Hydraulic Engineering Manager

Follow Quest on Linkedin at: Quest Energy Group

Quest (www.questenergygroup.com) is Houston's Leading Offshore Oil and Gas and Service related Executive Search and Talent Acquisition Firm.

We're seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to lead a high-performing team delivering complex hydraulic power units (HPUs) and electro-hydraulic/control systems for industrial, energy, marine, and related applications. You'll set technical direction, grow talent, and drive end-to-end execution—from concept and design through build, test, and commissioning—in a growth-oriented organization with strong, supportive leadership.

What You'll Do

• Own engineering delivery for fluid-power and motion-control systems (HPUs, manifolds, cylinders, PLC/SCADA interfaces), ensuring performance, reliability, and safety.
• Manage and develop a team of ~8 engineers; set goals, coach, and establish best-practice standards and design reviews.
• Translate customer/spec requirements into system architecture, schematics, and BOMs; guide modeling and drawings (e.g., SolidWorks/AutoCAD).
• Partner cross-functionally with manufacturing, supply chain, and field service to hit quality, schedule, and cost targets in an ISO 9001 environment.
• Lead factory acceptance testing (FAT) and support commissioning/start-up; steward continuous improvement and corrective-action plans.
• Ensure compliance with relevant codes/standards; familiarity with offshore/marine certs (e.g., ABS, DNV, API) is a plus.
• Resource planning, workload balancing, and hiring; contribute to roadmap and technology decisions.

Qualifications

Must-have

• Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering (or related).
• 8+ years in fluid-power systems or heavy industrial equipment; 2+ years leading engineering teams.
• Hands-on experience with hydraulic circuits, sizing, and component selection (pumps, valves, accumulators, filtration, cooling).
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary projects (mechanical/electrical/controls) from design through build/test.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management.

Nice-to-have

• Experience with PLC/HMI integration and instrumentation for electro-hydraulic systems.
• Exposure to marine/offshore or heavy industrial environments; knowledge of certifying bodies (ABS/DNV/API).
• Familiarity with structured FAT documentation and reliability/troubleshooting methods for hydraulic systems.
• CAD/CAE proficiency; tolerance to shop/field environments.