Mechanical Test Engineer - Hydraulics

Rfamec; Chillicothe (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Dental Insurance

Health Savings Account

Vision Insurance

401k & Roth 401k

Job summary

RFA Engineering is seeking a Mechanical Test Engineer - Hydraulics to lead hydraulic tests and analyze results. The role blends hands-on lab work with engineering analysis to assess performance and diagnose failures.

Ideal candidates have a Mechanical Engineering background and experience with test hardware, data collection, and reporting. The position emphasizes planning tests, data interpretation, and communicating clear conclusions to engineers and clients.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology, Agricultural Engineering, or related field.
• 2+ years engineering or testing experience; master’s +3 years considered.
• Hands-on mechanical aptitude with test hardware and lab equipment.
• Experience planning and executing mechanical component or system tests.
• Ability to analyze test data and translate results into conclusions.

Responsibilities

• Lead hydraulic component and system testing projects from planning through reporting.
• Develop test plans, instrumentation and data collection.
• Set up hydraulic components, test fixtures, hoses, sensors, and related hardware.
• Operate test equipment safely with focus on quality and documentation.
• Collect, organize, and analyze test data to evaluate performance.
• Compare results to requirements and simulations; identify trends.
• Conduct root cause analysis on failures and report conclusions.
• Document configurations, procedures, observations, results, and conclusions.
• Present findings to engineers and leadership.
• Coordinate multiple test activities and scheduling with minimal supervision.
• Support continuous improvement of lab methods and processes.

Skills

Hands-on mechanical aptitude

Test hardware experience

Data analysis

Engineering data interpretation

Ability to troubleshoot mechanical

2+ years engineering/testing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Master's degree with 3+ years experience (considered)

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Excel

Data acquisition systems

Job description

RFA Engineering ( www.rfamec.com ) is an engineering service provider dedicated to delivering our clients with timely engineering support and expertise. We are seeking an experienced candidate to become an integral part of our engineering team. The selected candidate will work with an experienced engineering staff using state-of-the-art engineering tools & processes.

Mechanical Test Engineer- Hydraulics

Hydraulic Test Engineer will plan, set up, execute, and evaluate mechanical tests involving hydraulic components and systems. This role combines hands-on laboratory work with engineering analysis to determine system performance, investigate failures, and communicate clear technical conclusions. The ideal candidate is comfortable working directly with test hardware while also organizing and interpreting test data to support engineering decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead hydraulic component and system testing projects from initial planning through final conclusions and reporting.
• Develop test plans, define instrumentation and data collection needs, and coordinate laboratory resources.
• Perform hands‑on setup of hydraulic components, test fixtures, hoses, sensors, and associated mechanical or electrical hardware.
• Operate test equipment safely while maintaining a strong focus on quality, throughput, and accurate documentation.
• Collect, organize, process, and analyze test data to evaluate performance and identify trends or anomalies.
• Compare test results with engineering requirements, expected behavior, and available analytical or simulation results.
• Conduct failure and root cause analysis on components or systems that do not meet performance expectations.
• Document test configurations, procedures, observations, results, and engineering conclusions in clear technical reports.
• Present findings and recommendations to engineers, laboratory leadership, shop personnel, and internal clients.
• Coordinate multiple test activities, schedules, priorities, and follow‑up actions with minimal supervision.
• Support continuous improvement of laboratory methods, testing processes, and data analysis practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology, Agricultural Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Two or more years of relevant engineering or testing experience; candidates with a master’s degree and at least three years of relevant experience may also be considered.
• Hands‑on mechanical aptitude and experience working with test hardware, components, tools, or laboratory equipment.
• Experience planning and executing mechanical component or system tests.
• Ability to analyze engineering test data and translate results into defensible conclusions and recommendations.
• Experience troubleshooting mechanical systems and performing failure or root cause analysis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience testing hydraulic components, fluid power systems, or hydraulic subsystems.
• Knowledge of hydraulic system behavior, pressure, flow, temperature, leakage, efficiency, and component performance.
• Experience with data acquisition systems, instrumentation, sensors, and signal review.
• Experience using analytical methods, statistical techniques, MATLAB, Python, Excel, or similar tools to process and visualize test data.
• Familiarity with simulation, modeling, or correlation of analytical results to physical test results.
• Experience with test fixture design, mechanical design, or CAD tools.

Visa sponsorship is NOT available for this position.

Salary Range: $70,000-$85,000 – Commensurate with experience

About RFA Engineering

RFA Engineering has provided product development and engineering services to industry leading customers since 1943. Our primary focus is the development of off highway equipment including agricultural, construction, mining, recreational, industrial, and special machines. Our work includes concept development, product design, documentation, problem‑solving, simulation, optimization, and testing of components, systems and complete machines. Our engineering staff is located at our Engineering Center in Minneapolis, branch office in Dubuque, IA, and at numerous customer sites throughout the U.S.
Competitive Benefits

• Health and Dental Insurance
• Health Savings Account
• TelaDoc: Virtual Health Care
• Vision Insurance
• Company Paid / Supplemental Life Insurance
• Company Paid Long‑Term Disability
• Supplemental Short‑Term Disability
• Retirement Savings Account (Traditional 401k & Roth 401k)
• Flexible Spending Plan Dependent Care
• Bonus Plan (Exempt Employees Only)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
• Education Assistance

Equal Opportunity and Veteran Friendly

Qualifications

Education

Preferred

Bachelors of Science or better in Mechanical Engineering or related field.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.