Hydraulic Test Engineer – Production Automation & QA

Danfoss GmbH; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentoring

Work-life balance

Inclusive culture

Benefits package

Job summary

Danfoss Power Solutions in Ames, IA is seeking an Engineer, Test - Hydraulics to own the hydraulic end‑of‑line test stands, ensuring quality and safety before shipping. You’ll drive improvements, implement new tech, and collaborate with manufacturing teams daily.

The role requires hands-on troubleshooting across electrical, hydraulic, and control systems, with PLC programming and PLC troubleshooting experience.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical, Agricultural, or Fluid Power Engineering.
• Strong understanding of fluid dynamics and the ability to read hydraulic schematics.
• Hands-on troubleshooting of electrical hardware, hydraulic circuits, and control software.
• Experience with a programming language like C or C#.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (max. 10% of time).

Responsibilities

• Design and improve fluid power circuits for production test stands to meet test objectives.
• Automate test sequences using PC and PLC programming.
• Select and integrate hydraulic components for optimal performance.
• Own the functionality and quality of production test equipment.
• Participate in specification, design, and commissioning of new test stands with vendors.
• Lead continuous improvement projects for test stands.
• Troubleshoot with maintenance, technicians, and IT to resolve line-down issues.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and safety teams to drive improvements.

Skills

Fluid power systems

Hydraulic schematics

Electrical & control hardware

C or C# programming

Willingness to travel

Education

BS in Mechanical, Agricultural, or Fluid Power Engineering

Tools

Siemens TIA Portal

CAD software (AutoCAD Electrical, Eplan)

SQL Server / Oracle

Data acquisition (DAQ)

Job description

Danfoss Power Solutions in Ames, IA is seeking an Engineer, Test - Hydraulics to own the hydraulic end‑of‑line test stands, ensuring quality and safety before shipping. You’ll drive improvements, implement new tech, and collaborate with manufacturing teams daily.

The role requires hands-on troubleshooting across electrical, hydraulic, and control systems, with PLC programming and PLC troubleshooting experience.