Hydraulics System Engineer

Join the team bringing advanced autonomy to the built world

At Bedrock were moving AI out of the lab and into the real world. Our team includes veterans who helped launch Waymo scaled Segment to a $3.2B acquisition and grew Uber Freight to $5B in revenue. Today were deploying autonomous systems on heavy construction equipment across the country improving safety on job sites and accelerating schedules on critical infrastructure projects.

Were not here debating the future of AI. Were deploying it in the real just two years weve raised $350M and achieved the first fully autonomous excavator deployments in construction.

This is where algorithms meet steel-toed boots. Youll work alongside construction veterans and world-class engineers to solve physical-world problems that simulations cant touch. If youre ready to do meaningful work on hard problems wed love to have you join us.

Description

As a Hydraulics System Engineer you will own the hydraulic and electro-hydraulic (EH) actuation that lets our autonomy kit command steering braking implements and travel on construction machines such as excavators articulated dump trucks scrapers graders compactors and wheel loaders. You will characterize OEM hydraulic systems design retrofit valve and pilot-control interfaces that preserve factory function and serviceability and work with controls electrical software safety and supply chain teams to turn those interfaces into reliable manufacturable functionally safe subsystems. Your work has to perform in the field under high pressure contamination heat shock and vibration and around-the-clock duty cycles on active job sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Hydraulic System Characterization : Reverse-engineer and document OEM hydraulic circuits (pumps main control valves pilot circuits steering and brake systems) producing ISO 1219 schematics and PQ pressure and response characterization for autonomous control.

• EH Actuation Design : Design retrofit electro-hydraulic interfaces (proportional pilot valves steering and brake valves shuttle/selector logic and manifolds) that give the autonomy stack precise control while keeping manual operation intact.

• Component Selection & Sizing : Specify and size valves manifolds hoses fittings sensors (pressure position flow) filters and accumulators against flow pressure response and duty-cycle requirements.

• Functional Safety : Partner with the safety team to define safe states and failure behavior for hydraulic actuation; contribute to DFMEA FTA and hazard analysis in line with ISO 13849 and ISO 25119.

• Controls Collaboration : Work with controls and software engineers on valve modeling deadband and hysteresis compensation and closed-loop tuning; support system identification on the machine.

• Routing & Packaging : Define hose and tube routing manifold placement and mounting within tight machine envelopes accounting for articulation abrasion heat and service access.

• Test & Validation : Plan and execute bench and on-machine tests (pressure flow leak response endurance and contamination) and drive root cause on hydraulic issues found in the field.

• Prototype Build Support : Hands-on plumbing commissioning and bleeding of prototype systems; work alongside technicians in the shop and at customer job sites.

• Supplier & Vendor Management : Lead technical engagement with hydraulic suppliers (e.g. Danfoss Bosch Rexroth Hydac Parker Eaton) from RFQ through validation including make-vs-buy evaluations.

• Documentation & BOM : Maintain schematics BOMs installation procedures and service documentation through the product lifecycle and into field deployment.

Qualifications & Skills

• Education: Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering Mechatronics Agricultural/Fluid Power Engineering or a related field or equivalent experience

• Experience: 7 years designing integrating or testing hydraulic and electro-hydraulic systems for mobile machinery (construction agricultural mining or off-highway vehicles).

• Hydraulics Fundamentals: Strong command of open/closed-center and load-sensing circuits pilot-operated and proportional valves pump/valve PQ behavior and hydraulic schematic reading and authoring (ISO 1219).

• Fluid Dynamics: Solid grounding in the fluid mechanics behind hydraulic systems including orifice and flow equations laminar vs. turbulent flow pressure losses viscosity and temperature effects bulk modulus and compressibility cavitation and aeration and pressure transients.

• Tools: Hands-on with pressure/flow instrumentation and data acquisition; familiarity with CAN/J1939 and hydraulic simulation (e.g. Amesim Simscape Automation Studio) a plus.

• Functional Safety: Exposure to ISO 13849 ISO 25119 or similar standards a plus.

Bedrock Robotics is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Were committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin ancestry age disability veteran status genetic information or any other protected characteristic.

Reasonable Accommodations

We want our hiring process to be accessible to everyone. If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please let your recruiter know so we can support you.

Required Experience:

IC