Senior Design Engineer

Caterpillar Inc.•Sanford, NC

10d•$112,710 - $169,060•Onsite

About The Position

Caterpillar’s BCP division is hiring for Senior Design Engineer in Sanford, NC. Role Summary: As a Senior Design Engineer within Caterpillar’s BCP division, you will serve as a senior technical contributor within the Compact Utility Loader (CUL) Product Chassis team in support of new product introduction (NPI), continuous product improvement (CPI), and production readiness activities. This role is responsible for developing robust chassis system designs that balance packaging, manufacturability, serviceability, durability, cost, and adjacent system requirements. You will work closely with engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, purchasing, quality, service, and product teams to resolve complex design and production issues, support hands-on machine fit-ups and prototype builds, and release high-quality engineering documentation. The ideal candidate brings strong mechanical design capability, practical problem-solving skills, and the ability to apply technical expertise to the most challenging assignments while helping align recommendations across cross-functional partners and mentoring less-experienced engineers.

Requirements

Analytical Thinking: Ability to evaluate product, production, supplier, and field issues using data, root cause methods, and engineering judgment to define practical corrective actions.
Effective Communications: Ability to clearly communicate technical information, design tradeoffs, risks, and recommendations to engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, quality, service, and product stakeholders.
Managing Multiple Priorities: Ability to manage concurrent NPI, CPI, release, validation, and production-support activities while balancing urgency, quality, cost, and schedule.
Technical Excellence: Ability to develop robust chassis component and hydraulic line routing solutions that balance packaging, manufacturability, serviceability, durability, cost, and adjacent system needs.
Computer-Aided Design & Engineering: Ability to create, analyze, and release 3D models, drawings, specifications, and engineering changes using CAD/CAE tools and sound design practices.
Product Design and Development: Ability to support mechanical component design from concept through production, including fit-up, validation, engineering release, and continuous product improvement.

Nice To Haves

Requires a bachelor's degree in Engineering or related fields.
Design engineering experience with demonstrated ownership of component design, technical issue resolution, engineering release, and cross-functional production support.
Experience supporting coordination of complex issues and engineering releases across stakeholders.
Experience with testbed and early-NPI machine layout and concepting.
Experience using CPI analysis tools and processes to evaluate product issues, identify root cause, prioritize improvements, and support corrective action plans.
Demonstrated ability to provide expert technical guidance, mentor less-experienced engineers, and influence design direction without direct authority.

Responsibilities

Serve as a senior technical contributor within the CUL Chassis team by applying expert judgment to complex design decisions, leading multiple projects, mentoring less-experienced engineers, and sharing best practices.
Support CUL Chassis NPI and CPI activities through design, validation, release, issue resolution, and production support.
Design chassis components and hydraulic line routing solutions—including light fabrications, brackets, guards, non-metallic tanks, and mounting hardware—that balance packaging, installation feasibility, serviceability, manufacturability, cost, tolerance requirements, and adjacent system needs.
Drive resolution of complex design, quality, supplier, production, warranty, and field issues by coordinating analysis, corrective actions, and implementation plans.
Participate in hands-on machine fit-ups, prototype builds, design reviews, and production readiness activities while incorporating operator, customer, dealer, and field feedback into product improvements.
Create and release engineering documentation, including models, drawings, specifications, test plans, and engineering change records, in collaboration with manufacturing, suppliers, purchasing, quality, service, and product teams.