Hydraulics Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Position Summary:

The Hydraulics Engineer is responsible for the design, maintenance, optimization, troubleshooting, and reliability of hydraulic systems supporting forging operations and manufacturing equipment. This role ensures hydraulic systems operate safely, efficiently, and reliably to support production goals, equipment uptime, quality requirements, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Hydraulics Engineer will work closely with manufacturing, maintenance, engineering, quality, and operations teams to improve equipment performance and support capital improvement projects across the facility.

Key Responsibilities:

· Design, develop, and optimize hydraulic systems used in forging presses, manipulators, material handling equipment, heat treat systems, and other manufacturing equipment.

· Perform hydraulic system sizing, analysis, and performance evaluations for pumps, cylinders, accumulators, valves, reservoirs, filtration systems, and fluid distribution networks.

· Develop and maintain hydraulic schematics, equipment specifications, P&IDs (piping and instrumentation diagrams), engineering drawings, and technical documentation.

· Analyze hydraulic system performance, including pressure, flow, temperature, contamination control, energy consumption, and cycle times.

· Lead troubleshooting efforts for hydraulic equipment failures, identifying root causes and implementing corrective and preventive actions.

· Support preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance programs for hydraulic systems throughout the facility.

· Partner with maintenance personnel to improve equipment uptime, reduce downtime, and increase system reliability.

· Manage hydraulic system upgrades, retrofits, rebuilds, and capital improvement projects from concept through implementation.

· Evaluate and recommend improvements to hydraulic circuits, controls, filtration systems, and component selection to enhance performance and reduce operating costs.

· Support installation, commissioning, and startup of new production equipment and hydraulic systems.

· Collaborate with manufacturing engineering and operations teams to improve productivity, process consistency, equipment performance, and workplace safety.

· Conduct failure investigations and reliability assessments using root cause analysis, FMEA, and other engineering methodologies.

· Develop equipment standards, maintenance procedures, operating instructions, and training materials related to hydraulic systems.

· Work with suppliers, contractors, and equipment manufacturers to specify, procure, and support hydraulic components and systems.

· Ensure compliance with applicable safety regulations, environmental requirements, and company standards.

· Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, cost reduction, and operational excellence.

• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related engineering discipline required
• 3+ years of experience in forging, metals manufacturing, steel processing, foundry, heavy industrial, or similar manufacturing environments.
• 3+ years of experience designing, maintaining, troubleshooting, or optimizing industrial hydraulic systems in a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to read and interpret hydraulic schematics, engineering drawings, and technical specifications.
• Experience supporting industrial equipment such as forging presses, stamping presses, heavy machinery, steel processing equipment, or other large-scale manufacturing systems.
• Familiarity with CAD software such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Inventor, or equivalent engineering tools.
• Knowledge of root cause analysis, preventive maintenance, and equipment reliability methodologies.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, project management, and communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and provide hands-on support on the production floor.
• Strong knowledge of hydraulic system design principles, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and mechanical systems.
• Experience with hydraulic components including pumps, cylinders, servo valves, proportional valves, accumulators, filtration systems, and pressure control devices.
• Knowledge of PLC-controlled hydraulic systems and industrial automation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• Experience with hydraulic press systems ranging from 500 to 10,000+ tons.
• Familiarity with servo-hydraulic systems, closed-loop controls, and motion control applications.
• Experience with reliability engineering, predictive maintenance, vibration analysis, and oil contamination monitoring.
• Knowledge of OSHA safety regulations and industrial equipment standards.
• Experience leading equipment installation, commissioning, and capital projects.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement certification.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or equivalent professional certification