What are the responsibilities and job description for the Junior Mechanical Engineer position at Texas Hydraulics Inc?
Job Summary
Texas Hydraulics is an industry leader in developing custom hydraulic cylinder solutions for demanding OEM applications. We are seeking a Junior Mechanical Engineer to join our Sustaining Engineering team, with a primary focus on Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE) and Continuous Product Improvement (CPI). This role directly supports business objectives around cost reduction, product reliability, and supply chain optimization. The ideal candidate brings strong mechanical aptitude, a cost-conscious design mindset, and the drive to identify and implement improvements across our hydraulic cylinder product lines. All team members must demonstrate strong communication skills and the ability to manage projects with minimal oversight.
Job Responsibilities
- Lead and support VAVE projects to reduce material, manufacturing, and procurement costs without compromising performance, reliability, or customer specifications.
- Conduct teardown analyses, cost modeling, and benchmarking exercises to identify value improvement opportunities across existing hydraulic cylinder product lines.
- Develop and maintain engineering change documentation, ECOs, and redlined drawings to support approved VAVE and CPI initiatives.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Supply Chain, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Finance to validate and implement design changes that improve cost, lead time, or manufacturability.
- Support the evaluation and qualification of alternate materials, suppliers, and manufacturing processes; develop and execute test plans to validate changes.
- Develop and maintain DFMEAs, risk assessments, and associated test plans to ensure design integrity is preserved through continuous improvement changes.
- Apply working knowledge of hydraulic cylinder design fundamentals — including sealing technology, tube/rod/piston design, and end cap configurations — to evaluate design alternatives.
- Prepare engineering sketches, specifications, and analysis data to define design parameters for modified or cost-reduced components.
- Work within PLM/PDM systems (Windchill) and CAD tools (CREO) to manage and release updated product documentation.
- Participate in design reviews and change control processes; present findings and recommendations to engineering leadership.
- Support reliability testing and performance validation for design changes; prepare test reports and project completion summaries.
- Apply relevant industry standards (ASTM, ASME, ANSI, ABS, DNV) to ensure all design changes maintain compliance.
- Effectively communicate project status, findings, and technical rationale to internal stakeholders and, where applicable, customers and suppliers.
Requirements
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or closely related field from an accredited four-year university.
- 0–2 years of engineering experience; internship or co-op experience in a manufacturing or product engineering environment is a plus.
- Exposure to VAVE, lean engineering, design-to-cost, or continuous improvement methodologies is preferred.
- Familiarity with hydraulic systems, fluid power components, or precision mechanical assemblies preferred; willingness to develop deep product knowledge required.
- Proficiency or demonstrated aptitude in 3D CAD (CREO preferred) and PDM/PLM systems (Windchill preferred).
- Working knowledge of engineering analysis tools (FEA, ANSYS, or equivalent) is a plus.
- Understanding of GD&T, engineering drawing standards, and manufacturing processes (machining, welding, sealing systems).
- Must be a self-starter with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal guidance.
- Must be able to communicate effectively in both written and verbal form.
- Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.
Experience
- VAVE / Continuous Improvement – Demonstrates awareness of value engineering principles; identifies cost and performance trade-offs; participates in or leads structured improvement projects using data-driven approaches.
- Product Development & Sustaining – Experience supporting product lifecycle activities including design changes, specification updates, and engineering change management; takes ownership of assigned deliverables.
- Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves technical problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information using engineering best practices and structured tools (8D, FMEA, root cause analysis).
- Cross-Functional Collaboration – Ability to work effectively with Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Quality, and Finance teams to drive changes from concept through implementation.
- Computer Skills – Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); working knowledge of CAD (CREO preferred), PLM (Windchill preferred), and project management tools.
Travel: Less than 10%
Supervision: No direct reports.