Strategic Supplier Development Engineer

Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation; Mossville (IL); On-site; USD 113,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) savings plans

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Supplier Quality/Procurement specialist in Mossville, IL. You will drive supplier excellence, strengthen partnerships, and lead continuous improvement across quality and manufacturing objectives.

You will work with North American wire harness suppliers, perform supplier evaluations, audits, PPAP activities, and collaborate with engineering, purchasing, and manufacturing teams to launch and improve products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in Supplier Quality, Manufacturing Quality, Supplier Development, or a related field.
• Experience with wire harness suppliers, electrical components, or related manufacturing processes.
• Knowledge of PPAP, APQP, PFMEA, Control Plans, and statistical quality tools.
• Experience leading supplier audits and manufacturing assessments.
• Experience utilizing quality metrics and data analysis to drive supplier improvements.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Strong root cause analysis and corrective action experience.
• Ability to influence suppliers and cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with North American wire harness suppliers to support quality and business objectives.
• Monitor supplier quality performance, identify trends, and implement improvement plans to reduce defects and improve manufacturing performance.
• Lead supplier assessments, audits, and evaluations to verify compliance with Caterpillar quality standards and requirements.
• Support suppliers in implementing process improvements, quality controls, and preventive actions that improve product consistency and manufacturing capability.
• Analyze supplier quality data and generate reports that identify performance trends, risks, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Conduct root cause investigations and drive corrective actions to resolve supplier quality concerns and prevent recurrence.
• Lead and support Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) activities to ensure supplier readiness and compliance with quality requirements.
• Partner with Engineering, Purchasing, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to support product launches and supplier development initiatives.
• Evaluate supplier manufacturing processes and identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency, reliability, and cost performance.
• Support supplier certification and qualification activities to ensure suppliers meet Caterpillar standards and business expectations.

Skills

Supplier management

Technical excellence

Quality orientation

PPAP

Process improvement

Problem solving

Manufacturing standards

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Manufacturing/Quality

Job description

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Supplier Quality/Procurement specialist in Mossville, IL. You will drive supplier excellence, strengthen partnerships, and lead continuous improvement across quality and manufacturing objectives.

You will work with North American wire harness suppliers, perform supplier evaluations, audits, PPAP activities, and collaborate with engineering, purchasing, and manufacturing teams to launch and improve products.