Director of Manufacturing Engineering – Sanford Advanced Manufacturing

Caterpillar Inc.•Sanford, NC

1d•$189,080 - $283,630•Onsite

About The Position

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Director of Manufacturing Engineering to lead the manufacturing engineering strategy for a new advanced manufacturing operation in Sanford, North Carolina. This role is crucial for establishing a new facility from the ground up, focusing on shaping the factory’s digital, automated, and connected manufacturing capabilities during its startup phase. The position requires leadership in systems, organization, technical standards, and operating discipline for long-term success. The role spans from facility development and equipment commissioning through production ramp-up, go-live, and stable operations. Collaboration with various departments including operations, product engineering, quality, supply chain, facilities, safety, information technology, and external partners is essential to create scalable manufacturing capabilities. A significant focus will be on smart manufacturing, encompassing automation, connected equipment, manufacturing execution systems, digital work processes, real-time performance data, and advanced material movement. The ideal candidate will integrate manufacturing engineering, operations, and technology decisions into a practical operating model. A core objective is to transform traditional manufacturing processes with longer build cycles into a faster, more responsive operating model by leveraging automation, connected systems, advanced material flow, and process redesign to reduce end-to-end build time while maintaining safety, quality, and process control.

Requirements

Strategic Thinking: Ability to create long-term manufacturing strategies aligned with growth, operational excellence and competitive advantage.
Change Leadership: Ability to lead organizational change, manufacturing modernization and adoption of new technologies and processes.
Influencing and Executive Communication: Ability to present evidence-based recommendations, build alignment and influence decisions across functions and leadership levels.
Automation and Smart Manufacturing: Knowledge of robotics, industrial automation, manufacturing execution systems, machine connectivity, smart factory platforms, equipment data, digital work instructions and connected manufacturing solutions.
Manufacturing Velocity and Flow: Ability to reduce end-to-end build time through process simplification, constraint elimination, line balancing, automation and data-driven continuous improvement while maintaining safety, quality and process control.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to build productive relationships across operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, facilities safety, finance, information technology and external partners.
Manufacturing Startup Leadership: Ability to develop manufacturing-readiness plans, lead commissioning, support production ramp-up and transition capabilities into stable operations.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering disciplines
Extensive leadership experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, industrial engineering, plant engineering, advanced manufacturing or a related technical function.
Experience developing and implementing manufacturing processes, production systems, equipment, machinery, tooling and automation.
Experience building, leading and developing technical teams through significant growth or change.
Led advanced manufacturing startups, major expansions, and large-scale transformations from facility design and construction through production launch, ramp-up, stabilization, and ongoing operations.
Built and led manufacturing engineering organizations, establishing technical standards, operating systems, workforce capability, and operational discipline to sustain long-term performance.
Directed manufacturing readiness and industrialization efforts, including plant layout, material flow, equipment qualification, process validation, workforce readiness, NPI, and production scale-up.
Deployed automation and smart manufacturing solutions while partnering across operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, and technology teams to deliver scalable manufacturing improvements and capital investments.

Responsibilities

Lead manufacturing engineering for a new advanced manufacturing facility development through go-live.
Lead the deployment of smart manufacturing capabilities and digital manufacturing standards, including robotics, industrial automation, connected equipment, digital work instructions, manufacturing execution systems, smart factory platforms, automated inspection, data visibility and advanced material movement solutions.
Lead the transition from traditional production cycles to shorter build times by identifying constraints, redesigning manufacturing processes and deploying automation, connected equipment and advanced material-flow solutions.
Direct equipment design reviews, supplier technical reviews, installation planning, equipment acceptance, process qualification, startup issue resolution and complex engineering project execution.
Establish and execute the manufacturing engineering strategy, including production processes, plant layout, material flow, tooling, equipment, automation, machine connectivity, digital manufacturing systems and technical support infrastructure.
Develop and manage an integrated manufacturing-readiness plan covering facility requirements, equipment procurement, installation, commissioning, process validation, workforce readiness and production launch.
Build and develop an inclusive, high-performing manufacturing engineering organization with technical capability, operating discipline and leadership depth needed to support startup, and go-live.
Partner with operations, product engineering, quality, supply chain, facilities, safety, finance, information technology, equipment suppliers and external partners to achieve facility, equipment and production-readiness milestones.
Establish standard work, process controls, engineering governance, operating procedures and performance measures that support safe, repeatable and scalable manufacturing.
Use manufacturing data, process signals, equipment performance, quality, yield, runtime, capacity and cost data to improve flow, eliminate waste, increase process capability and implement sustainable improvements.
Translate demand forecasts and product plans into short-term and long-term capacity, resource, technology and capital requirements.
Guide the resolution of technically challenging manufacturing problems and ensure durable corrective actions are implemented.
Present project status, investment recommendations, technical risks, tradeoffs and mitigation plans to senior leaders and other decision-makers.