Manufacturing Engineer

Caterpillar Inc.; Sanford (NC); On-site; USD 89,000 - 134,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision

Paid time off

401(k)

Health Savings Account

Flexible Spending Accounts

Career development

Incentive bonus

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. in Sanford, NC, is seeking a 3rd Shift Fabrications Manufacturing Engineer to maintain and improve production processes. You will analyze systems, design tooling, troubleshoot issues, and lead process improvements while coaching the team in the absence of the team leader.

The role requires collaboration across departments, experience with CNC tooling, and reading engineering drawings. A Bachelor’s degree in engineering and 3+ years of shop-floor experience are preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or engineering technology (or equivalent).
• AutoCAD or CREO experience requested.
• Strong communication and ability to work with multiple departments.
• Experience creating and maintaining routings in ERP systems.
• Experience in time studies.
• Experience identifying safety, quality, velocity, and cost issues on shop floor.
• Good communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Experience supporting machining operations and CNC processes.

Responsibilities

• Perform technical analysis of manufacturing processes to support management decisions.
• Design, acquire, and repair tooling and machines for production.
• Troubleshoot daily process issues and monitor improvements.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings and BOMs.
• Lead process improvements and conduct RCCA investigations.
• Provide engineering support across fabrications facilities.

Skills

Manufacturing processes

Lean manufacturing

Decision making & critical thinking

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or engineering technology

Tools

AutoCAD

CREO

Job description

Career Area:

Manufacturing

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you’rejoining 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’tjust 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.

Caterpillar is seeking a 3rd Shift Fabrications Manufacturing Engineer. In this role, you will work both independently and as part of a team to maintain and improve processes and systems used in product manufacturing. You will analyze and recommend current and future systems, procedures, training and equipment needs based on requirements, as well as analysis and make recommendations for engineering product designs.

What you can look forward to in this role:

• Perform technical analysis of manufacturing processes to support management decisions.

• Design / direct the acquisition, design, fabrication and repair of all necessary tooling and machines.

• Troubleshoot day-to-day process issues, develops solutions, and monitors improvements.

• Monitor all exchange and in-house requirements.

• Procure material related to manufacturing improvements through external suppliers.

• Perform quality checks on machines.

• Analyze and deploy engineering change notices.

• Establish and maintain bill of materials and work orders.

• Read and interpret engineering drawings.

• Respond to customer issues and lead process improvements; and
  Provide day-to-day coaching duties in absence of team leader.

• Conduct RCCA investigations and implement durable, long-term corrective actions to prevent recurrence of manufacturing issues.

• Utilize portable CMM equipment to perform precise dimensional inspections, validate tooling, and support root-cause investigations.

• Troubleshoot PLCs and electrical systems, including diagnosing control faults and restoring reliable equipment operation.

• Provide comprehensive engineering support across both fabrications facilities to ensure consistent performance, process alignment, and timely resolution of technical issues.

A successful candidate in this role will showcase their skills in:

• Manufacturing Processes : Knowledge of existing product manufacturing methods, technologies and processes; ability to execute, plan, manage and monitor the entire manufacturing process.

• 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.

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

Top Candidates for this position may also:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or an engineering technology or minimum of3 years of manufacturing engineering shop floor experience - Work would include process improvements, cycle time, rebalancing of work, tooling corrections, etc.

• Prior experience working with AutoCAD, CREO or similar 3D modeling software.

• Strong communication skills and the ability to work with multiple departments simultaneously.

• Experience creating and maintaining routings in ERP systems.

• Experience in conducting time studies

• Experience identifying and developing solutions to Safety, Quality, Velocity, and Cost issues in a shop floor environment.

• Good communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills.

• Experience supporting machining operations, including understanding of CNC processes, tooling, feeds/speeds, and resolving machining-related quality or performance issues.

• Experience working with industrial robotics, including programming and troubleshooting.

Additional Information:

• The primary location for this position is Sanford, NC.

• This shift will be from Sunday- Thursday 1000PM- 600AM

• There is an 8% shift premium for this 3rd shift position.

• Domestic relocation assistance is not available

• Sponsorship is not available

Summary Pay Range:

$89,210.00 - $133,810.00

Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location,job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar.

Benefits:

Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. This is a summary list of benefits.

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits*

• Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)*

• 401(k) savings plans*

• Health Savings Account (HSA)*

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)*

• Health Lifestyle Programs*

• Employee Assistance Program*

• Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts*

• Career Development*

• Incentive bonus*

• Disability benefits

• Life Insurance

• Parental leave

• Adoption benefits

• Tuition Reimbursement

* These benefits also apply to part-time employees

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Posting Dates:

September 1, 2026 - September 15, 2026

Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen.

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply.