Senior Design Engineer, Heavy Structures - Lead

Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 148,000 - 222,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) savings plans

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Career Development

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. in Decatur, IL is seeking a Senior Design Engineering Specialist to lead complex structural design and validation for Load & Haul products.

You will mentor engineers, guide DFMA-oriented development, and apply heavy-structure experience to ensure durability, manufacturability, and cost targets. The role requires collaboration with manufacturing, suppliers, and platform teams, along with experience in NPI, CPI, APQP, CPPD processes and a global engineering mindset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Agricultural, Civil, Aerospace, Metallurgical Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• Experience with CAD/CAE and structural durability analyses.
• Knowledge of welding, fabrication, and design for manufacturability.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and guidance on complex structural fabrication design challenges, supporting new product introductions (NPI), continuous product improvement (CPI), and field issue resolution activities.
• Coach, mentor, and develop engineers through technical reviews, design guidance, and problem-solving support.
• Develop and review structural designs utilizing DFM, DFA, and durability best practices.
• Provide expertise in weldment design, castings, fabricated structures, and structural load paths.
• Guide finite element analysis (FEA), structural simulation, durability assessments, and physical validation activities.
• Interpret analysis and test results and provide recommendations that improve durability, quality, cost, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, purchasing, suppliers, and platform teams to optimize structural designs and production processes.
• Support APQP, CPPD, FMEA, DVP&R, and other product development activities throughout the product lifecycle.
• Drive technical excellence, standardization, lessons learned, and best practices across the Load & Haul Heavy Structures community.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Troubleshooting

Communications

Decision Making

CAD/CAE

PDP Lifecycle

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related

Tools

CREO

ANSYS

Abaqus

Nastran

HyperWorks

Job description

Caterpillar Inc. in Decatur, IL is seeking a Senior Design Engineering Specialist to lead complex structural design and validation for Load & Haul products.

You will mentor engineers, guide DFMA-oriented development, and apply heavy-structure experience to ensure durability, manufacturability, and cost targets. The role requires collaboration with manufacturing, suppliers, and platform teams, along with experience in NPI, CPI, APQP, CPPD processes and a global engineering mindset.