Performance & Simulation Engineer - Drills

Caterpillar•Denison, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Performance & Simulation Engineer for the Surface Rock Drills team, you will work to drive machine‑level performance through advanced simulation, analysis, and data‑driven decision making. In this role, you will tackle complex engineering challenges across systems and components while shaping the performance and design of both current and next‑generation Caterpillar products. This role is exciting because you will lead machine‑level performance engineering for Surface Rock Drills, influencing both existing products and future platforms. You will apply deep expertise in machine systems and simulations to guide critical design and performance tradeoff decisions. You will work at the center of the product group, collaborating closely with system, component, and validation teams. You will define and influence validation strategy for New Product Introduction (NPI) programs to ensure performance targets are met. You will use data analytics and simulation tools to make impactful, evidence‑based performance decisions that matter to customers. You will see your work directly translate into improved product quality, customer outcomes, and next‑generation drill designs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in an accredited Engineering, Computer Science, or Materials Science program.
Experience performing analysis and simulation for Caterpillar machine systems.
Knowledge of Surface Rock Drill applications, configurations, and product history.
Strong understanding of machine performance drivers, including engine, hydraulics, compressed air, and cooling systems.
Broad knowledge of core machine systems and subsystems.
Working proficiency with tools such as Dynasty, DATK, D2D, Excel, Cool‑1, Simulink, Tableau, and Power BI.
Experience with control systems and performance‑related technologies.
Proficiency with engineering data systems such as EDS, HVC, and VisView.
Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative mindset.
Demonstrated leadership capability, project management experience, and effective communication skills.

Responsibilities

Partner with customers, product leadership, and cross‑functional teams to scope and deliver performance‑focused projects.
Produce timely, high‑quality simulation and analysis that drives product and process decisions.
Collaborate with design, manufacturing, supply chain, and test teams to support robust product delivery and validation.
Develop, validate, and maintain base machine analytical tools.
Identify and close performance and validation gaps, including competitive and customer impact.
Continuously improve analytical methods, tools, and technologies.
Provides technical leadership for machine‑level performance using simulation and analytical methods.
Partners with system and component teams to assess interactions and balance performance tradeoffs.
Mentors and guides others in solving complex machine and system challenges.
Accountable for delivering high‑quality technical analysis and upholding performance standards.
Diagnoses complex machine performance issues by identifying gaps, root causes, and system‑level contributors.
Applies data analytics to assess cost, risk, benefit, and customer impact.
Decomposes machine‑level problems into component and subsystem analyses.
Selects appropriate simulation and analytical tools to support data‑driven decisions.
Develops, validates, and refines analytical tools to ensure accuracy and correlation to physical performance.
Identifies validation and data gaps that affect confidence in performance conclusions.
Quantifies the impact of errors and performance deviations on product and customer outcomes.
Reinforces quality management practices across analysis, validation, and reporting.
Defines and improves analysis and validation processes to support NPI and ongoing product performance.
Demonstrates deep understanding of end‑to‑end machine performance processes and dependencies.
Coordinates analysis activities across cross‑functional teams.
Builds business cases for new or improved processes using cost‑benefit and performance impact analysis.
Communicates technical findings, risks, and recommendations clearly to technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
Adapts analysis outputs and presentations for leadership, project teams, and customers.
Influences decisions through data‑backed recommendations with a collaborative approach.
Maintains focus on performance objectives, risks, and next steps.
Leads structured problem‑solving efforts for high‑impact, cross‑functional machine performance issues.
Aligns stakeholders on problem definition, analytical approach, validation scope, and decision criteria.
Evaluates long‑term implications of performance alternatives and system tradeoffs.
Applies industry best practices and emerging technologies to strengthen problem‑solving capability.
Plans and executes simulation, analysis, and validation activities to meet timeline and quality objectives.
Identifies performance risks and validation gaps; develops mitigation plans.
Conducts regular project reviews with teams and leadership.
Ensures transparency through clear reporting and performance tracking.