Senior Design Engineer

Caterpillar; Chennai; On-site; INR 2,000,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Caterpillar in Chennai, India, is seeking a Project Leader for Medium Tractor Products (MTP). You will lead cross-functional programs with global teams to deliver scope, schedule, cost, and quality targets from India.

The role focuses on NPIs, NTIs, NSIs, risk management, and execution within APQP and validation frameworks, coordinating with engineering, manufacturing, supply, and commercial groups to produce production-ready solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical, automobile, production, manufacturing or related engineering.
• Proven experience leading complex, multi-functional engineering projects.
• Strong understanding of product development from requirements through release.
• Ability to manage scope, schedule, cost, quality with global teams.
• Strong planning, communication, analytical and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead NPI, NTI, NSI and product-improvement projects from planning through implementation.
• Align India and global teams across engineering, manufacturing, supply, quality, validation, and commercial.
• Manage scope, milestones, and trade-offs between technical, cost and quality.
• Identify risks, develop mitigations, and drive decisions to closure.
• Execute development processes with design reviews, APQP and validation.
• Provide concise health reporting on status, cost, quality, risks and decisions.
• Capture lessons learned and coach teams to build project leadership capability.

Skills

Program Leadership

Global cross-functional

Scope management

Risk Management

Product Development

Stakeholder Communication

Continuous Improvement

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical/related Engineering

Tools

APQP

Validation

FMEA

Lean

Job description

Career Area:

Engineering

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.

Job Purpose –

The MTP L6 Project Leader will lead Medium Tractor Products programs and projects executed from India, partnering with global engineering, product, manufacturing, procurement, quality, validation, and commercial teams.

The role translates program objectives into executable plans, driving and collaborating with the global team to deliver committed scope, timing, cost, and quality targets.

As the key cross-functional integration point, the Project Leader manages risks, facilitates decisions, removes execution barriers, and keeps deliverables aligned with MTP business and product objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Program & Project Leadership: Lead NPI, NTI, NSI, cost, quality and product improvement projects from planning through implementation, defining scope, milestones, resources and success criteria.
• Global Cross-Functional Leadership: Align India and global engineering, manufacturing, supply, quality, validation and commercial teams, influencing decisions without direct authority.
• Scope, Schedule, Cost & Quality Management: Control scope, track critical-path milestones and balance technical, cost and quality trade-offs, driving recovery plans when targets are at risk.
• Risk, Issue & Decision Management: Identify risks early, develop mitigation plans with functional owners, and raise critical issues with clear options and recommendations, driving decisions to closure.
• Product Development Execution: Execute within Caterpillar product-development processes, applying design reviews, APQP and validation rigor to deliver production-ready solutions that meet customer and business requirements.
• Stakeholder Communication & Governance: Provide concise project health reporting on status, cost, quality, risks and decisions required and run reviews with clear owners and due dates.
• Continuous Improvement & Capability Building: Apply Lean, CPI and structured problem-solving, capture lessons learned, and coach engineers to build project leadership capability in MTP India.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's or master’s degree in mechanical, Automobile, Production, Manufacturing, Electrical or a related engineering discipline.
• Proven experience leading complex, multi-functional engineering projects or workstreams.
• Strong understanding of product development from requirements through design, validation, release and production.
• Demonstrated ability to manage scope, schedule, cost, quality, risks and dependencies with global, distributed teams.
• Strong planning, communication, analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to influence and drive accountability without direct authority.

Top Candidates Will Also Have

• Experience with Caterpillar NPI, NTI and/or NSI program/project leadership.
• Experience leading machine or major subsystem development projects.
• Working knowledge of APQP, CPPD/LPPD, FMEA, validation and engineering release processes.
• Experience with product cost, value engineering, manufacturing readiness, supplier development, or product-quality improvement.
• CPI/Black Belt or equivalent structured project/problem-solving experience.
• Global experience with integrated engagement with India teams.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with senior technical and business leaders.

Additional Details

• Work location: Chennai, WTC.
• This position may require travel up to 15%

This position requires working onsite five days a week.Relocation is available for this position.Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Posting Dates:

November 4, 2026 - November 17, 2026

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply