Applications Engineering Manager

RFA Engineering•Chicago, IL

7d•$160,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

RFA Engineering is supporting a client 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 the client’s engineering team and work closely with both engineering and sales functions to support customer applications and deliver technical solutions. The Applications Engineering Manager is responsible for leading and developing a team of application engineers while providing hands-on technical leadership for hydraulic systems and applications. This role is a blend of team leadership, technical execution, and operational development, requiring a strong hydraulics background along with the ability to mentor engineers, improve workflows, and support collaboration across global teams. In the near term, this role will be primarily focused on building team capability, establishing processes, and strengthening coordination with global engineering teams. As the North American organization continues to grow, the role will evolve to include increased involvement in customer engagement and application support. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who is comfortable working directly in technical details while guiding a developing team toward long-term success. Our client is a global provider of hydraulic components and systems supporting OEMs across industries such as construction, agriculture, mining, and heavy equipment. With a growing presence in North America, the organization is focused on expanding its engineering and application support capabilities. This role is a key part of that growth, focused on building team capability, improving engineering processes, and strengthening collaboration across global operations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field
10+ years of engineering experience, with a strong application engineering background
5+ years of leadership or team management experience
Strong hydraulics experience REQUIRED (cylinders, valves, pumps, motors, or similar systems)
Proven ability to lead technical teams and manage engineering workflows
Experience working in cross-functional and global team environments
Strong communication and problem-solving skills
Ability to balance hands-on technical work with leadership responsibilities

Nice To Haves

Experience in construction, agriculture, mining, or mobile/off-highway equipment industries
Experience building or developing engineering teams in a growing organization
Prior experience supporting sales teams or commercial initiatives
Familiarity with CRM tools (Salesforce preferred)
Experience with CAD tools (SolidWorks or similar)
Experience working with global teams
Mandarin language capability is a strong plus

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of application engineers
Manage project assignments and ensure efficient execution across the team
Provide technical leadership and guidance to engineering and sales support teams
Establish and improve engineering workflows, processes, and best practices
Collaborate with global engineering teams to align on technical standards and product knowledge
Support complex technical problem-solving related to hydraulic systems and applications
Assist in development of technical presentations for internal teams and customer engagement
Work with sales leadership to support account strategies and opportunity development
Review and validate proposals for technical accuracy and quality
Conduct performance evaluations and support development of engineering staff
Travel as needed to support team alignment and global coordination (~30%)