Lead Proposal & Applications Engineer

Lead Proposal \& Applications Engineer – Industrial Laser Systems

• Hiring Company: Iconic Crystal
• Recruitment Partner: Zenhub Enterprises
• Department: Sales Engineering \& Advanced Applications
• Reporting To: HR, Iconic Crystal
• Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent
• Education Required: Ph.D. in Laser Technology, Photonics, Applied Optics, or Mechanical/Materials Engineering

About Iconic Crystal

Iconic Crystal is a premier manufacturer and supplier of high-precision industrial laser systems, delivering innovative and reliable laser solutions across India. Committed to precision, innovation, and excellence, the company specializes in advanced laser applications including

• High-Power 2D CNC Fiber Laser Cutting Systems: Up to 12 kW+ systems built with IPG/nLIGHT solid-state resonators, dynamic auto-focus heads, and precision kinematics.
• Robotic Multi-Process Laser Cells: 6-axis KUKA/Fanuc robotics integrated with multi-kW laser engines for Laser Cladding / Direct Energy Deposition (DED), Laser Transformation Hardening, and Deep Penetration Welding.
• Laser Marking \& Laser Cleaning Systems: High-speed industrial surface processing and ablation systems.
• Customized Turnkey Industrial Laser Solutions: Tailored automation and special-purpose laser machinery.

Note: Recruitment for this executive technical position is managed exclusively by Zenhub Enterprises on behalf of Iconic Crystal.

Role Summary

We are seeking an accomplished Lead Proposal \& Applications Engineer (Ph.D.) to bridge advanced laser-material physics with commercial solution architecture. You will serve as the primary technical authority responsible for drafting high-value technical bids, validating multi-process laser parameters, and building accurate Bill of Materials (BOM) cost sheets for defense, aerospace, automotive, power generation, and heavy fabrication clients.

Key Responsibilities1. Technical Proposal Architecture \& Bid Formulation (50%)

• Turnkey Solution Architecture: Translate complex client RFPs and government tenders into rigorous, compliant technical schedules and commercial proposals across cutting, welding, cladding, marking, and cleaning portfolios.
• Granular BOM Costing: Collaborate with procurement and design teams to select optimal subsystems (resonators, optical heads, 6-axis robots, CNC controllers, chillers, and Class-1 safety enclosures) and formulate competitive manufacturing cost sheets.
• Public Procurement \& Statutory Compliance: Ensure all bid documentation complies with Government of India Public Procurement Orders (Make in India Class-I/II norms) and Rule 144(xi) of GFR 2017 (Non-Land-Border sourcing verification for laser sources and critical optics).
• Compliance \& Deviation Schedules: Prepare line-by-line technical compliance matrices, clause-by-clause tender responses, and engineering justifications.

• Laser Physics, Process Validation \& Applications Development (30%)
• Laser-Material Interaction Modeling: Analyze beam propagation, spot geometry (Gaussian vs. Top-Hat profiles), Rayleigh length, energy density, and absorption across Carbon Steels, SS304/316, Inconel 625/718, Stellite 6, Tungsten Carbide, Copper, and Brass.
• Cutting \& Cleaning Optimization: Calculate empirical cutting speeds, assist gas dynamics (O2 exothermic vs. high-pressure N2 fusion vs. air cutting), nozzle fluid dynamics, multi-stage piercing routines, and laser ablation thresholds for surface cleaning.
• Robotic Multi-Process Development
• Laser Hardening: Establish parameters using wide rectangular optics and closed-loop pyrometry to achieve precise case depths (1.0 to 2.5 mm) without substrate remelting.
• Laser Cladding / DED: Optimize powder flow rates, Argon carrier gas dynamics, dilution rates (under 5%), and metallurgical bonding integrity.
• Laser Welding: Define beam focus geometry, shielding gas configurations, and wire-feed parameters to eliminate porosity and hot cracking.
• Sample Trials \& FAT: Lead the in-house applications lab during Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and client benchmark trials to validate cycle times, kerf perpendicularity, surface roughness (Ra), and microhardness profiles.

Client Engagement \& Pre-Sales Engineering (20%)

• Technical Defense: Lead technical presentations and proposal defenses before client technical committees, chief metallurgists, and procurement directors.
• Cross-Functional Handover: Act as the technical bridge between Mechanical R\&D, Electrical/Controls, Procurement, and Field Commissioning teams so quoted tolerances and cycle times are seamlessly delivered.
• Market Intelligence: Benchmark global laser system developments (TRUMPF, AMADA, Bystronic, Precitec, Laserline, KUKA, IPG) to maintain a competitive edge in speed, quality, and cost.

Qualifications \& Required Competencies

• Education: Ph.D. in Laser Technology, Photonics, Applied Physics, Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral focus in Laser Materials Processing / Advanced Manufacturing), or Metallurgical \& Materials Engineering (Laser Surface Engineering / Additive Manufacturing).
• Laser \& Optical Hardware Expertise: Hands-on experience with multi-kilowatt CW Fiber Lasers, Direct Diode Lasers, or Disk Lasers (IPG, Laserline, nLIGHT, Coherent) and optical delivery systems (QBH/QD terminations, collimators, galvo scanners, coaxial powder nozzles, wire feeders).
• Automation \& Robotics: Working knowledge of industrial CNC controllers (Beckhoff TwinCAT, Siemens 840D, CypCut/FSCUT) and 6-axis industrial robots (KUKA, Fanuc, ABB).
• Metallurgical Evaluation: Proficiency with Vickers/Rockwell microhardness testing, optical microscopy, SEM, and XRD dilution analysis.
• Commercial \& Regulatory Acumen: Proven ability to structure formal tender documentation, Capex estimates, and cycle-time calculations in compliance with CE/EN 60825-1 laser safety standar