Hydraulic Engineer

Hydraulic Engineer

This role focuses on the hydraulic and pneumatic design of machines for functional testing of products, laboratory testing, and specialty lean product assembly cells. The engineer will design custom machines and fluid components such as valves, pumps, flow control, pressure control, heaters, and heat exchangers. Approximately 80% of the time will be spent at the desk designing, with the remaining 20% on the floor collaborating with the assembly team. The engineer will determine the fluid consistency and ensure the optimal design to prevent damage to the machines being manufactured. This position involves working with a team of mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers, while being the sole fluids engineer.

Responsibilities:

• Design hydraulic and pneumatic circuits that clamp and actuate tooling and fixturing.
• Design and calculate hydraulic and pneumatic test systems to provide fluid flow, temperature, and pressure within the machine, and precisely measure these parameters for product testing.
• Conduct hydraulic and pneumatic design using AutoCAD.
• Collaborate closely with mechanical designers, controls engineers, and software engineers to ensure the overall test machine functions safely, reliably, and repeatably.
• Develop Bills of Material and work with purchasing to procure appropriate materials and equipment.
• Assist machine builders with the assembly and startup of the machines.
• Communicate with Project Managers and customers as needed.
• Assist the Service team in troubleshooting customers' machines in the field.

Essential Skills:

• 3-5 years of experience in designing/engineering hydraulic/pneumatic systems using AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
• Proficiency in fluid components, including valves, pumps, flow control, pressure control, heaters, and heat exchangers.
• Experience with NX, mechatronics, PLC, and electrical design.

Additional Skills & Qualifications:

• Familiarity with SolidWorks.
• Experience in mechatronics.
• Knowledge of PLC and PC controls design.
• Understanding of electrical design.

Work Environment:

The company designs and builds custom test machines for automotive and industrial component manufacturers, specializing in hydraulics, controls, electronics, fixture design, and assembly line integration. Work hours are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, with flexibility as long as all staff is onsite from 9 AM to 3:30 PM. Efforts are made to maintain a work-life balance, with a recommendation not to exceed 45 hours a week.

Job Type & Location:

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Howell, MI.

Pay and Benefits:

The pay range for this position is $36.06 - $55.28/hr. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type:

This is a fully onsite position in Howell, MI.

Application Deadline:

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 13, 2025.

About Actalent:

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation, and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.