Mechanical Test Engineer - Hydraulics

RFA Engineering•Chillicothe, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

RFA Engineering is seeking an experienced Mechanical Test Engineer - Hydraulics to join their engineering team. This role involves planning, setting up, executing, and evaluating mechanical tests on hydraulic components and systems. The position requires a blend of hands-on laboratory work and engineering analysis to assess system performance, investigate failures, and communicate technical findings. The ideal candidate will be comfortable working with test hardware and interpreting data to support engineering decisions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology, Agricultural Engineering, or a related technical field.
Two or more years of relevant engineering or testing experience; candidates with a master’s degree and at least three years of relevant experience may also be considered.
Hands-on mechanical aptitude and experience working with test hardware, components, tools, or laboratory equipment.
Experience planning and executing mechanical component or system tests.
Ability to analyze engineering test data and translate results into defensible conclusions and recommendations.
Experience troubleshooting mechanical systems and performing failure or root cause analysis.

Nice To Haves

Experience testing hydraulic components, fluid power systems, or hydraulic subsystems.
Knowledge of hydraulic system behavior, pressure, flow, temperature, leakage, efficiency, and component performance.
Experience with data acquisition systems, instrumentation, sensors, and signal review.
Experience using analytical methods, statistical techniques, MATLAB, Python, Excel, or similar tools to process and visualize test data.
Familiarity with simulation, modeling, or correlation of analytical results to physical test results.
Experience with test fixture design, mechanical design, or CAD tools.

Responsibilities

Lead hydraulic component and system testing projects from initial planning through final conclusions and reporting.
Develop test plans, define instrumentation and data collection needs, and coordinate laboratory resources.
Perform hands-on setup of hydraulic components, test fixtures, hoses, sensors, and associated mechanical or electrical hardware.
Operate test equipment safely while maintaining a strong focus on quality, throughput, and accurate documentation.
Collect, organize, process, and analyze test data to evaluate performance and identify trends or anomalies.
Compare test results with engineering requirements, expected behavior, and available analytical or simulation results.
Conduct failure and root cause analysis on components or systems that do not meet performance expectations.
Document test configurations, procedures, observations, results, and engineering conclusions in clear technical reports.
Present findings and recommendations to engineers, laboratory leadership, shop personnel, and internal clients.
Coordinate multiple test activities, schedules, priorities, and follow-up actions with minimal supervision.
Support continuous improvement of laboratory methods, testing processes, and data analysis practices.