Applications Engineer

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $4 billion in revenue, and employ approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity. What We Offer: A hybrid in office schedule for qualifying employees/positions Flexible time off policy 401K Company match (up to 4% - dollar for dollar) Professional development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs Excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance policy options About AFL The U.S. transmission grid is being rebuilt for a new era. Utilities are upgrading aging infrastructure, extending high-voltage corridors, and confronting unprecedented load growth from electrification, reshoring, and AI-driven data center expansion - and EHV (345kV+) systems are at the center of that investment. For AFL, this means growing demand for technically sophisticated field support: customers need a partner who can help them specify, qualify, and install conductor accessories correctly, at voltage classes where the consequences of error are unacceptable. AFL is seeking a Transmission & Distribution Application Engineer to serve as the technical face of our conductor accessories portfolio in the field. The successful candidate will carry AFL's technical credibility directly to our customers by helping them navigate product selection, guiding installation best practices, and building the kind of trusted relationships that make AFL the first call when customers have a hard problem. In addition to a primary focus on T&D conductor accessories, this role also carries Application Engineer responsibility for secondary product lines, most likely substation products. Position summary The Applications Engineer is the technical point of contact for AFL's transmission and distribution accessories portfolio, supporting utility engineers, contractors, and AFL sales teams on product selection, application, and installation. This is a customer-facing engineering role. Prior experience with our specific products or with high-voltage transmission systems is not required; the ability to learn a technical product line quickly and explain it clearly to both engineers and field crews is. Responsibilities • Provide pre-sale and post-sale technical support to utility customers, EPCs, contractors, and AFL sales teams. • Conduct product demonstrations and technical training for utility engineers, customers, and sales teams. • Serve as the technical resource for AFL field engineers on installation issues, troubleshooting, and application-related complaints. • Develop and maintain installation instructions, application notes, product guidelines, and customer training materials. • Lead the technical portion of RFQ, RFP, and specification responses. • Provide field and application feedback to engineering, R&D, and product line management. • Support qualification testing programs, including coordination with external laboratories, utilities, and standards bodies. • Represent AFL at customer sites, training events, and industry conferences. Required qualifications • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline. • Three or more years in a role requiring technical product knowledge and direct customer interaction - applications engineering, technical sales, field or service engineering, or an equivalent engineering position at a manufacturer, utility, or EPC. • Demonstrated ability to learn an unfamiliar technical product line quickly and develop working expertise in it. • Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical material to engineering and field audiences. • Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% domestically. • Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. • Must be able to lift 40lbs Preferred qualifications The following are not required. Each shortens the ramp, and candidates who bring them may be considered for a higher hiring grade. • Experience in the electric utility industry, or with transmission or distribution systems. • Familiarity with overhead line hardware and conductor accessories. • Exposure to high-voltage or EHV (345kV+) systems: conductor selection, sag-tension, clearances, and hardware requirements. • Exposure to product qualification testing, factory acceptance testing, or IEEE/IEC type testing. • Experience developing and delivering customer or field crew training. • Participation in IEEE, NESC, or CIGRE standards committees. Training and ramp-up This position reports to the Applications Engineering Manager and joins a team of seven applications engineers as the eighth member. New engineers receive structured onboarding: product training with the engineering and R&D teams, time on the manufacturing floor, and customer visits alongside experienced applications engineers. AFL maintains an in-house laboratory where test loops are built and evaluated, and new engineers participate in qualification programs with third-party high-voltage laboratories. Working conditions Travel up to 50%, primarily domestic, to utility customer sites, training events, industry conferences, and field locations. When not traveling, the schedule is three days in the Duncan office and two days remote. The role includes both office and manufacturing floor environments. Location Duncan, South Carolina, in the Greenville–Spartanburg metropolitan area, where the majority of AFL employees are based.