Hydraulics Engineer

RIMEPRO INC; Firestone Park (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

RIMEPRO INC is seeking a Hydraulics Engineer to design, develop, and optimize hydraulic systems for heavy industrial manufacturing equipment. The role will collaborate with Maintenance, Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, and Quality teams to improve performance, reliability, and uptime.

You will lead sizing, analysis, and documentation, specify components, and support upgrades, rebuilds, and capital projects in a fast-paced industrial setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace engineering.
• 3+ years in forging/metals manufacturing or heavy industrial setting.
• 3+ years designing or maintaining hydraulic systems.
• Ability to read hydraulic schematics, P&IDs, and technical drawings.
• Knowledge of PLC-controlled hydraulic systems and industrial automation.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize hydraulic systems for heavy industrial equipment.
• Support forging and stamping presses and other large machinery.
• Perform sizing, analysis, and performance evaluations of hydraulic systems.
• Specify components: pumps, cylinders, accumulators, valves, reservoirs, filtration.
• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for hydraulic issues.
• Prepare drawings, schematics, and technical documents.
• Collaborate with Maintenance/Manufacturing to improve reliability.
• Participate in preventive and predictive maintenance programs.

Skills

Hydraulic systems

Troubleshooting

Project management

Reading schematics

Industrial automation

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace engineering

Tools

PLC programming

Automation controls

Job description

Position Overview

The Hydraulics Engineer is responsible for the design, maintenance, troubleshooting, optimization, and reliability of industrial hydraulic systems supporting heavy manufacturing equipment.

This position will work closely with Maintenance, Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, and Quality teams to improve equipment performance, reduce downtime, increase system reliability, and support production requirements.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience with industrial hydraulic systems, large presses, heavy machinery, pumps, cylinders, accumulators, servo and proportional valves, filtration systems, and hydraulic controls. This role will also support equipment upgrades, rebuilds, installations, commissioning, and capital improvement projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, modify, and optimize hydraulic systems used in heavy industrial manufacturing equipment.
• Support hydraulic systems associated with forging presses, stamping presses, manipulators, material handling equipment, heat treatment equipment, and other large-scale machinery.
• Perform hydraulic system sizing, analysis, and performance evaluations.
• Evaluate and specify pumps, cylinders, accumulators, valves, reservoirs, filtration systems, pressure-control devices, and fluid distribution systems.
• Analyze system pressure, flow, temperature, contamination levels, energy consumption, and equipment cycle times.
• Develop and maintain hydraulic schematics, P&IDs, engineering drawings, equipment specifications, and technical documentation.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts involving hydraulic equipment failures and recurring equipment issues.
• Perform root cause analysis and develop corrective and preventive actions to improve equipment reliability.
• Partner with Maintenance teams to troubleshoot hydraulic, mechanical, and controls-related equipment problems.
• Support preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance programs.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment uptime and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Evaluate hydraulic circuits and recommend improvements to system design, controls, filtration, component selection, and overall performance.
• Support hydraulic system upgrades, retrofits, rebuilds, and modernization projects.
• Manage engineering projects from initial concept and equipment specification through installation, commissioning, startup, and final implementation.
Support installation and commissioning of new production equipment and hydraulic systems.
• Work with Manufacturing Engineering and Operations to improve equipment performance, productivity, process consistency, and safety.
• Conduct equipment failure investigations and reliability assessments using Root Cause Analysis, FMEA, and other engineering methodologies.
• Develop equipment standards, maintenance procedures, operating instructions, troubleshooting guides, and technical training materials.
• Work with suppliers, contractors, OEMs, and equipment manufacturers to specify and procure hydraulic components and systems.
• Provide technical guidance to Maintenance personnel and other engineering team members regarding hydraulic systems.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, equipment reliability, productivity, delivery, and cost reduction.
• Ensure hydraulic equipment and engineering projects comply with applicable safety and environmental requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of experience working within forging, metals manufacturing, steel processing, foundry, heavy industrial, or a similar manufacturing environment.
• 3+ years of experience designing, maintaining, troubleshooting, or optimizing industrial hydraulic systems.
• Strong understanding of hydraulic system design principles, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and mechanical systems.
• Hands-on knowledge of hydraulic components including:
  • Pumps
  • Hydraulic cylinders
  • Servo valves
  • Proportional valves
  • Accumulators
  • Reservoirs
  • Filtration systems
  • Pressure-control devices
• Experience supporting industrial equipment such as forging presses, stamping presses, steel-processing equipment, heavy machinery, or other large manufacturing systems.
• Ability to read and interpret hydraulic schematics, P&IDs, engineering drawings, and technical specifications.
• Knowledge of PLC-controlled hydraulic systems and industrial automation.
• Experience troubleshooting hydraulic system failures and identifying root causes.
• Knowledge of preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and equipment reliability methodologies.
• Strong analytical and mechanical troubleshooting abilities.
• Strong project management and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to provide hands-on engineering support within an active manufacturing environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience with large hydraulic press systems ranging from approximately 500 to 10,000+ tons.
• Experience with forging presses and heavy metal-forming equipment.
• Experience with servo-hydraulic systems.
• Knowledge of closed-loop hydraulic controls and motion-control applications.
• Experience with PLC-controlled hydraulic equipment.
• Experience with reliability engineering and predictive maintenance programs.
• Experience with vibration analysis and condition monitoring.
• Knowledge of hydraulic oil analysis and contamination-control programs.
• Experience leading equipment upgrades, rebuilds, installations, commissioning, and capital projects.
• Knowledge of OSHA requirements and industrial equipment safety standards.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license is a plus.