Sr. Product Procurement Engineer

Caterpillar Inc.•Mossville, IL

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Product Procurement Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring supplier and network capacity readiness to support growing business demand across Resource Industries Supply Management (RISM). In this role, you will lead Network Planning & Execution (NPE) capacity initiatives, by leveraging Caterpillar’s enterprise tools, analytics, and supplier partnerships to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate capacity risks. As demand continues to expand, you will be at the cutting edge of supply network growth, helping design and implement scalable solutions that enable the business to win. The role partners closely with suppliers, category teams, engineering, manufacturing, and enterprise stakeholders to align demand, capacity assumptions, and mitigation plans. In addition, this role owns and facilitates a cross‑functional capacity alignment forum (RISM OBEYA) to drive alignment, rapid issue resolution, and disciplined execution of supplier and network capacity mitigation actions. RISM is rapidly growing, and this role is central to enabling that growth as demand continues to increase. You will operate at the leading edge of capacity planning and network expansion, helping shape how Caterpillar scales its global supply base. This is a highly visible role that partners closely with procurement, engineering, manufacturing, and leadership to solve complex, real‑time capacity challenges. The work is dynamic, strategic, and impactful. In this role, you will be able to help transform uncertainty into actionable solutions that keep the enterprise moving forward.

Requirements

Data-driven Decision Making: Knowledge of the data‑driven decision‑making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to gather, analyze, and interpret data to support organizational decisions aligned with strategic business objectives, including supplier and network capacity planning.
Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine root causes of organizational, supplier, or network capacity issues and develop alternative solutions that mitigate risk and improve supply continuity.
Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools, and techniques; ability to clearly transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, risks, and recommendations across cross‑functional teams, suppliers, and leadership.
Interpersonal Relationships: Knowledge of techniques and the ability to work constructively and collaboratively with a wide range of individuals and groups, including suppliers and internal stakeholders, to drive alignment, issue resolution, and disciplined execution.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Knowledge of the principles and tools used in cost‑benefit analysis; ability to evaluate products, processes, projects, or capacity mitigation options in terms of cost, risk, and business impact.
Supplier Management - Manufacturing: Knowledge of processes and methods to effectively manage business relationships and transactions with suppliers of raw materials or product components; ability to apply related knowledge, experience, and skills to manage supplier capacity, performance, and risk.
Supply Chain Management: Knowledge of supply chain functions, principles, and techniques; ability to develop and implement strategies, practices, and tools to manage end‑to‑end supply chain processes, including network readiness and capacity stability.
Degree or equivalent experience in Engineering, Supply Chain, or related discipline.

Nice To Haves

Caterpillar procurement experience or prior experience in similarly complex, engineered manufacturing environments.
Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI), major production ramps, or network expansions.
Familiarity with capacity predictive analytics, scenario modeling, and enterprise planning systems.
Background in product procurement engineering, supplier development, or manufacturing engineering.

Responsibilities

Utilize existing enterprise tools to develop repeatable processes that identify and resolve near‑term and long‑term supplier and network capacity risks within the RISM supply base.
Lead NPE capacity planning activities, using enterprise planning tools to assess supplier and network readiness against business demand.
Drive capacity collaboration with suppliers and internal stakeholders to align demand signals, capacity assumptions, and mitigation plans.
Own and execute Enterprise Capacity Requirements – Supplier (ECR‑S) processes to capture supplier capacity needs, identify gaps, and drive mitigation actions.
Lead supplier capacity alignment activities (SCOPE) to reduce demand volatility and minimize cyclical demand signals.
Develop and maintain capacity predictive analytics to forecast constraints, evaluate scenarios, and support proactive, data‑driven decision making.
Ensure capacity plans align with category strategies, supplier capabilities, and enterprise network priorities.
Establish standard work, KPIs, and dashboards to monitor supplier capacity readiness, risk exposure, and mitigation progress.
Drive continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned from capacity issues and deploying best practices across the supply network.
Communicate supplier capacity risks, trade‑offs, and recommendations clearly to senior leadership and cross‑functional partners.
Own and facilitate RISM OBEYA, including agenda development, facilitation, issue escalation, decision tracking, and follow‑up to ensure timely execution of mitigation actions.
Lead RISM strategic projects around Process Excellence & Governance, Sustainable Value Creation, Supply Resiliency, Quality & Defect-Free Culture, and Aftermarket Growth.
Agility and flexibility in the role is required as we are the RISM transformation team.