Manufacturing Project Engineer – Assembly

Caterpillar Inc.•East Peoria, IL

4d•$112,710 - $169,060•Onsite

About The Position

The Manufacturing Project Engineer plays a critical role in driving operational excellence across the production environment. This position supports the development, optimization, and implementation of manufacturing processes that improve safety performance, product quality, production velocity, and overall cost efficiency. The role partners closely with cross‑functional teams—including Engineering, Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain—to identify process gaps, troubleshoot production issues, lead root‑cause analyses, and implement sustainable improvements.

Requirements

Capacity Planning & Management (Manufacturing) - Demonstrates extensive expertise in forecasting production needs, evaluating capacity requirements, and translating demand into actionable manufacturing plans.
Decision Making & Critical Thinking - Uses structured critical‑thinking methods to gather data, evaluate options, and support informed decision-making processes.
Manufacturing Engineering - Applies foundational engineering principles in manufacturing environments to support process improvements, equipment maintenance, and adherence to technical standards.
Project Management - Leads complex manufacturing projects through effective planning, risk management, resource coordination, and clear communication with stakeholders.
Technical Troubleshooting - Identifies, analyzes, and resolves technical issues by applying diagnostic tools, reviewing system data, and documenting effective solutions.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience desired
Extensive assembly manufacturing experience, have worked within a manufacturing environment
Experience with capital deployment in a manufacturing/production environment
A strong understanding / working knowledge of Microsoft O/S and related application
Skilled in Teamcenter, Creo, AUTOCAD, SAP ME, SAP, and other visualization software tools

Responsibilities

Provide technical expertise and leadership on major manufacturing process improvement projects, collaborating with internal teams and external suppliers to enhance productivity and reduce operational costs.
Implement large-scale manufacturing projects and ensure seamless integration with overall plant operations.
Partner with suppliers to evaluate current and proposed product or process designs, identifying opportunities to adopt or modify designs for improved manufacturability and performance.
Support and mentor manufacturing engineers and production operators to ensure the development of high‑quality products and optimized processes.