Production Manager – Lower Power Train

Caterpillar Inc.•Decatur, IL

5d•$97,530 - $146,290•Onsite

About The Position

As 1st shift Production Manager in Decatur, Illinois, you will oversee and coordinate a complex production line, ensuring safe, high-quality, on-time manufacturing. You will lead daily execution by preparing schedules, resolving production issues, and reinforcing operating procedures and standards, while developing teams and strengthening a culture of continuous improvement. The position is on-site, with travel up to 5%. Relocation assistance is offered; visa sponsorship is not offered.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience desired.
Ability to identify engineering and operational challenges, evaluate alternatives, analyze risks, and implement effective solutions.
Experience collecting, analyzing, and using operational data to drive informed business decisions and performance improvements.
Ability to coach employees, provide actionable feedback, and support workforce development initiatives.
Capability to evaluate complex situations, determine root causes, and implement new processes and controls.
Ability to organize information, prioritize competing demands, and make sound operational decisions for newly developed manufacturing processes and equipment.
Experience integrating new technologies, developing action plans, managing priorities, and executing against production objectives.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage all levels of the organization.
Commitment to operational discipline, quality standards, and execution excellence.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading in an automated manufacturing environment, including multi-team coordination and shift leadership.
Experience leading large-scale operational transformation, automation, or process improvement initiatives.
Demonstrated success leading Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence initiatives.

Responsibilities

Lead and coordinate day-to-day execution for a complex production line, aligning staffing, materials flow, and priorities to meet safety, quality, and delivery commitments.
Create and maintain production reports and records covering process performance, tooling issues, and inventory, and provide actionable recommendations to improve safety, productivity, and quality.
Prepare, maintain, and improve standard operating documentation, ensuring processes and products meet defined safety and quality standards.
Supervise and direct production teams by assigning work, coordinating across teams, monitoring performance, removing barriers, and ensuring a safe work environment.
Train and onboard new team members, manage scheduling, and resolve work conflicts to maintain stable, efficient shift execution.
Troubleshoot operational issues using a structured approach; identify root causes, evaluate options, and implement effective countermeasures.
Communicate clearly up, down, and across the organization to sustain alignment, accountability, and consistent production results.
Collaborate across Manufacturing, Engineering, Facilities Engineering, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to drive issue resolution.