Jobs › Nidec

Application Engineer

Nidec · North America/USA/Illinois/Hoffman Estates, IL · Full time

Posted Sep 28, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Nidec

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a technical question you didn't know the answer to. How did you find it?

What they are checking: Resourcefulness and honesty, since guessing on motor specs can cause costly field failures.

Tell me about a time you worked with sales to win an order through technical support.

What they are checking: Partnership with sales, since applications engineers often decide whether a quote turns into an order.

What would you do

A customer calls asking for a replacement motor for a condenser fan, with only the old nameplate. How do you help?

What they are checking: Ability to read nameplate data and find a correct match, a common daily task in applications work.

A distributor is frustrated because a motor arrived with the wrong mounting. How do you handle the call?

What they are checking: Calm customer service and finding the root cause rather than defending the company.

How do you prioritize when several customers need answers the same day?

What they are checking: Triage based on customer impact and deadlines, not just who called most recently.

About the work

What information do you need to select a motor for a new industrial application?

What they are checking: Whether they ask about load, speed, duty cycle, enclosure and environment before recommending anything.

Explain NEMA frame sizes and enclosure types to me as if I were a new distributor.

What they are checking: Core motor knowledge and the ability to explain it plainly to customers and partners.

How do motor efficiency regulations affect what you can recommend to a customer?

What they are checking: Awareness of efficiency standards that limit which products can be sold for an application.

How would you troubleshoot a motor that runs hot in a customer's application?

What they are checking: Systematic thinking across voltage, load, ventilation and duty cycle before blaming the motor.

What tools or software have you used for motor selection, CAD or technical documentation?

What they are checking: Readiness to work with configurators, drawings and datasheets from the start.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Nidec from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Nidec.

We begin with dreams. Dreams drive our motivation. Dreams are our future. The world's dreams, people's dreams, our dreams. Our passion creates ideas that make dreams come alive. Technology and products that were only dreams become reality. All for dreams. Dreams challenge and the Nidec-Group will continue to meet the challenge. For the world's and people's tomorrows; the world's first, the world's best technologies and products; we will continue our part in creating a better society. Job Summary Nidec is the world's No.1 comprehensive motor and drive manufacturer handling "everything that spins and moves", miniature to gigantic. Nidec is a global enterprise comprised of over 300 subsidiaries/affiliates. We are a leading manufacturer of commercial motors, industrial motors, appliance motors, and controls. Nidec motors can be found in products that range from cell phones, computers and home appliances to industrial and mining equipment – and everything in between. Our product line features a full line of high efficiency motors for industrial applications in water treatment, mining, oil and gas, and power generation, and for commercial applications such as pool and spa, condensers, cooling towers and large refrigeration units. From keeping us comfortable in our homes to pumping clean water to making our cars more safe, electric motors are an indispensable part of our daily lives. At Nidec, our employees are on the forefront of developing new motor technologies. As we move deeper into the age of robotics, the impact of motors will only increase. With over 140,000 employees stationed worldwide, Nidec continues to be a unique organization, and each location maintains its individual personality. Job Description The Application Engineer II plays a key role in supporting new business opportunities and driving innovation in motion control and robotic systems. Acting as a primary technical interface with customers, this role is highly customer-facing and focuses on ensuring successful deployment, operation, and long-term performance of solutions in real-world applications. Accelerate customer time-to-market by simplifying product selection and enabling efficient system integration. The engineer works closely with customers to understand application requirements, translate them into effective product solutions, and validate performance through testing. A significant portion of the role involves supporting customers during system integration, commissioning, and operation—troubleshooting issues, optimizing performance, and ensuring reliable and efficient use of motion control solutions over time. Responsibilities • Advanced Technical Support: Resolve complex technical issues related to ultra-low voltage drives and brushless AC servomotors, ensuring stable and efficient performance in customer applications • Project Execution: Support and coordinate medium- to large-scale customer projects from requirements definition through deployment, ensuring high-quality technical delivery and customer satisfaction • System Architecture & Design: Develop and validate drive system architectures tailored to customer applications, including integration with PLCs and ROS-based platforms • Customer Engagement: Act as a key technical contact for customers, participating in regular interactions, supporting technical discussions, and assisting with system integration, commissioning, and optimization • Sales & NBO Support: Collaborate closely with Sales to support New Business Opportunities (NBO), contributing to technical evaluations, solution definition, product selection, and customer demonstrations • Customer Enablement & Time-to-Market Optimization: Drive faster customer development cycles by reducing product selection complexity, guiding architecture decisions, and streamlining integration and validation processes • Product Development Collaboration: Work with product development to provide structured feedback on product performance, usability, and potential improvements based on application experience • Documentation & Training: Develop technical documentation, application notes, and training materials; support delivery of internal and customer-facing training sessions • Market Awareness: Maintain awareness of industry trends, customer applications, and competitor solutions to support effective positioning and identification of new opportunities • Application Lab Contribution: Contribute to the development and maintenance of the application lab for system validation, prototyping, and demonstrations • Application Validation & Testing: Validate customer-specific scenarios in the application lab, ensuring requirements are met and documenting findings with clear technical feedback Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities • Minimum 2-year technical degree (e.g., electrical tech, mechatronics, automation) if supported with hands-on skills and experience. • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, or a related field, experience in application engineering, motion control, robotics, or industrial automation, including customer-facing technical roles • Strong understanding of motion control systems, motor drives, and automation solutions, with hands-on experience in industrial communication protocols such as CANopen, EtherCAT, PROFINET, and EtherNet/IP • Experience working within industrial control and robotics environments, including PLC programming and ROS (Robot Operating System) • Proven experience in system integration, commissioning, troubleshooting, and performance optimization in real-world applications • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts to customers and internal stakeholders • Customer-focused mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities in dynamic environments and collaborate effectively with product development and sales teams • Experience supporting New Business Opportunities (NBO) or working alongside sales teams in technical evaluations • Familiarity with 3D design tools (e.g., SolidWorks or similar) for application concepting and system visualization is considered an advantage • Experience developing technical documentation, application notes, or training materials is a plus Travel • Both Domestic and International Travel up to 10% Additional Job Details Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action at Nidec Nidec is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, genetic information, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. For more information regarding your (EEO) rights as an applicant, please visit the following website: http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf Work Shift Schedule No Soliciting Nidec will not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third party recruiting agencies in response to Nidec job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers. Pre-approval from the Nidec Talent Acquisition team is required before any external candidate can be submitted and such candidate must be submitted to the Nidec Talent Acquisition team.

Apply at Nidec

More application engineer roles