Program Manager, Defense - Electric Power

Caterpillar Inc.; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 148,000 - 222,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

PTO (Paid time off)

401(k) savings plan

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Career Development

Incentive bonus

Job summary

Caterpillar Defense Electric Power seeks a Program Manager to oversee strategic programs delivering electric power solutions to the U.S. DoD and allied customers.

You will translate customer needs into commercially viable products and coordinate teams across engineering, product, sales, supply chain, and manufacturing. You will drive scope, schedules, budgets, and risk mitigation, with data-driven status updates to leadership and customers, ensuring lifecycle execution from concept to

Qualifications

• Experience leading defense or governmental programs.
• Strong ability to translate customer requirements into executable programs.
• Proven cross-functional leadership across engineering, product, sales, and manufacturing.
• Experience managing scope, schedule, budget, and risk for complex programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple defense Electric Power programs and strategic growth initiatives.
• Serve as primary focal point to define and translate customer requirements into program plans.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, product, sales, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, and contracting.
• Develop, launch, and sustain electric power solutions meeting performance, cost, and delivery targets.
• Provide regular, data-driven status updates to leadership and customers.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

Data-driven decision making

Influencing

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a technical field

Job description

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.

Career Area

Strategy

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.

About Caterpillar Defense

Caterpillar Defense proudly serves all branches of the U.S. military and federal government, allied militaries and governments, and original equipment manufacturers. For over 100 years, we have supplied reliable products and solutions to government agencies and military forces worldwide, supporting people who put their lives on the line to provide security, generate energy and supply humanitarian aid.

Today, we continue to deliver leading-edge products and global services, working around the clock and around the world to deliver the power and performance that customers need. Caterpillar’s largest single customer is the U.S. Department of Defense.190,000+ machines, tanks, tactical vehicles, surface ships, and submarines move missions forward with Cat engines. In addition, Caterpillar provides critical power generation solutions that support mission success wherever it is needed. Cat has powered crucial engineering and logistical operations in every major conflict since WWI.

Job Summary

The Program Manager, Caterpillar Defense Electric Power, is responsible for leading the development and execution of strategic programs that deliver innovative electric power solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense, other Federal agencies, and allied defense customers worldwide. This role ensures customer requirements are translated into commercially viable products and solutions that support mission-critical applications.

The Program Manager will lead cross-functional teams across engineering, product groups, sales, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, and contracting to develop, launch, and sustain electric power solutions that meet customer expectations for performance, reliability, cost, and delivery. Working closely with internal stakeholders and external customers, this individual will drive program execution throughout the product lifecycle, from concept development and requirements definition through production, delivery, and sustainment.

What You Will Do

• Lead multiple complex Electric Power programs and business growth initiatives supporting U.S. and international defense customers.
• Serve as the primary focal point, ensuring customer requirements are clearly defined, communicated, and translated into executable program plans and deliverable solutions.
• Lead cross-functional teams to develop and deliver electric power solutions for defense applications.
• Drive the development of customized Electric Power solutions by aligning unique customer requirements with Caterpillar's commercial products, technologies, and capabilities.
• Establish program scope, objectives, schedules, budgets, and resource requirements, then track progress against those metrics throughout project execution to ensure alignment with business and customer priorities.
• Identify program risks and lead mitigation strategies to ensure successful execution and delivery of programs.
• Facilitate collaboration among internal stakeholders to resolve technical, operational, and commercial issues throughout the program lifecycle.
• Negotiate program changes involving scope, schedule, pricing, technical requirements, suppliers, and contractual agreements.
• Provide regular program status updates to leadership and customers, utilizing data-driven metrics to communicate performance, risks, opportunities, and key decisions.

What You Will Have

Data-Driven Decision Making

Knowledge of the data-driven decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to gather and analyze data to make organizational decisions that align with strategic business objectives and goals.

Level Working Knowledge

• Applies an assigned technique for data-driven thinking in a Decision-Making process.
• Discerns between "signal" and "noise" when interpreting data.
• Identifies, obtains, and organizes relevant data and ideas.
• Participates in the process of choosing KPIs and metrics to influence decisions.
• Utilizes the basic data collection and evaluation tools and techniques.

Influencing

Knowledge of effective influencing tactics and strategies; ability to impact decisions within and outside own organization.

Level Working Knowledge

• Develops basic persuasive arguments.
• Discusses organizational culture around providing input on decisions.
• Uses active listening skills and probing techniques to surface opportunities to influence.
• Identifies who the decision makers are and how they receive information.
• Regularly presents ideas or suggestions to associates in persuasive terms.

Alignment

Knowledge of the importance of collaboration among team members and the ability to enroll stakeholders in communicating and coordinating activities to support the organization's vision and strategies.

Level Extensive Experience

• Involves team in discussions focused on clarifying and improving broad commitment.
• Interprets the organization's vision for external stakeholders.
• Establishes clear expectations and accountabilities linked to the vision.
• Develops methods for effectively and consistently communicating strategy and operational goals.
• Helps managers tailor approaches for mobilizing their team around the strategy.
• Refines operational priorities over time to preserve alignment with vision.

Cross-Team Integration

Understanding of the importance of inter-team collaboration in breaking down silos and achieving business results; ability to lead employees from various functions to communicate, coordinate work across divisions, and collaborate in solving problems as one team.

Level Working Knowledge

• Maintains a strong internal network that promotes informal collaboration.
• Shares information that may be relevant to other teams across divisions.
• Assess the potential synergies from combining common practices across teams.
• Identifies differences among teams that could cause barriers to effective integration.
• Applies relevant information gathered from comparable teams to own team.

Program Management

Knowledge of the policies and techniques to manage a set of related projects within a program; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control the set of projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve program objectives.

Level Extensive Experience

• Evaluates risks and vulnerabilities and creates contingency plans.
• Advises others on preferred tools, techniques, and methods for estimating program cost and time.
• Conducts regular and ad-hoc program reviews with project managers, team, and clients.
• Coaches others in maintaining open communication among project managers and interested parties.
• Oversees reporting requirements and creates monitoring and control mechanisms.
• Plans, estimates, staffs, organizes and monitors a set of projects within a program.

Team Management

Knowledge of effective team building techniques; ability to form and manage effective teams.

Level Extensive Experience

• Brings projects to closure and ensures capture of what can be learned from the experience.
• Leads the definition of team mission and objectives for a variety of teams.
• Employs appropriate techniques for maintaining team enthusiasm, energy, and focus.
• Ensures that team members are on board, unified, and moving in the same direction.
• Communicates both within the team and to stakeholders.
• Learns and utilizes special talents and work styles of team members.

What Sets You Apart

• Experience leading defense or governmental programs.
• Demonstrated experience in machine and component product development, with the ability to apply engineering principles to design, develop, validate, and deliver products throughout the development lifecycle.
• Strong background in electric power program leadership

Additional Information

• This position is located in Dallas, TX and requires a 5-day-a-week in office presence.
• Domestic travel up to 25% & minimal international travel is required.
• Domestic relocation assistance is not offered for this position.

This job is subject to U.S. rules concerning the export of controlled or protected technologies or information, including but not limited to U.S. State Department regulations at International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. 120 et. seq.; the Export Administration Regulation, 15 C.F.R. 730-774; and the Foreign Assets Control Regulations, 31 C.F.R. 500-598 (collectively, "Export Control Laws").

Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. For nearly 100 years, we’ve been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world and are committed and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed.

Summary Pay Range

$147,760.00 - $221,640.00

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

This position requires working onsite five days a week.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Posting Dates

September 21, 2026 - October 4, 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.