Technical Application Manager

HARTING stands for strong connections – across the globe. As one of the leading international suppliers of industrial connectivity, we are connecting customers to their digital future. And as an employer? We connect around 6,000 people at our headquarter in Espelkamp and at locations worldwide. Here you’ll find great colleagues, as well as ever new opportunities and innovations revolving around IoT and artificial intelligence. In everything we do, we remain true to our roots: as a regionally connected family business that always stays firmly grounded in spite of our stellar high-tech. Here’s to your unique future with us: Yours!

Location: Shanghai, China

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical liaison for customer engineering organizations within the assigned accounts.
• Build strong collaborative relationships between customer development teams and HARTING's engineering, product management, and innovation functions to support both existing solutions and future technology initiatives.
• Identify and cultivate opportunities for new business by engaging early in customers' product development activities and influencing technical specifications.
• Provide technical support during customer discussions, helping position HARTING solutions and exploring application concepts that address future connectivity requirements.
• Lead coordination of customer-focused engineering activities, including design evaluations, customized solutions, qualification programs, product enhancements, simulations, testing activities, and new development projects.
• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with engineering leaders, architects, designers, and key technical decision-makers within customer organizations.
• Gain deep insight into customer products, platforms, application environments, and long-term technology roadmaps.
• Educate customers on HARTING technologies, products, and system capabilities, translating technical features into application-specific benefits.
• Capture, analyze, and communicate customer requirements, market trends, and emerging technology needs to internal stakeholders to drive innovation and support product roadmap decisions.
• Act as a core member of cross-functional account teams, collaborating closely with engineering, quality, operations, supply chain, manufacturing, product management, and sales functions.
• Establish early engagement with customer development programs to maximize participation in next-generation platforms and design cycles.
• Work closely with global engineering teams to ensure customer requirements are understood, prioritized, and effectively executed.
• Represent the customer's technical perspective internally while balancing business objectives and strategic priorities.
• Support existing applications throughout their lifecycle, including troubleshooting, performance assessment, tolerance evaluation, validation testing, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Education and Background

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, preferably Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in engineering, application engineering, product development, or a customer-facing technical role within the connectivity, interconnect, or electronics industry.
• Solid understanding of connector technologies and their application in industrial, transportation, automation, robotics or related markets.
• Knowledge of manufacturing technologies such as metal stamping, plastic injection molding, plating processes, and automated assembly methods is advantageous.
• Experience participating in all phases of the product development process, from concept definition through validation and production launch.
• Familiarity with electronic and electromechanical components, with practical experience in industrial connectivity solutions being highly desirable.
• Proven ability to manage multiple technical projects simultaneously, drive priorities, and deliver results in a dynamic environment.
• Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage effectively at all organizational levels, including senior technical and R&D leadership.
• Proficiency with engineering software tools, CAD platforms, and basic mechanical analysis methods, including dimensional and tolerance evaluation.
• Ability and willingness to travel as required to support customers, project milestones, and business development activities.
• Capability to interpret engineering drawings, technical specifications, manufacturing documentation, and test reports.
• Demonstrated customer focus, commercial awareness, and ability to translate technical needs into practical business opportunities.

Benefits: Social Insurance coverage (APAC), Staff insurance coverage (APAC)