Hydraulic Engineer

Hydraulic Engineer

Location : Houston, TX

*** 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.

Working 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.