Manufacturing Engineering and Automation Manager

Caterpillar•East Peoria, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

As the Manufacturing Engineering and Automation Manager, you will lead a manufacturing engineering organization responsible for developing safe, efficient, and cost-effective manufacturing and assembly processes. You will translate product demand and capacity requirements into advanced manufacturing plans for equipment, automation, tooling, plant layouts, infrastructure, and capital investment. This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of manufacturing by integrating automation technology with lean processes, production priorities, and long-term business needs.

Requirements

Manufacturing engineering: Extensive knowledge of manufacturing processes, assembly methods, equipment, tooling, layouts, work standards, and production infrastructure.
Advanced planning: Demonstrated ability to translate product demand and production forecasts into capacity, resource, equipment, space, cost, and implementation requirements.
Lean manufacturing: Experience integrating lean principles into manufacturing processes, work cells, layouts, performance measures, and continuous-improvement plans.
Leadership and problem-solving: Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams, develop employees, make informed decisions, challenge assumptions, assess alternatives, and resolve complex operational problems.
A degree or equivalent experience is desired, with relevant experience leading manufacturing engineering work in a production environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading a manufacturing engineering team in a complex, capital-intensive, heavy-equipment, industrial-equipment, automotive, agricultural-equipment, aerospace, or similarly advanced manufacturing environment.
Experience developing multi-year manufacturing technology, capacity, equipment, or automation plans.
Experience integrating industrial automation, robotics, programmable logic controllers, machine controls, machine vision, collaborative automation, or automated material-handling systems.
Experience leading capital-equipment projects from business case and technical specification through installation, validation, production ramp-up, and performance review.
Experience working with equipment manufacturers, automation integrators, technical suppliers, or multi-vendor manufacturing environments.
Knowledge of plant layout, work-cell design, line balancing, process validation, production readiness, equipment reliability, machine safety, and manufacturing application systems.
Lean, Six Sigma, project-management, automation, controls, or other relevant technical certification.

Responsibilities

Lead the manufacturing engineering team executing advanced planning for all manufacturing operations (Fabrication, Machining, Assembly etc..)
Translate demand forecasts, product programs, and production schedules into short-term and long-term plans for capacity, equipment, space, tooling, infrastructure, resources, and capital investment.
Develop and execute an advanced manufacturing and automation roadmap that improves safety, quality, velocity, reliability, capacity, and cost.
Lead the evaluation, selection, integration, installation, validation, and continuous improvement of manufacturing equipment, industrial automation, robotics, machine controls, and related technologies.
Partner with operations, product engineering, maintenance, quality, safety, facilities, supply chain, information technology, procurement, and equipment suppliers to deliver production-ready manufacturing solutions.
Apply lean manufacturing principles to work-cell design, process flow, plant layouts, material movement, equipment utilization, standard work, and automation deployment.
Build organizational capability by setting clear priorities, coaching manufacturing engineers, developing technical standards, managing performance, and leading the resolution of complex manufacturing problems.