jobs that do not need a four-year degree in the West Coast124 jobs · of 47
- #10Best cities for legal pay after cost of living$129k · of 20
- #10Best cities for life sciences and biotech pay after cost of living$120k · of 10
- #10Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the West Coast586 openings · of 60
- #11Best all-round cities for new graduates in the West Coast55 / 100 · of 39
- #13Best cities for manufacturing and industrial pay after cost of living$136k · of 35
Rankings about engineering jobs
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs #1 San Francisco (3,412 openings)
- Best cities for engineering pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($216k)
- Most requested AI skills in engineering jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (6.1%)
- AI tools named most often in engineering jobs #1 Claude (1.7%)
- Employers with the most engineering jobs #1 Amazon (2,992 roles)
How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among mechanical engineers is little observed so far. Measured exposure for mechanical engineers: 8% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
Novanta has filed 2 layoff notices in the last twelve months, covering 132 workers, most recently July 2026. These are public filings with state labor departments, and an open role can sit alongside them. See the filings
Skills this job asks for
Say which you have and which you want to build. We use it to match you to jobs like this one.
About the job
Build a career powered by innovations that matter! At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing—improving productivity, enhancing people’s lives and redefining what’s possible. We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission-critical applications—from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing.
Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Looking for a great place to work? You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment. Come explore Novanta.
Summary
As a Sales Application Engineer, you will be the technical bridge between our customers, Sales, and Engineering, turning complex customer challenges into high-performance solutions that create measurable value.
You will work directly with customers to understand their applications, demonstrate what’s possible, and develop and validate solutions through hands-on prototyping, testing, and technical problem-solving. This is a highly collaborative, customer-facing role where technical expertise meets commercial impact , giving you the opportunity to influence customer solutions, contribute to product direction, and help drive customer success and business growth.
Primary Responsibilities
Partner with Sales and customers to understand complex application requirements, recommend fit-for-purpose motion-control solutions, and clearly communicate technical performance, tradeoffs, and business value.
Bring Novanta technology to life through customer demonstrations, hands-on prototyping, application testing, and solution qualification to ensure reliability, performance, and alignment with customer needs.
Develop value-added solutions by combining Novanta capabilities with complementary third-party technologies, while providing technical input into feasibility, costing, product conversions, and customer onboarding.
Bring the voice of the customer back into the business by partnering across Engineering, Product Management, Operations, and Quality to optimize solutions, inform product direction, and deliver an exceptional customer experience.
Required Experience, Education, Skills, Training and Competencies
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline, with five or more years of experience supporting motion-control products, including linear bearings, linear motors, feedback systems, drives, and controllers.
Experience in technical sales, applications engineering, or a comparable customer-facing technical role, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear and compelling recommendations for technical and nontechnical audiences.
Strong understanding of manufacturing considerations, market segments, and customer workflows, including factors that influence bill of material costs, customer ROI, and key performance indicators.
Collaborative, customer-focused problem solver with strong project management skills and the ability to develop prototypes, integrate value-added technologies, manage multiple priorities, and work effectively across functions.
Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
Ability to stand for extended periods.
Ability to support hands-on prototype development, testing, demonstrations, and application qualification activities.
Travel Requirements
Expect to travel approximately 50% of the time to work directly with customers and stay connected to the applications, technologies, and markets we serve .
Travel may include customer visits, industry events, product training, and visits to other Novanta locations.
Travel will be primarily domestic, with limited international travel based on business needs.
Compensation and Benefits
The base pay for this position is $116,00-$174.000 per year depending on the geographic market.
This position provides an opportunity for competitive quarterly sales compensation based on an achievement to plan.
Novanta supports all aspects of your life's needs. This position provides a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits to make your quality of life better.
Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.
Please call +1 781-266-5700 if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.