Corporate Hydraulic Engineer (remote)

Kaiser Aluminum • OH, OH

6d • Remote

About The Position

The Corporate Hydraulic Engineer provides enterprise-wide technical leadership, engineering support, and strategic direction for hydraulic systems across manufacturing, industrial, mining, forestry, pulp and paper, or heavy equipment operations. This role is responsible for improving equipment reliability, optimizing hydraulic system performance, reducing lifecycle costs, leading root cause investigations, and establishing corporate standards for hydraulic design, maintenance, and troubleshooting. The Corporate Hydraulic Engineer partners with plant operations, maintenance teams, reliability engineers, OEMs, and vendors to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable operation of hydraulic equipment throughout the organization. This position will report to the VP, Engineering & Maintenance or Director of Engineering. This position is remote and will be located in one of the following states: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, California or Washington.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Mechanical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• Ten plus (10+) years of experience in hydraulic systems engineering, reliability engineering, or industrial maintenance.
• Experience supporting heavy industrial, manufacturing, mining, forestry, energy, or similar operations.
• Demonstrated success improving equipment reliability and reducing maintenance costs.
• Experience leading complex troubleshooting and root cause investigations.
• Extensive knowledge of: Hydraulic power units (HPUs), Pumps, motors, and cylinders, Electro-hydraulic control systems, Servo and proportional valve systems, Accumulators and filtration systems, Fluid contamination control, Hydraulic system design and optimization, Predictive maintenance technologies, Reliability engineering principles, Failure analysis methodologies.
• Hydraulic modeling and simulation software.
• CMMS platforms (SAP, Maximo, Infor, etc.).
• CAD software and hydraulic schematic development tools.
• Microsoft Office Suite and data analytics tools.

Nice To Haves

• Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
• Certified Fluid Power Specialist (CFPS).
• Certified Reliability Engineer (CRE).
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt.
• Project Management Professional (PMP).
• Experience supporting multiple facilities in a corporate environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the corporate subject matter expert (SME) for hydraulic systems and fluid power applications.
• Develop and maintain company-wide hydraulic engineering standards, specifications, and best practices.
• Provide technical guidance to facilities, operations, maintenance, and engineering teams.
• Evaluate new technologies and recommend innovative solutions to improve system performance and reliability.
• Lead efforts to improve hydraulic system reliability and availability across all company sites.
• Analyze equipment performance data, maintenance records, and failure trends.
• Develop and implement preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance strategies.
• Support oil analysis, contamination control, filtration, and fluid management programs.
• Establish hydraulic system health metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Lead complex troubleshooting efforts involving hydraulic equipment failures.
• Conduct root cause failure analyses (RCFA) and develop corrective actions.
• Provide on-site and remote support during critical equipment outages.
• Support reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) initiatives.
• Review and approve hydraulic system designs, modifications, and upgrades.
• Support capital projects involving hydraulic equipment installations and modernization efforts.
• Develop hydraulic schematics, equipment specifications, and design standards.
• Collaborate with project teams to ensure compliance with engineering and safety requirements.
• Participate in equipment commissioning, startup, and performance validation.
• Ensure hydraulic systems comply with applicable safety standards, regulations, and company policies.
• Support lockout/tagout (LOTO) and stored energy management programs.
• Conduct risk assessments related to hydraulic equipment and operations.
• Promote safe work practices throughout all engineering and maintenance activities.
• Develop and deliver hydraulic training programs for maintenance and engineering personnel.
• Mentor plant engineers, maintenance supervisors, and technicians.
• Create technical documentation, procedures, and troubleshooting guides.
• Lead knowledge-sharing initiatives across business units.
• Evaluate and manage hydraulic equipment suppliers, consultants, and service providers.
• Review proposals, technical specifications, and contractor work scopes.
• Support supplier qualification and performance improvement initiatives.

Benefits

• Talented people join our team because we are a company passionate about environmental sustainability, employee growth, contributing back to our communities and championing an inclusive culture.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior