Hydraulic Engineer

Hydraulic Engineer — Hydrolec

Jacksonville, FL | On-site | Full-time | Engineering

Our power units run machines people depend on every day. Pumps, valves, manifolds, and reservoirs only work if someone thought hard about how they fit together. That's this job.

Hydrolec has been engineering custom hydraulic power units since 1985. We don't build off-the-shelf — we build solutions that go inside other companies' equipment as the most critical sub-assembly. When a baler, compactor, or industrial machine works reliably for years, it's because the hydraulic system was designed right. That's this job.

We're a 70-person, family-owned manufacturer entering a significant growth chapter. The Hydraulic Engineer is not a back-office role — you'll design circuits, select components, support production, troubleshoot with customers, and work alongside a small, experienced engineering team that has been doing this for decades.

Our Core Values

Family First — Honest communication and genuine care. When a design has a problem, you raise it immediately. That's how trust works here.

Sky's the Limit — Every customer application is a puzzle. The hard ones are the interesting part of the job.

All Hands on Deck — Walk the floor with a lead. Take a troubleshooting call. Help test a unit. That's how a 70-person manufacturer works.

What Success Looks Like After 12 Months

• Your hydraulic designs are thorough and reliable — when something doesn't perform as intended, you own the root cause
• Production and assembly teams trust your guidance and come to you with questions
• Customers receive accurate, technically sound recommendations — you're credible on the phone and on-site
• BOMs are accurate and complete — downstream teams don't guess or correct your work
• You've driven multiple improvements — component cost, recurring failure modes, assembly simplification, system efficiency
• You know the product line deeply — standard models, custom configurations, recurring failure modes
• The engineering team considers you a reliable, collaborative peer

What You Will Own

• Hydraulic system design and analysis — circuits, component selection, pressure/flow calculations, schematics
• Technical documentation — BOMs, specs, and drawings that downstream teams can actually use
• Production support — answering questions on the floor, troubleshooting test results, resolving fit issues
• Customer technical support — system recommendations, troubleshooting, application guidance
• Continuous improvement — identifying and driving opportunities for performance, reliability, and cost reduction

Competencies We Cannot Teach

• Technical thoroughness — reliable, well-reasoned work that balances precision with practicality
• Floor comfort — as credible next to an assembly lead as at your desk
• Clear communication across audiences — customers, vendors, production, and engineering peers
• Ownership instinct — you don't wait for someone else to flag what's wrong
• Curiosity about the application — you want to understand what the equipment does, not just spec a circuit

Threshold Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, or related — or equivalent hands-on experience
• 2–5+ years designing or supporting hydraulic systems in industrial, mobile, or custom applications
• Strong hydraulic schematic reading/creation, system sizing, and component selection
• Experience preparing BOMs and technical documentation for production teams
• Microsoft Office proficiency; hydraulic design software experience preferred
• Comfort in an on-site manufacturing environment alongside assembly and test teams
• Comfort with up to 10% travel

What This Role Becomes

Hydrolec is expanding into new products and new markets. The engineer who builds deep product knowledge and earns the trust of this team will take on increasing scope — new product development, application engineering, and technical leadership — as the company scales.

Benefits

Health, dental & vision | 401(k) match | Maternity & paternity leave | Accident insurance & life insurance | Monthly employee lunch | On-site fitness room

How to Apply

Submit your resume and a one-page cover letter answering these two questions:

1. Walk us through a time you had to convince a customer or senior colleague that their spec needed to change. How did you make the case?

2. We're a small team where engineering, the shop floor, and sales work side by side. Tell us about a time you had to step outside your role to help get something done.

Having trouble with the link? Send to: [email protected]

We read every letter. Generic responses will not advance. Tell us something real.