Manager Manufacturing Engineering

Caterpillar•Lafayette, IN

9d•Onsite

About The Position

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. The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is responsible for leading a team of project managers accountable for planning, executing, and delivering capital projects that install new machinery, equipment, tooling, automation, and supporting infrastructure across manufacturing operations. This role establishes the team vision, operating rhythm, project governance, and performance expectations required to safely deliver equipment installations that achieve defined capacity, quality, cost, schedule, and operational readiness targets. The position requires strong manufacturing engineering leadership, disciplined project management, cross-functional influence, supplier coordination, and the ability to hold project teams accountable from concept development through design, funding, procurement, installation, commissioning, validation, production release, and final handoff to operations.

Requirements

College degree in a technical curriculum; equivalent experience may be considered where appropriate.
Working knowledge of tools, approaches and practices for determining production demand and ability to manage resources needed to provide satisfactory levels of service.
Working knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
Extensive 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.
Extensive knowledge of existing product manufacturing methods, technologies and processes; ability to execute, plan, manage and monitor the entire manufacturing process.
Working knowledge of successful performance management techniques; ability to apply organization's performance management system, practices, and tools to developing and improving individual, team, and organizational performance.
Extensive 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.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing capital projects involving new machines, automation systems, machining equipment, or facility infrastructure.
Experience developing project business cases, capital forecasts, cost estimates, supplier specifications, technical evaluations, and project schedules.
Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, root cause analysis, PFMEA, error proofing, standard work, and continuous improvement methods.
Experience using project management systems, capacity analysis tools, layout tools, manufacturing execution systems, or data visualization tools.
Demonstrated ability to lead through influence across operations, engineering, maintenance, quality, finance, safety, supply chain, and supplier organizations.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a team of project managers responsible for capital equipment, machinery installation, process improvement, automation, tooling, and facility readiness projects.
Work with team to ensure projects achieve project deliverables, including, safety requirements, quality objectives, cost performance, schedule commitments, production readiness, and target capacity execution.
Review project capacity assumptions, equipment cycle times, labor requirements, material flow, layout impacts, bottlenecks, and contingency plans to confirm projects can deliver required production output.
Develop a culture of accountability, collaboration, urgency, continuous improvement, data-driven decision making, and ownership for project results.
Develop project managers through coaching, performance feedback, technical guidance, and stretch assignments that strengthen project leadership capability.