Sr Hydraulic Engineer

As a family-owned and operated company, we feel a special obligation to the employees who comprise our Taco family.  We are committed to offering employees access to the tools necessary to live long and productive lives. We strive to instill in all of our employees:

• A positive mental attitude that helps us to be a leader in the industry
• A commitment to building strong relationships, both inside and outside the organization
• A desire to learn, grow, and contribute to moving our strategy forward
• A need to create and to innovate

Employment Type: Regular Full-Time

Shift: 1st Shift

Work Status: Hybrid

Position Summary: 

The Senior Hydraulic Engineer conducts applied research and design to improve and create new pump products and components. They select research methods, build models and prototypes, analyze and validate test results and prepare detailed reports with recommendations and conclusions. They estimate the costs, resources, and time  to conduct one or more research projects and monitor the performance of these projects to ensure targets are met. They also develop and maintain technical expertise on advances and innovations in research and science. This senior role coaches and mentors less experienced engineers, checks the quality of their work and helps resolve problems.

Measures of success:

• Successfully determine and write the functional requirements for hydraulic components and assemblies 
• Effectively design, develop, and document hydraulic components to meet the functional requirements 
• Troubleshoot and resolve hydraulic problems in projects, production, or service areas 

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

• Provides technical support and leadership in areas of assigned responsibility including hydraulic performance, fluid flow, and heat transfer.  
• Prepares product development criteria in accordance with management objectives.  Works with suppliers to validate that product designs meet the required specifications.   
• Documents benchmarking activities.
• Drives the implementation and execution of technical recommendations.  Provides support to project teams with hydraulic design and modeling to meet product requirements.  
• Develops appropriate documentation outlining design parameters, assumptions, and results.  Prepares reports and present content as requested.
• Leads technical design reviews, with a focus on hydraulics, at various stages in the life cycle gating process.
• Verifies products meet regulatory performance standards, including documentation and reporting.
• Ensures compliance to regulatory requirements including Hydraulics Institute, Department of Energy, and other standards. 
• Conducts Design Failure Mode Effects Analysis (DFMEA), Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Statistical Process Control (SPC) to identify quality and reliability issues.
• Creates and manages engineering change orders (ECO) and temporary change notices (TCN). Disposition First Article Inspections (FAI) and Material Defect Reports (MDR).
• Adhere to company document control standards, ensuring consistent checking and approval of drawings and data.
• Serves as a subject matter expert in quality investigations (root cause analysis and problem solving). Develops solutions and issues formal recommendations.
• Writes hydraulic design standards to improve design, troubleshooting and assembly procedures. Conducts product reviews for the improvement and further development of existing product designs.
• Assists other departments in the preparation of manuals and sales literature on assigned projects. Analyzes historical and current designs to meet customer specifications.
• Ensures effective and pro-active communication is maintained with all internal and external stakeholders.  Initiates meetings, correspondence, and discussion with appropriate project resources when product or project scope, schedule and cost require clarification.
• Maintains and enhances knowledge with current Computational Fluid Design (CFD) simulation technologies.  Maintains proficiency with the use of in-house and industry recognized simulation tools.  Participates in industry committees, technical organizations, conferences, and seminars related to hydraulics.
• Coaches and mentors other engineers, checks the quality of their work and helps resolve problems.

Qualifications

Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering or related field
• 7+ years of experience with fluids/turbomachinery design
• Proficient in computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided engineering (CAE), and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) (SolidWorks, Star CCM+, and PUMPAL are a plus)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and troubleshoot complex design issues using analytical tools
• Effective communication skills, including excellent oral and written skills  
• Professionally interact with peers, stakeholders, management, suppliers, and customers
• Ability to manage planned and unplanned activities, while remaining effective
• Aptitude to manage multiple assignments while meeting established deadlines  
• Ability to excel in a collaborative team environment
• Minimal travel to conferences, trainings and customers as  

 Preferred: 

• Master's degree in Mechanical or Aeronautical Engineering 
• Experience with coding and developing algorithms in programming languages such as Python or Matlab 

Work Environment

This position works primarily in an office environment using computers and technology.  Verbal and auditory capabilities are required.  Occasional exposure in production plant where large equipment and noise are prevalent.  Safety gear is required in these areas.

This position may work from home up to 2X/week if performance is in good standing.

This position has no direct reports.

Benefits

With nearly 1,000 people working at Taco worldwide, each with their own story, you will discover a sense of community and diverse, intelligent colleagues who help us innovate, create and explore.

Taco employees benefit from a company that:

• Provides competitive salaries and benefits
• Offers tuition reimbursement, career development, and on-site training programs in our learning center
• Believes in sharing profits with its employees
• Is mindful about family, health and well-being
• Fosters conditions that allow people and communities to reach their full potential
• Embraces and celebrates diversity

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