Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Caterpillar; East Peoria (IL); On-site; USD 113,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Vacation & Holidays

401(k) plan

HSA

FSAs

Career development

Bonus program

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Caterpillar is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Manager to lead a team of 3–5 engineers, delivering manufacturing engineering expertise to drive continuous improvement across a global footprint.

Key focus areas include standardizing best practices, eliminating duplicated effort, and accelerating deployment of proven solutions in safety, automation, and digital manufacturing across all sites.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree or equivalent experience required.
• Demonstrated ability to replicate proven manufacturing solutions across multiple facilities.
• Experience with manufacturing automation and digital manufacturing deployment.
• Strong hands-on problem-solving in production and Ramp environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing engineering teams across Machining, Welding, Assembly and Testing.
• Provide worldwide rapid response to manufacturing needs and solve problems with urgency across eight RIOP factories.
• Drive safety improvements, below-the-hook rigging controls, and Pacefactory deployment.
• Align teams on Ramp support and Modern Manufacturing deployment to improve execution.
• Replicate automation and digital manufacturing tools across sites to improve capability and efficiency.
• Accelerate deployment of solutions proven at other RIOP factories.

Skills

Decision making

Critical thinking

Lean manufacturing

Manufacturing processes

Performance management

Problem solving

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

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. Your impact shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. When you join Caterpillar, you’re joining a global team who cares about the work we do and the people involved. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger and more sustainable communities. We don’t just talk about progress and innovation, we make it happen for our customers, employees, and communities. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Role Definition

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager will lead a team of 3 to 5 members providing manufacturing engineering skills and resources to drive continuous improvement across the RIOP global manufacturing footprint. The role will partner with facilities to prioritize needs, align resources, rapidly solve manufacturing problems, and accelerate deployment of proven solutions across all eight factories. A key focus will be eliminating duplicated engineering effort, standardizing best practices, and delivering measurable improvements in safety, Ramp support, process performance, automation, and digital manufacturing.

Additional Information

Primary Location: Decatur, IL, East Peoria, IL, or Peterlee, UK Travel: Up to 25% (domestic and international) Relocation Assistance: Available Visa Sponsorship: Not Available

What You’ll Do

Lead manufacturing engineering teams across Machining, Welding, Assembly, and Testing, providing worldwide rapid response to manufacturing needs and solving problems with urgency across all eight RIOP factories.

Drive high-energy hazard reduction, below-the-hook rigging controls, and Pacefactory deployment across sites, providing clear leadership direction on safety priorities.

Align teams on Ramp support, hands-on problem solving, and Modern Manufacturing deployment to improve execution and accelerate production readiness.

Replicate proven Automation & Digital Manufacturing tools and solutions across sites to improve manufacturing capability, consistency, and efficiency.

Accelerate deployment of solutions proven at other RIOP factories while preventing duplicated engineering effort across facilities.

Lead the development, implementation, replication, and continuous improvement of manufacturing methods, equipment, systems, and infrastructure to achieve operating, quality, cost, and efficiency objectives.

Standardize best practices and strengthen problem solving across RIOP, with emphasis on Ramp, high-energy hazards, and TAKT-versus-cycle-time performance.

Prioritize resource requests, assign appropriate manufacturing engineering support, track projects, and ensure effective deployment of solutions across sites.

What Makes This Role Exciting

This role provides the opportunity to influence manufacturing performance across RIOP’s global factory network. The successful candidate will connect manufacturing engineering teams across sites, rapidly scale proven solutions, and help shape common approaches to safety, Ramp execution, automation, digital manufacturing, and process optimization.

What Skills You Will Have

Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Applies structured critical-thinking techniques to gather and organize relevant information, identify and prioritize concerns, consider stakeholder perspectives, and evaluate risks, benefits, and alternatives to support informed decisions.

Lean Manufacturing: Applies lean manufacturing principles, tools, and measurements to assess operations, improve work-cell effectiveness, address technical and people-related challenges, and evaluate the effectiveness of lean improvements.

Manufacturing Processes: Applies knowledge of manufacturing methods, standards, technologies, and controls to support production activities, assess manufacturing requirements, optimize processes, and deploy proven technologies across facilities.

Performance Management: Establishes clear expectations, develops team capability, provides objective feedback, identifies development opportunities, and recognizes strong performance to build an effective manufacturing engineering organization.

Problem Solving: Uses structured fact-finding and diagnostic techniques to identify problems, understand stakeholder needs, evaluate potential solutions, and drive timely, sustainable resolution.

Top Candidates Will Also Have Education/Experience: Engineering Degree or equivalent experience desired. Demonstrated ability to replicate proven manufacturing solutions and best practices across multiple facilities. Manufacturing automation, digital manufacturing, and Modern Manufacturing deployment. Strong hands‑on problem‑solving capability in production and Ramp environments. Experience driving safety improvements, process optimization, and measurable TAKT-versus-cycle-time gains.

#LI Summary Pay Range

Pay Range: $112,710.00 - $169,060.00 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

• 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

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

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. There’s more to work at Caterpillar than just the work itself. We hire smart, friendly people and it shows in our culture. We hold ourselves to high standards and make sure our values of integrity, excellence, teamwork, commitment and sustainability come to life in the way we work. We make sure our employees feel continuously challenged while also supported. We provide professional growth opportunities, including leadership programs. We celebrate the diversity of our team, while also working together as one Caterpillar. Our culture, like everything at our company, is made possible by each employee’s contribution. Person by person, we create the environment we work in, and we are proud of the Caterpillar we’ve built.