Engineering Manager - Hydraulic Systems

RFA Engineering (www.rfamec.com) is an engineering service provider dedicated to delivering our clients with timely engineering support and expertise. We are currently supporting one of our clients in the industrial equipment and hydraulics space in their search for an Engineering Manager.

This is a direct hire opportunity where the selected candidate will join our client’s engineering team and work closely with both engineering and sales functions to support customer applications and deliver technical solutions.

Engineering Manager – Hydraulic Systems

The Engineering Manager – Hydraulic Systems is responsible for leading a growing engineering team while supporting the development and execution of hydraulic system solutions across a range of industrial applications.

This role combines engineering leadership with hands-on technical involvement, requiring deep knowledge of hydraulic systems as well as the ability to build and scale engineering teams in a growing organization.

Initially, the role will focus on internal team development, process improvement, and alignment with global engineering operations. Over time, the position will expand to include increased involvement in customer applications and business support.

The ideal candidate has a strong technical background in hydraulics, along with experience leading teams and driving engineering execution in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of engineers focused on hydraulic systems and applications
• Establish processes, workflows, and engineering best practices
• Provide technical direction on system design, application development, and problem-solving
• Support development and execution of engineering projects across the team
• Collaborate with global engineering teams to align technical standards and processes
• Support sales teams through technical guidance and solution development
• Review and validate engineering work, proposals, and technical deliverables
• Participate in solving complex technical challenges related to hydraulic systems
• Develop team capability through mentoring, coaching, and performance management
• Support organizational growth by helping scale engineering operations
• Travel as needed (~30%) to support team and global coordination

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
• 10+ years of engineering experience, with strong exposure to hydraulic systems
• 5+ years of experience in engineering leadership roles
• Strong hydraulics experience REQUIRED (systems, components, and applications)
• Experience managing engineering teams and delivering technical work
• Ability to lead both technical and organizational initiatives
• Strong communication and leadership skills
• Experience working with cross-functional and/or global teams

Desired Attributes

• Experience in off-highway equipment (construction, agriculture, mining)
• Experience scaling engineering teams or supporting organizational growth
• Familiarity with customer applications and solution-based engineering
• Exposure to sales engineering or technical sales support
• CRM (Salesforce) experience is a plus
• CAD experience (SolidWorks or similar)
• Mandarin language capability is a plus

Additional Details

• Chicago area preferred; remote candidates will be considered
• Remote candidates should expect increased travel requirements
• Approximately 30% travel required, including international collaboration
• Initial focus on internal team development, with future expansion into customer-facing activities
• Flexible work schedule with global coordination requirements

About the Client

Our client is a global manufacturer of hydraulic components and systems, supporting OEMs across industries including construction, agriculture, mining, and heavy equipment.

As part of their continued growth in North America, the organization is expanding its engineering capabilities and building a stronger local team to support both internal operations and long-term customer needs.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary ($160,000 – $200,000), based on experience

• • Competitive salary
  • Bonus opportunity for team and individual performance
  • Insurance options include Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability plans
  • Employer paid life insurance
  • Health Savings option available with employer contribution
  • Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays
  • Monthly allowances for phone, car, home office use
  • 401(k) match - 100% match for 4% salary
  • Company credit for work expenses