Manufacturing Engineer

Career Area

Manufacturing

Job Description

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.

Manufacturing Engineer

About LPSD

The Large Power Systems Division (LPSD) is part of Caterpillar’s Power & Energy segment. Through this global organization, Caterpillar designs and manufactures large (greater than 18 liters) diesel and natural gas engines, powertrains and key engine systems. LPSD products and solutions support customers across power generation, industrial, marine, oil & gas, rail, services and Cat® machine applications worldwide.

LPSD teams work across regions and function to deliver safe, reliable and compliant solutions that help solve our customers’ toughest challenges.

About LEC (Lafayette Engine Center)

The Lafayette Engine Center (LEC) manufactures the Cat 3500, Cat 3600 and C175 engines helping Caterpillar become the world’s leading manufacturer of off-highway diesel and natural gas engines.

The units built at LEC power mining trucks carrying ore to be processed, tugboats guiding ships to harbor, drill rigs tapping oil and gas reserves and generators bringing electricity to communities, hospitals and data centers

Job Summary

The Manufacturing Engineer – Process Support will lead the development and implementation of safe, lean, capable, and cost-effective manufacturing processes for current and future machining operations. This position will support New Capital Introduction projects and lead major process improvements on existing machining operations.

The engineer will evaluate existing manufacturing methods, develop current-state and future-state processes and layouts, and work with Operations, Quality, Safety, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Product Engineering, Facilities, and external equipment suppliers to deliver manufacturing solutions that improve safety, quality, velocity, and cost.

This role requires strong manufacturing engineering fundamentals as well as skills in automation process implementation, project leadership, structured problem solving, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to translate production needs into practical equipment and process solutions.

Success in This Role

A successful candidate will have the background and ambition to become the subject matter expert with machine controls and automation systems for various areas of manufacturing. A successful candidate will also be able to take a manufacturing need from an initially defined problem or future manufacturing requirement through a robust and implementable process solution. The candidate should be comfortable working on the production floor, analyzing data, developing layouts and equipment concepts, working with suppliers, leading cross-functional reviews, supporting project execution, and implementing process changes in production.

What you will do

• Document current-state processes and develop future-state manufacturing concepts, process flows, workstation designs, material flows, and layouts.

• Improve machine control user knowledge from awareness level to advanced level

• Leverage existing automation experience to support incoming manufacturing automation cells and develop knowledge to be Subject Matter Expert

• Develop process requirements, equipment concepts, scopes of work, technical specifications, and acceptance criteria for manufacturing equipment and tooling.

• Support Manufacturing Engineering activities for New Capital Introduction, equipment replacement, capacity, safety, quality, and process improvement projects within Assembly operations.

• Work with original equipment manufacturers and other suppliers to develop and improve manufacturing processes.

• Evaluate proposed solutions using safety, quality, velocity, cost, maintainability, ergonomics, flexibility, capacity, and lifecycle considerations.

• Support project plans, schedules, budgets, risks, deliverables, design reviews, installation activities, validation plans, and launch-readiness actions.

• Benchmark existing manufacturing processes and technologies to identify best practices, process gaps, risks, and improvement opportunities.

• Coordinate with Operations and organizational support groups to ensure that people, processes, equipment, tooling, material, documentation, quality controls, maintenance resources, and facility requirements are ready for implementation and production startup.

• Lead or facilitate cross-functional process and design reviews using PFMEA, Control Plans, process flow documentation, risk assessments, error-proofing principles, and other appropriate engineering methods.

• Identify potential process failures and implement effective engineering controls that reduce risk and support safe, repeatable, and capable production.

• Apply Lean manufacturing principles, including waste elimination, standard work, visual management, line balancing, flow improvement, mistake-proofing, and workplace organization.

• Analyze production and process data to identify variation, bottlenecks, constraints, reliability concerns, and opportunities to improve process capability.

• Apply structured problem-solving methods such as A3, 8D, DMAIC, root cause analysis, and corrective action planning.

• Support equipment runoff, installation, commissioning, production validation, operator and maintenance training, and transition to the receiving organization.

• Monitor project and process performance after implementation and lead corrective actions necessary to achieve safety, quality, velocity, cost, and reliability objectives.

• Communicate project status, technical recommendations, risks, decisions, and escalation needs to project stakeholders and leadership.

Degree Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, Automation Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering Technology, or another related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience where permitted.

What you will have

Decision Making and Critical Thinking : Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Applies critical-thinking techniques to evaluate manufacturing, equipment, process, and project decisions.

• Identifies, obtains, organizes, and analyzes relevant technical, operational, cost, and risk information.

• Clarifies and prioritizes stakeholder requirements, constraints, assumptions, and concerns.

• Evaluates risks, benefits, tradeoffs, and alternatives before recommending a course of action.

• Documents decisions, supporting rationale, owners, and follow-up actions for cross-functional alignment.

Lean Manufacturing : Knowledge of philosophy, principles and implementation approaches of lean manufacturing; ability to integrate and implement lean manufacturing philosophy into existing production and management processes.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Applies Lean principles to work cell, workstation, line, material-flow, and process design.

• Identifies waste, constraints, and flow interruptions and develops practical countermeasures.

• Selects and utilizes appropriate Lean tools, techniques, and measurements for process assessment and improvement.

• Develops future-state processes