What does a director of applications engineering do?
Director of applications engineering responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of applications engineering resumes:
- Lead and manage development teams to implement large-scale, web-base custom infrastructure.
- Staff and manage development, QA, release engineering, and documentation.
- Manage and coordinate all hardware/software engineering, installation, and service of HVAC temperature control system projects.
- Increase sales of IP telephony and network infrastructure platforms while cultivating and nurturing joint business development efforts with Cisco.
- Showcase emWare's technology with team of embed and Java web-client developers.
- Introduce automation capabilities into QA that eliminate manual regression testing and reduce overall testing time.
- Develop schedules and coordinate weekly meetings with Sony and OEM management team to timely resolve technical and manufacturing operation issues.
- Demonstrate the first commercial implementation of next-generation design software utilizing level-set methods to model and correct manufacturing errors in semiconductor photomasks.
- Define SDLC process quality initiatives base on release quality metrics analysis to drive continuous quality improvements.
Director of applications engineering skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Directors Of Applications Engineering are proficient in Application Engineering, Cloud, and Software Development. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Applications Engineering that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Application Engineering, 15%
Managed and provided application engineering support for all technologies and products offered on global basis.
- Cloud, 13%
Prime contributor for the Omni-Channel Retailer transformation including application modernization, portfolio rationalization and cloud strategy.
- Software Development, 12%
Managed all development work through Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC); UML with Rational Unified Process and Agile methodologies.
- Java, 10%
Managed Java, Web development, Word Press & DB developers and architect teams.
- Infrastructure, 8%
Monitored financials for cost center, leading budget creation and allocation, report generation, procurement, and infrastructure development.
- Technical Support, 5%
Established and managed Technical Support department to cater to customers and distribution channels.
Common skills that a director of applications engineering uses to do their job include "application engineering," "cloud," and "software development." You can find details on the most important director of applications engineering responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a director of applications engineering to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "architectural and engineering managers evaluate information to solve problems." Directors of applications engineering often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "implemented c and java based tools which were used to test and compare performance of various databases. "
Communication skills. Many director of applications engineering duties rely on communication skills. "architectural and engineering managers must effectively convey information and expectations related to projects.," so a director of applications engineering will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways director of applications engineering responsibilities rely on communication skills: "developed and established strategic long-range goals and direction for unified exchange communication and desktop engineering services area of it infrastructure. "
Math skills. For certain director of applications engineering responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "math skills." The day-to-day duties of a director of applications engineering rely on this skill, as "architectural and engineering managers use calculus and other mathematics to develop new products and processes." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what directors of applications engineering do: "managed qualitative and quantitative analysis requirements managed process improvements. "
Organizational skills. A commonly-found skill in director of applications engineering job descriptions, "organizational skills" is essential to what directors of applications engineering do. Director of applications engineering responsibilities rely on this skill because "architectural and engineering managers keep track of many workers, schedules, and budgets simultaneously." You can also see how director of applications engineering duties rely on organizational skills in this resume example: "adapted proven software development lifecycle model to fit existing corporate organizational structure, skill sets, and expertise. "
See the full list of director of applications engineering skills
The three companies that hire the most director of applications engineerings are:
- Cadence Design Systems2 directors of applications engineering jobs
- Marriott International2 directors of applications engineering jobs
- JLL1 directors of applications engineering jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable director of applications engineering resume templates
Build a professional director of applications engineering resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director of applications engineering resume.Compare different directors of applications engineering
Director of applications engineering vs. Research and development director
A research and development director spearheads and oversees the research and development initiatives and projects in a company. It is their duty to set goals and guidelines, establish timelines and budgets, direct and manage different departments, liaise with internal and external parties, gather and analyze data to implement solutions against problem areas, and utilize expertise in developing strategies to optimize company operations. Moreover, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while promoting the company's policies and regulations, creating new ones as needed.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, director of applications engineering responsibilities require skills like "application engineering," "cloud," "infrastructure," and "sql." Meanwhile a typical research and development director has skills in areas such as "project management," "fda," "oversight," and "strategic direction." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Research and development directors tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $167,250. In contrast, directors of applications engineering make the biggest average salary, $172,042, in the technology industry.research and development directors tend to reach higher levels of education than directors of applications engineering. In fact, research and development directors are 5.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 8.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Director of applications engineering vs. Research and development manager
A research and development manager is responsible for supervising project development procedures to support business operations and identify business opportunities that would pave the way for more revenue resources and profits. Research and development managers monitor the production plans from the conceptualization to the final outputs, inspecting inconsistencies and flaws in every phase and revising strategies as needed to achieve the required specifications and requirements. They delegate tasks to the staff, oversee progress, and conduct research and development programs to maximize productivity and team efforts.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director of applications engineering responsibilities requires skills like "application engineering," "cloud," "software development," and "infrastructure." But a research and development manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "project management," "patients," and "visualization."
On average, research and development managers earn a lower salary than directors of applications engineering. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, research and development managers earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $143,083. Whereas directors of applications engineering have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $172,042.In general, research and development managers achieve higher levels of education than directors of applications engineering. They're 5.5% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 8.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of applications engineering vs. Design manager
A design manager is responsible for creating graphic and digital designs, following clients' specifications, and managing project deliverables efficiently. Design managers work closely with the marketing and public relations department, developing strategies to promote the brand to the target audience. They coordinate with the creative team and present the design ideas to the management, ask for final approval, perform revisions as needed, and follow the budget goals. A design manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the design team's concerns and needs.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director of applications engineering resumes include skills like "application engineering," "cloud," "software development," and "java," whereas a design manager is more likely to list skills in "sketch," "project management," "visualization," and "user experience. "
Design managers earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $121,279. Directors of applications engineering earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $172,042.When it comes to education, design managers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to directors of applications engineering. In fact, they're 3.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 3.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Director of applications engineering vs. Engineering/maintenance manager
Engineering and maintenance managers are skilled executive professionals who manage the daily activities of the engineering department while directing the maintenance of all types of machinery in a manufacturing plant. These managers are required to develop preventive maintenance procedures and inspections for all manufacturing equipment so that they can reduce machine downtime. They must ensure that contractors are trained to respond to emergencies and follow all the processes that are documented within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Engineering and maintenance managers must also create a budget to manage the expenditures related to plant equipment upgrades.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between directors of applications engineering and engineering/maintenance managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a director of applications engineering might have more use for skills like "application engineering," "cloud," "software development," and "java." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of engineering/maintenance managers require skills like "capital projects," "osha," "project management," and "facility maintenance. "
In general, engineering/maintenance managers earn the most working in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $98,678. The highest-paying industry for a director of applications engineering is the technology industry.engineering/maintenance managers reach similar levels of education compared to directors of applications engineering, in general. The difference is that they're 1.9% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 3.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of director of applications engineering
Updated January 8, 2025











