Sr. Associate Engineer–Test/Validation

Caterpillar Inc.•Mossville, IL

3d•$130,354 - $133,810•Onsite

About The Position

Caterpillar Inc. seeks a Sr. Associate Engineer–Test/Validation at its facility at 14009 N Old Galena Road, Technical Center Building TC-L, Chillicothe, Illinois. The role develops, plans, executes, and manages validation activities using on-machine and bench testing of heavy equipment machinery components. It uses multiple transducers and data acquisition systems to measure acceleration, strain, displacement, temperature, pressure, motion, load, and torque. The engineer uses Noise, Vibration, and Harshness (NVH) analysis software to interpret vibration measurements, evaluate component durability, and produce reports comparing vibration parameters with internal and industry acceptance criteria. The work spans project planning and scheduling, hardware procurement and preparation, test and bench setup, data collection and analysis, and report generation. The engineer communicates results and solutions to design and simulation teams and collaborates on New Product Introduction and New Technology Introduction programs, as well as Current Product Improvement issues for machinery components. The position also supports innovation by improving and developing test methods in response to changing technology, industry standards, and unique situations. The role is onsite five days a week, does not allow telecommuting, and requires up to 25% domestic travel to conduct tests at Caterpillar, dealer, and customer locations.

Requirements

Master’s degree or foreign equivalent in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Materials Science, plus at least 1 year of experience in dynamic test and analysis of engine components or a related occupation; alternatively, a bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in one of those fields plus at least 3 years of such experience.
Employment experience with digital signal processing.
Employment experience with experimental modal analysis.
Employment experience with data acquisition systems.
Employment experience with strain gage-based measurements.
Employment experience with material fatigue analysis.

Responsibilities

Develop, plan, execute, and manage validation activities through on-machine and bench testing of heavy equipment machinery components.
Perform tests using acceleration, strain, displacement, temperature, pressure, motion, load, and torque transducers through data acquisition systems.
Use NVH analysis software to interpret vibration measurements and assess component durability.
Generate reports evaluating vibration parameters against internal and industry acceptance criteria.
Plan and schedule projects; procure and prepare hardware; set up tests and benches; collect and analyze data; and generate reports.
Communicate results and solutions to design and simulation teams.
Collaborate on NPI and NTI programs and resolve CPI issues for machinery components.
Improve and develop test methods to adapt to changing technology, industry standards, and unique situations.
Travel domestically to conduct tests at Caterpillar, dealer, and customer locations, up to 25% of the time.