Samtec, Inc Careers

Job title: APPLICATIONS ENGINEER

LOCATION: Kanagawa, Japan

Description

Position at Samtec, Inc

Founded in 1976, Samtec is a leading global manufacturer of electronic interconnect solutions, generating $950 million in annual revenue. Our extensive product portfolio includes High-Speed Board-to-Board, High-Speed Cables, Optics for Mid-Board and Panel, Precision RF, Flexible Stacking, and Micro/Rugged components and cables. Samtec Technology Centers drive innovation to optimize system performance and cost across all interconnect points, supported by a presence in 40+ international locations and products distributed in over 125 countries, ensuring exceptional customer service worldwide.

About the Role: As an Applications Engineer at Samtec, you’ll be the technical bridge between our customers and our products. Your focus will be on adapting our standard products to meet unique application requirements — ensuring every solution is both technically sound and practical for production.

You’ll work closely with customers, Product Managers, and engineers to turn concepts into production-ready designs. The role combines problem-solving, technical know-how, and strong communication skills in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Work directly with customers to understand their needs and advise the best cable product solution for their application.
• Translate opportunities into a great product fit with the customer.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of a wide range of products and components.
• Answer technical questions that come your way (because you’ll be the one who knows).
• Review and approve product prints to ensure designs meet requirements and are production-ready.
• Create product cost sheets to help our quoting team hit the mark.
• Partner with Product Managers to spot trends, influence new designs & roadmaps.
• Travel occasionally for customer meetings or trade shows.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years’ experience in inside sales, technical sales, or a similar customer-facing technical role; product customization experience preferred.
• Strong attention to detail when reviewing customer requirements and technical drawings.
• Experience managing projects from concept to production release.
• Excellent communication skills and a customer-focused mindset.
• Technical background in mechanical or electrical engineering; connector industry experience is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering preferred.
• Understand Japan culture and be able to communicate in Japanese.
• Be able to build good relationships with stakeholders such as suppliers and vendors in Japan.
• Residents of Japan.

*Foreign nationals need a work visa in Japan.

Language Skills

• English: Business. Intermediate or above.

Core Competencies 

• Project Leadership Experience: Leadership skills are required to work worldwide, including the ability to openly share opinions and take proactive action. 
• Self-Starter: The ability to take initiative, act proactively, and manage tasks independently is necessary. 
• Teamwork: Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, are required to work with team members, vendors and customers worldwide. The ability to safely and accurately share ideas, results, and technical knowledge through teamwork is essential. 

Employment type

Permanent employee.

Probationary period: 3 months (no change in conditions during probationary period).

Work Locations

Samtec Japan LLC

Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa

5-minute walk from Shin-Yokohama.

Smoking Policy: No smoking. Smoking area is available in the building.

Work Hours 

9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (1-hour break).

FLEX System.

Average monthly overtime: 10 hours or less. 

*Global meetings may occur 1-2 times per month during evening hours.

Salary

Determined based on previous employment and experience.

(Monthly salary includes a fixed overtime allowance for 20 hours)

Bonus: 3 times a year.

Salary review system (once a year).

Annual holidays

125 days.

Includes Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, 4 days of summer vacation, and 4 days of New Year's vacation.

Paid leave

10–20 days.

(10 days granted after 6 months of employment)

Welfare

Health insurance, welfare pension, employment insurance, retirement allowance system (applicable after 3 years of service).

Transportation expenses up to 30,000 yen reimbursed.

Language skills improvement support.

Job Requirements

Location: Japan (applicants must currently reside in Japan)
Relocation/Housing Allowance: Not provided
Visa Support: Not available (applicants must hold a valid work visa and be eligible to work in Japan)

Process

1. Document screening.
2. 2–3 interviews (offline, online) *At least one online interview will be conducted in English.
3. Aptitude test (KOLBE).

Samtec Japan LLC has a total of 23 employees, including an engineering team, a sales team, and customer service, administrative, and laboratory staff.  

You will have frequent communication with overseas locations and work in a global environment. 

In addition, we have introduced remote work and flex-work, prioritized work-life balance and creating a comfortable work environment. 

Why Samtec

This is a hands-on, customer-facing engineering role where your work directly impacts our customers’ success. You’ll collaborate with a variety of teams, solve interesting technical challenges, and see your designs make it to production. We value engineers who are service-oriented, technically capable, and easy to work with.