Senior Design Engineer- G3500 Platform

Caterpillar Inc.; La Fayette (KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Mechanical Engineer to lead the design, development, and validation of G3500 natural gas engines within the LPSD.

You will collaborate across marketing, performance, and validation teams to deliver NTI and NPI programs, drive CPI improvements, and manage BOMs and Teamcenter models. The role requires strong analytical thinking, extensive experience, and ability to travel to supplier or customer sites as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience expected.
• Strong data analysis and communication skills.
• Oil & Gas experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and validation for G3500 engines through NTI, NPI, and CPI processes.
• Host design architecture team meetings.
• Collaborate with marketing on program requirements.
• Work with validation and L3 engineers to ensure FMEAs and related activities are completed.
• Support engine performance development and validation in test cells and field locations.
• Develop presentation material for Design, Gateway, Stakeholder, and TRL reviews.
• Schedule and lead engine design reviews and deep dive reviews for milestones.
• Bill of Material (BOM) management.
• Create and update Teamcenter engine arrangement (ARC) models.
• Manage procurement of new component designs.
• Work with factory and dealer technicians to build prototype engines.
• Support customer service and marketing inquiries on past, current, and future product.
• Resolve issues found during simulation, virtual audits, testing, and assembly.
• Drive resolution to PPRD, NPI, AQE, and BIQ issues.
• Manage CPI projects using Six Sigma DMAIC principles.
• Lead design, development, and validation for alternative fuels including hydrogen, biogas, and natural gas hydrogen blends.
• Travel to supplier or customer sites up to ~90% during certain project phases (annual average ~15%).

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Effective Communications

Managing Multiple Priorities

Technical Excellence

Product Design

Product Design and Development

Six Sigma DMAIC

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Six Sigma DMAIC

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.

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 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 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.

Job Summary

This position will have responsibility for various aspects of large natural gas engine design for the G3500 platform team. This role collaborates with marketing, product support, performance, component and system design teams to develop solutions for Oil and Gas applications. Projects might include New Technology Investigation (NTI), New Product Introduction (NPI), Current Product Improvement (CPI), as well as general engineering maintenance.

What you will do:

• Lead design, development, and validation related to G3500 engines through NTI, NPI, and CPI processes

• Host design architecture team meetings

• Collaborate with marketing on program requirements

• Work with validation and L3 engineers to ensure completion of FMEAs and activities needed to fully validate engine designs

• Support engine performance development and validation in test cells and field locations

• Develop presentation material for Design, Gateway, Stakeholder, and Technical Readiness Level (TRL) reviews

• Schedule and lead engine design reviews and deep dive reviews for project milestones

• Bill of Material (BOM) Management

• Create and update Teamcenter engine arrangement (ARC) models

• Manage procurement of new component designs

• Work with factory and dealer technicians to build prototype engines

• Support customer service and marketing inquiries on past, current, and future product

• Resolve issues found during simulation, virtual audits, testing, and assembly

• Drive resolution to Pre-Production Reliability Development (PPRD), New Product Introduction (NPI), All Quality Events (AQE), and Built In Quality (BIQ) issues

• Manage Continuous Product Improvement (CPI) projects using Six Sigma DMAIC principles for - defining root cause, solution implementation and validation

• Lead design, development, and validation related to alternative fuels including hydrogen, biogas, and natural gas hydrogen blends on NTI and NPI programs

• Travel to supplier or customer sites pending project need (up to ~90% travel during certain project phases, annual average ~15%)

Degree Requirement

Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and/or Mechanical Engineering Technology or similar is preferred.

What you will have

Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Seeks discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information; explains variances.

• Organizes and prioritizes the sequence of steps to be taken to remedy the situation.

• Identifies many possible causes for a problem based on prior experience and current research.

• Quantifies the costs, benefits, risks and chances for success before recommending a course of action.

• Approaches a complex problem by breaking it down into its component parts.

• Chooses among a diverse set of analytical tools according to the nature of the situation.

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Reviews others' writing or presentations and provides feedback and coaching.

• Adapts documents and presentations for the intended audience.

• Demonstrates both empathy and assertiveness when communicating a need or defending a position.

• Communicates well downward, upward, and outward.

• Employs appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement.

• Maintains focus on the topic at hand.

Managing Multiple Priorities: Knowledge of effective self-management practices; ability to manage multiple concurrent objectives, projects, groups, or activities, making effective judgments as to prioritizing and time allocation.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Clarifies and handles multiple concurrent and diverse activities.

• Shifts focus among several efforts as required by changing priorities.

• Addresses potential conflicts that impact current delivery commitments.

• Works with or leads others to re-prioritize work and reschedule commitments as necessary.

• Responds to shifting priorities while maintaining progress of regularly scheduled work.

• Demonstrates an expectation that there will be ongoing shifts in demands and priorities.

Technical Excellence: Knowledge of a given technology and various application methods; ability to develop and provide solutions to significant technical challenges.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Advises others on the assessment and provision of all technical solutions.

• Engages appropriate subject matter resources to effectively resolve technical issues.

• Mentors others to enhance their technical competence and its application to achieve more effective technical solutions.

• Coaches others in promoting, defining, analyzing, and providing superior technical solutions to business problems.

• Provides effective solutions to moderate technical challenges through strong technical competence, effectively examining implications of events and issues.

• Assumes accountability for personal technical performance and holds others responsible for theirs.

Product Design - MFG: Knowledge of processes, approaches, tools and techniques of product design; ability to convert customer and market requirements into product design.

Product Design and Development: Knowledge of product features; ability to design, build, and develop a new product, technology, or service from concept through to production.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Develops organizational standards and processes in order to maximize complex product services' efficiency and effectiveness.

• Creates and introduces new techniques that expedite or simplify the development process.

• Supervises the management of multiple and diverse types of products or services.

• Develops proof-of-concept exercises to prove or disprove validity of proposed products.

• Advises on the appropriate solutions to complex product design and development problems.

• Designs working prototypes of a variety of proposed products or services.

What will put you ahead:

• At least 5 years of experience in a position relevant to this role

• Strong personal initiative

• Strong data analysis skills

• Strong communication skills

• Strong organizational and time management skills

• Application experience with Oil & Gas

• Ability to work