Description

Plate Concepts, Inc.

Applications Engineer — Plate & Frame Heat Exchangers

Location

Washington, DC metro area. Remote.

About the role

Plate Concepts, Inc. designs and supplies plate & frame heat exchanger solutions — gasketed and brazed units, plus spare parts — to commercial HVAC contractors, distributors, and industrial accounts. This is a full-time role providing the technical backbone behind Plate Concepts' front-office operations — sizing units, building quotes, and processing orders. The Applications Engineer works closely with the Account Lead, who owns new business development, account relationships, and pricing judgment on complex accounts. This role isn't sales — but you may be looped into customer or engineering-firm calls when a technical question needs a confident answer.

Qualifications

•  Foundational knowledge of thermal engineering principles — heat duty, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics fundamentals (Reynolds number, pressure drop)
•  Bachelor's degree in mechanical, chemical, or a related engineering discipline preferred; equivalent hands-on industry experience also considered
•  No minimum years of experience required — engineering fundamentals matter more than tenure
•  Comfortable reading and interpreting nameplates, technical specifications, and engineering drawings
•  Able to communicate technical concepts clearly with client-side engineers and consulting firms
•  Comfortable learning tool-guided sizing software; full training provided on the job
•  Strong Excel skills and comfort with structured data entry

Requirements

Responsibilities

•  Evaluate incoming customer inquiries and gather the technical data needed to size a unit — duty point, GPM, ΔT, pressure, and design conditions
•  Log inquiries into the inquiry tracking system, assign RFQ numbers, and request nameplate photos or specs from customers
•  Size gasketed plate & frame heat exchangers using the manufacturer's selection software, applying engineering judgment to validate the output
•  Build technical datasheets, drawings, and nameplates from the manufacturer's software output
•  Prepare and assemble quote packages, including technical specifications and delivery terms
•  Verify incoming customer purchase orders against the quoted price and specifications
•  Build and place purchase orders with the manufacturer; file order confirmations
•  Build packing lists and monitor open orders through to shipment
•  Keep the order tracking register current
•  Join customer or engineering-firm conversations alongside the Account Lead when technical questions come up
•  Flag pricing exceptions, vendor issues, and non-standard requests to the Account Lead