Manufacturing Engineer

Caterpillar-Decatur•Decatur, IL

13d

About The Position

RFA Engineering is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to join its engineering team. The position serves as a liaison between machine assembly facilities and component manufacturing operations, ensuring quality issues are contained, communicated, investigated, and resolved using structured problem-solving methods. The engineer will lead quality improvement efforts, support End-to-End Built in Quality initiatives, and drive corrective actions to improve customer satisfaction and manufacturing performance. The role combines hands-on factory-floor investigations and quality assessments with office-based project work. The engineer will collaborate with manufacturing engineering, quality, design, production, and customer teams; analyze manufacturing and quality data; and support continuous improvement, quality systems, and process improvements. This is a full-time position. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering and two or more years of relevant industrial experience; an associate degree in a related technical field with at least four years of relevant experience may also be considered.
Experience applying 8D or comparable structured problem-solving methodologies in a manufacturing environment.
Good working knowledge of manufacturing operations and quality standards.
Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively across multiple disciplines.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 applications, particularly Excel for data analysis.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders at multiple organizational levels.
Experience conducting root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing or improving manufacturing processes.
Familiarity with machining processes and equipment.
Self-motivated and highly organized.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Effective interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
Comfort balancing hands-on factory-floor activities with office-based project work.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Demonstrated leadership in team-based environments.
Results-oriented approach focused on quality and customer satisfaction.
Experience developing processes focused on improved safety, single-piece flow, traceability, quality, and cost reduction.

Responsibilities

Support the development and implementation of centrifugal casting.
Lead emergency, interim, and permanent corrective actions for customer and internal quality issues.
Drive Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) investigations across cross-functional teams.
Serve as an ambassador and coach for End-to-End (E2E) Built in Quality initiatives.
Lead quality improvement projects using Microsoft Office 365 tools and data analysis techniques.
Support continuous improvement initiatives within manufacturing operations.
Collaborate with manufacturing engineering, quality, design, and production teams to resolve product and process issues.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external customers.
Use structured problem-solving methodologies, including 8D, Six Sigma, and other quality tools.
Analyze manufacturing and quality data to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities.
Drive compliance with quality standards, procedures, and customer requirements.
Support implementation of quality systems, best practices, and process improvements.
Participate in factory-floor investigations and hands-on quality assessments.