Senior Application Engineer -Technical and Quality

Senior Application Engineer Technical & Quality

Location: Mumbai / Pan India Travel
Experience: 5-10 Years
Industry: Industrial Coatings / Protective Coatings / Corrosion Protection / Waterproofing / Industrial Maintenance

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Application Engineer to provide technical leadership and application support for coating projects being executed across India.

The person will be responsible for ensuring that all coating jobs are properly planned, technically executed, inspected and documented, with a strong focus on preventing application failures, rework and customer complaints.

The role will involve Pan-India travel to support project teams, train application personnel, conduct site inspections and ensure that approved application procedures are consistently followed.

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Planning Before Execution

• Review the customer's technical specifications, scope of work and approved coating system.
• Understand substrate condition, service environment and application requirements.
• Prepare/review the application methodology and Job Execution Plan.
• Define surface preparation, mixing, application, curing and inspection requirements.
• Identify potential technical risks before commencement of work.

2. Pan-India Technical Support

• Guide Project Managers, Site Engineers, Supervisors and Applicators during project execution.
• Visit project sites across India for critical and technically challenging jobs.
• Provide on-site solutions to application and substrate-related problems.
• Ensure that the correct application methodology is followed at every site.
• Support teams during trial applications, mock-ups and customer inspections.

3. Prevention of Coating Failures

• Identify potential causes of coating failure before and during application.
• Ensure correct surface preparation and environmental conditions.
• Monitor mixing ratios, pot life, induction time, application thickness and curing.
• Ensure correct use of application equipment and tools.
• Investigate coating defects and failures and recommend corrective actions.
• Develop preventive measures based on previous project learnings.

4. Quality Inspection

• Conduct or coordinate inspection of surface preparation and coating application.
• Verify surface profile, cleanliness and environmental conditions.
• Monitor DFT/WFT, adhesion, holiday testing and other applicable inspection parameters.
• Ensure proper curing and intercoat intervals.
• Coordinate with third-party inspectors, consultants and customer QA/QC teams when required.

5. Documentation & Traceability

• Ensure proper documentation for every project.
• Maintain coating batch numbers, material consumption and application records.
• Ensure proper recording of surface preparation and environmental conditions.
• Review DFT and inspection reports.
• Maintain photographic records before, during and after application.
• Prepare technical site reports and completion documentation.
• Ensure complete traceability of materials and application activities.

6. Training & Team Development

• Train site supervisors and applicators on correct application procedures.
• Conduct regular toolbox/technical training sessions.
• Develop standard application practices and checklists.
• Identify recurring mistakes and train teams to prevent them.
• Evaluate application teams and recommend improvements.

7. Technical Support to Sales & Projects

• Support the sales team during technical discussions with customers and consultants.
• Participate in pre-project site surveys where required.
• Assist in preparing method statements, technical submissions and application procedures.
• Support product trials and demonstrations.
• Provide technical inputs for new and difficult applications.

Candidate Profile

• Diploma / B.E. / B.Tech. in Chemical, Mechanical, Civil or related engineering discipline.
• 5-10 years of relevant experience in industrial coatings, protective coatings, corrosion protection, waterproofing, industrial painting, surface treatment or similar fields.
• Strong practical knowledge of industrial coating application.
• Good understanding of surface preparation methods including abrasive blasting, mechanical preparation, water jetting and power-tool cleaning.
• Knowledge of coating inspection techniques and instruments.
• Experience with DFT/WFT measurement, surface profile, environmental monitoring, adhesion testing and holiday testing.
• Ability to understand technical datasheets, specifications and method statements.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving ability.
• Good documentation and reporting skills.
• Good communication and training skills.
• Willingness to travel extensively across India.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for someone who is technically strong and practically experienced.

The candidate should not be limited to office-based technical support. He/She should be comfortable going to the site, identifying what is going wrong, explaining the correct procedure to the team and ensuring that the job is executed correctly.

The person should have a strong understanding that:

Correct Surface Preparation Correct Mixing Correct Application Correct Thickness Correct Curing Proper Inspection Proper Documentation = Successful Coating System

Key Performance Indicators

• Reduction in coating failures and rework
• Zero/low customer complaints related to application
• Compliance with approved application procedures
• Quality of surface preparation and application
• Accuracy and completeness of inspection documentation
• Successful completion of technical trials/mock-ups
• Timely resolution of site technical issues
• Training and competency improvement of application teams
• Successful technical audits across project sites