Hydraulic Systems Design Engineer — Fluid Power Integration

A day in the life

You start by scanning the latest project brief with your project engineer, aligning on function, schedule, and the budgeted design hours. You open AutoCAD to map out clean, reliable hydraulic circuits. From there, you switch to SOLIDWORKS to build mechanical models and package pumps, motors, valves, manifolds, and cylinders so plumbing is straightforward and serviceable.

Midday is for component research—digging into datasheets, confirming pressure ratings and seal types, and documenting everything accurately in the bill of materials. You evaluate whether a custom or catalog manifold will cut plumbing costs and boost performance. You size conductors—tubing, pipe, hoses, and fittings—so flow velocities, pressure drops, and overall system integrity are right the first time.

Afternoon brings collaboration: quick stand-ups with manufacturing for build feasibility, checks with safety/ergonomics on layout details, and customer design reviews to validate function and refine performance. Throughout, you keep your designs aligned with internal standards and industry engineering guidelines—always with an eye on manufacturability and cost.

What you will do

• Apply deep knowledge of industrial and mobile hydraulic systems (pumps, motors, valves including proportional control, cylinders, filtration, heating/cooling, and more).
• Create hydraulic circuit schematics using AutoCAD.
• Research and specify purchased components; record selections precisely in the design bill of materials.
• Develop SOLIDWORKS models to package hydraulic hardware for optimal routing and service access.
• Determine when manifolds provide advantages (reduced plumbing cost, superior hydraulic performance) and specify accordingly.
• Select conductors—tube, pipe, hose, and fittings—based on pressure rating, velocity, pressure drop, and seal type.
• Execute work per direction from the project engineer, meeting functionality requirements, schedules, and quoted hours.
• Design with practical plumbing methods in mind to keep builds cost-effective.
• Meet with customer representatives to review concepts and adjust functionality as needed.
• Ensure compliance with company and industry engineering standards plus safety and ergonomic guidelines.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure feasibility and manufacturability.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in mechanical design for automation equipment with emphasis on hydraulic systems and fluid power cooling.
• Advanced proficiency in 3D SOLIDWORKS.
• Strong problem-solving capability and meticulous attention to detail.