Career Area:

Manufacturing

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Hear about the Caterpillar Experience for yourself

Role Definition

Provide the technical expertise necessary to design, develop, and implement manufacturing systems, complex operations, and sophisticated machines. This role is expected to function as a specialist with respect to specific technical expertise within areas of tooling management (including selection, design, and procurement of cutting tools and fixtures), and root cause analysis for quality issues and machine breakdowns. They also play a critical role in new product introduction (NPI), ensuring manufacturability, and are involved in equipment selection and capital projects, from justification to installation. The engineer is also responsible for driving innovation and collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize processes, improve product quality, and reduce costs.

What you will do

• Creating and maintaining work instructions, tool lists, inspection guides, Control Plans, and PFMEAs for manufacturing.

• Support new product introductions and continuous improvement efforts around people, quality, velocity, and cost for large engine products.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives by leading and participating in Lean Manufacturing projects, Kaizen events, Six Sigma projects, and 5S improvements.

• Engages in creative problem-solving to address operational issues, including ergonomics and safety, efficiency improvements, process bottlenecks, and quality concerns.

• Works with internal and external suppliers to develop and manage projects, ensuring efficient and cost-effective systems and processes to produce quality products.

• Provide manufacturing technical support in process control and internal certification.

• Monitor and improve equipment reliability by identifying and addressing problem areas, performing root cause analysis, and being the technical expert for the value stream.

• Ensures compliance with all manufacturing standards, procedures, and safety guidelines, including both Caterpillar and OSHA compliant procedures.

Degree Requirement

• Bachelor’s degree (Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial concentration) or equivalent experience desired.

Skills you must have

• Collaborative Automation: Knowledge of techniques and processes of collaborative automation; ability to develop and automate manufacturing processes.

• Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.

• Engineering - Manufacturing: Knowledge of processes, techniques and methods of engineering in a manufacturing environment; ability to design and implement materials, structures, machines,
  devices, systems and processes that safely realize a desired objective or invention.

• Lean Manufacturing: Knowledge of the philosophy, principles and implementation approaches of lean manufacturing; ability to integrate and implement lean manufacturing philosophy into existing production and management processes.

• Manufacturing Processes: Knowledge of existing product manufacturing methods, technologies and processes; ability to execute, plan, manage and monitor the entire manufacturing process.

• Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.

Top candidates will also have

• Extensive experience in CNC machining with a deep understanding of metal cutting processes like turning, milling, and swiss-style machines.

• Hands-on experience with equipment setup, diagnostics, and optimization.

• Automation system experience, including PLCs and robots used in part loading and deburring.

• Experience with grinding and honing gear cutting processes.

• APQP experience.

• Prior Project Management experience.

• Well-rounded understanding of both 6 Sigma and Lean Manufacturing concepts.

Additional Information

• This posting will close on 12/22/2025 at 11:59 p.m.

• The location for this position is East Peoria, IL (Building KK) and requires the employee to work a 5-day-a-week schedule onsite.

• Relocation assistance is NOT available for this position.

• Sponsorship is NOT available.

• This position may require less than 10% travel

Final details

Please frequently check the email associated with your application, including the junk/spam folder, as this is the primary correspondence method. If you wish to know the status of your application – please use the candidate log-in on our career website as it will reflect any updates to your status.

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Summary Pay Range:

$79,800.00 - $119,760.00

Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar.

Benefits:

Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. This is a summary list of benefits.

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits*

• Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)*

• 401(k) savings plans*

• Health Savings Account (HSA)*

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)*

• Health Lifestyle Programs*

• Employee Assistance Program*

• Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts*

• Career Development*

• Incentive bonus*

• Disability benefits

• Life Insurance

• Parental leave

• Adoption benefits

• Tuition Reimbursement

* These benefits also apply to part-time employees

This position requires working onsite five days a week.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. This employer is not currently hiring foreign national applicants that require or will require sponsorship tied to a specific employer, such as, H, L, TN, F, J, E, O. As a global company, Caterpillar offers many job opportunities outside of the U.S which can be found through our employment website at www.caterpillar.com/careers.

Posting Dates:

December 8, 2025 - December 22, 2025

Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen.

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply.

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