Hydraulic Engineer

Flowtec Group; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Flowtec Group in Houston, TX, a well-established US pump manufacturer, seeks a Hydraulic Engineer to design, analyze, test, and optimize centrifugal pump systems. This early-career role is ideal for graduates with fluid mechanics, turbomachinery, or rotating equipment backgrounds who want to grow in pump design and performance engineering.

You will perform CFD analyses, validate performance with testing, interpret results, and collaborate with mechanical, manufacturing, and applications teams to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace engineering or closely related field.
• 0–3 years of engineering experience in centrifugal pumps, rotating equipment, fluid systems, or related field.
• Foundational understanding of fluid mechanics, turbomachinery principles, hydraulic losses, pump affinity laws, and pump performance.
• Familiarity with centrifugal pump performance curves (head, flow, efficiency, power, NPSH).
• Exposure to CFD/CFD software and 3D CAD tools like SolidWorks.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize centrifugal pump hydraulic components and assemblies.
• Analyze pump performance curves and operating conditions to meet specifications.
• Perform NPSH analysis and evaluate cavitation risks.
• Conduct CFD simulations to analyze internal pump flow and performance.
• Support pump selection and technical evaluations for customer needs.
• Assist with hydraulic testing and validation of predicted performance.
• Analyze test results and drive corrective design improvements.
• Prepare engineering documentation and test plans.
• Collaborate with mechanical design, manufacturing, procurement, and application engineering teams.
• Support development of custom pump configurations based on operating conditions.
• Apply industry standards and best practices throughout design and testing.

Skills

Fluid mechanics

Turbomachinery

Analytical thinking

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS Fluent

CFD

Job description

*** This is with a US Pump Manufacturer *** Well established name in the space.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Hydraulic Engineer to support the design, analysis, testing, and optimization of centrifugal pump systems and hydraulic components. This role is ideal for an early-career engineer with a background in fluid mechanics, turbomachinery, or rotating equipment who wants to develop their expertise in pump design and performance engineering.

Working alongside experienced engineers and R&D teams, you will contribute to hydraulic component design, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, performance testing, and troubleshooting across a range of industrial applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and optimize centrifugal pump hydraulic components, including impellers, diffusers, bowl assemblies, volutes, and inducers.
• Analyze pump performance curves, hydraulic efficiency, power requirements, and operating conditions to meet performance specifications.
• Perform NPSH analysis and evaluate cavitation risks, suction performance, and hydraulic operating limits.
• Conduct CFD simulations to analyze internal pump flow, pressure distribution, recirculation, and hydraulic performance.
• Support pump selection, application engineering, and technical evaluations for customer-specific requirements.
• Assist with hydraulic performance testing, factory acceptance testing, and validation of predicted pump performance.
• Analyze test results and investigate performance issues, contributing to root cause analysis and corrective design improvements.
• Prepare engineering documentation, including design specifications, performance curves, simulation reports, test plans, and engineering change documentation.
• Collaborate with mechanical design, manufacturing, procurement, and application engineering teams to ensure hydraulic designs meet performance and manufacturability requirements.
• Support the development and evaluation of custom pump configurations based on operating conditions and customer specifications.
• Apply relevant industry standards and engineering best practices throughout the design and testing process.
• Utilize simulation and AI-assisted engineering tools where appropriate, validating results through sound engineering judgment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Approximately 0–3 years of engineering experience in centrifugal pumps, rotating equipment, fluid systems, or a related field.
• Foundational understanding of fluid mechanics, turbomachinery principles, hydraulic losses, pump affinity laws, and pump performance.
• Familiarity with centrifugal pump performance curves, including head, flow, efficiency, power, and NPSH required.
• Understanding of cavitation, suction performance, and pump operating conditions.
• Experience with 3D CAD software, such as SolidWorks or an equivalent platform.
• Exposure to computational fluid dynamics (CFD), including simulation setup, meshing, boundary conditions, or results interpretation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to apply engineering fundamentals to technical challenges.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to collaborate across engineering and manufacturing teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with centrifugal pump hydraulic components or rotating equipment design.
• Familiarity with ANSYS CFX, ANSYS Fluent, or equivalent CFD software.
• Exposure to pump performance testing, instrumentation, data acquisition, or pump curve generation.
• Knowledge of Hydraulic Institute (ANSI/HI) standards or API 610.
• Familiarity with impeller design, hydraulic optimization, or turbomachinery analysis.
• Understanding of pump materials, including cast iron, stainless steel, duplex stainless steel, and bronze.
• EIT certification or progress toward professional engineering licensure.
• Experience with engineering change processes or ERP systems in a manufacturing environment.

This position combines office-based engineering work with hands-on exposure to hydraulic testing and pump performance evaluation. Occasional work in manufacturing environments and travel to supplier or customer facilities may be required, estimated at less than 15%.

The successful candidate will be proactive, analytical, and committed to taking ownership of engineering challenges from initial investigation through testing and resolution.