Production Manager

Caterpillar•Decatur, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it. Production Manager Location: Decatur, IL Relocation Assistance: Offered Visa Sponsorship: Not offered Travel: Up to 5% Work Arrangement: On-site Job Summary As an off shift Production Manager in Decatur, IL, you will oversee and coordinate a production line, prepare schedules, resolve issues, and ensure safety and quality standards are met every day. This role is ideal for a hands‑on manufacturing leader who can balance people leadership, daily execution, and continuous improvement while building a strong culture of collaboration, communication, and accountability.

Requirements

Production leadership in a manufacturing environment: Ability to supervise daily operations, coordinate work across teams, and maintain safe execution.
Problem solving: Identify problems, document options, use fact‑finding tools, evaluate tradeoffs, and recommend resolutions.
Performance management: Observe performance, give objective feedback, support goal setting, and contribute to formal performance review inputs.
Planning and organizing: Anticipate bottlenecks, break work into steps, manage competing priorities, and build action plans.
Decision making and critical thinking: Organize relevant data, clarify concerns, and assess risks/benefits of alternatives.
Effective communication: Deliver clear feedback, listen productively, and communicate without unnecessary technical jargon.
Accuracy and attention to detail: Follow practices that reduce errors and support consistent, mistake‑free outputs.
Education/experience: Degree or equivalent experience desired.

Nice To Haves

Lean manufacturing / continuous improvement leadership (for example: standard work, waste reduction, daily management).
Six Sigma exposure or structured process improvement experience.
Experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and production reporting systems.
Experience leading off‑shift operations, shift handoffs, and multi-team coordination.
Safety leadership (for example: hazard identification, incident prevention, and strong shop‑floor safety culture).

Responsibilities

Create reports and records of production processes, tooling issues, performance, and inventory; share with leaders and recommend improvements to safety, productivity, and quality.
Prepare, maintain, and update documentation related to operating procedures and safety and quality standards; ensure processes and products meet expectations.
Supervise and direct the daily activities of production line employees; assign work, coordinate across teams, promote safe work practices, and monitor performance.
Train new hires; manage scheduling and work conflicts; monitor safety; and strengthen internal communication to build a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
Partner with cross‑functional teams (quality, maintenance, engineering, materials) to quickly remove barriers impacting throughput, safety, quality, and schedule attainment.
Lead structured problem solving and follow‑through: define issues, assess options, escalate risks, and drive actions to completion.