Supplier Development Engineer - Fabrication & Machined Castings

Socket.dev; Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 113,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) plans

Paid time off

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Supplier Development Engineer - Fabrication & Machined Castings to evaluate and improve supplier quality, ensuring products meet manufacturing specs and legal standards. The role requires collaboration across teams to drive continuous improvement and robust supplier performance.

Onsite role with travel up to 50%, five days a week, and a focus on developing QA plans, audits, and process enhancements to prevent defects and support production readiness.

Qualifications

• Experience in supplier development and quality management
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes and standards
• Strong communication and problem-solving abilities

Responsibilities

• Assess supplier capabilities and compliance with specifications
• Develop and implement quality plans and improvements
• Conduct supplier quality audits and root-cause analyses
• Monitor supplier performance and drive corrective actions

Skills

Supplier Management

Process Improvement

Quality Assurance

Manufacturing Standards

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

ASQ Certification

Job description

Career Area:

Procurement

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you'rejoining 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'tjust 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.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Supplier Development Engineer - Fabrication & Machined Castings. This person will assess and develop the supplier quality and ensure that all the products are free from defects and are in compliance with manufacturing specifications and legal standards.

What you will do:

• Ensuring the quality of supplier parts by conducting Advanced Quality Product Planning prior to production launch. On site assessments of Supplier manufacturing processes and procedures. Evaluating supplier production, inspection, testing, and quality evaluation mechanisms. Documenting process changes.
• Generating reports on supplier quality, by monitoring their defect rates and areas that can lead to potential flaws; Guiding suppliers to reduce these defect rates.
• Researching the potential vendors, assessing their manufacturing environment, practices, and procedures; Conducting supplier quality control audits to ensure compliance with organizational and federal policies and standards.
• Supporting suppliers in improving their performance through process enhancements, implementing process controls, and developing quality assurance plans through continuous improvement projects and effective root cause corrective actions.

Degree Requirement

Degree or equivalent experience desired

What you will have:

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 Working Knowledge:

• Delivers helpful feedback that focuses on behaviors without offending the recipient.
• Listens to feedback without defensiveness and uses it for own communication effectiveness.
• Makes oral presentations and able to write reports with clarity.
• Avoids technical jargon when inappropriate.
• Looks for and considers non-verbal cues from individuals and groups.

Problem Solving

Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Ensures capture of lessons to be learned from a problem-solving effort.
• Organizes potential problem solvers and leads problem resolution efforts.
• Uses varying problem-solving approaches and techniques as appropriate.
• Contributes to standard practices for problem-solving approaches, tools, and processes.
• Analyzes and synthesizes information and devises alternative resolution strategies.
• Develops successful resolutions to critical or wide-impact problems.

Process Improvement

Understanding and insight into evaluating current product quality and production methods and ability to maintains focus on the continuous improvement of processes, products and services.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Streamlines the critical workflow for executing key processes.
• Sets priorities for addressing process problems that limit performance.
• Develops methods for improving and establishing controls for critical processes.
• Monitors external sources for applicable new methods and controls.
• Analyzes findings from improvement cycles to ensure success of interventions.
• Coaches others to develop the skills to improve processes.

Manufacturing Standards, Procedures and Policies

Knowledge of organizational standards, procedures and policies in manufacturing activities; ability to plan, guide, and monitor manufacturing processes for compliance.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Ensures communication vehicles are effectively informing affected areas and personnel.
• Consults on development and implementation of cross-functional standards.
• Participates in the development of organizational policies and practices.
• Develops and uses control and monitoring mechanisms for adherence.
• Collaborates with other functions on establishing and documenting joint standards.
• Participates in defining architectural principles and standards for organization.

Supplier Management - MFG

Knowledge of processes and methods to effectively manage business relationships and transactions with suppliers of raw materials or product components; ability to apply related knowledge, experience and skills into real practice.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Facilitates supplier partnering arrangements that share risk and reward.
• Monitors supplier performance; works to resolve discrepancies between performance and agreements.
• Develops quality standards and controls for suppliers.
• Builds and maintains partnerships with multiple and/or large suppliers.
• Evaluates issues and terminates supplier relationships as appropriate; works with legal departments.
• Ensures the fulfillment of report and record-keeping requirements.

Supplier Evaluations and Certification

Knowledge of supplier evaluations and certification; ability to identify the methods, tools and documentation for evaluating, selecting and certifying vendors, suppliers and partners.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Evaluates potential suppliers for a wide variety of products.
• Develops a preferred suppliers list for selection and evaluation.
• Designs key aspects of and processes for evaluating a supplier's capabilities.
• Compares and contrasts alternative methods and tools for the evaluation of organizations and products.
• Analyzes and resolves supplier product quality, support, or pricing problems.
• Works with multiple evaluation, selection, and certification initiatives.

What will put you ahead:

• Manufacturing Experience – Experience running machinery, evaluating machinery, setting up machinery, troubleshooting machinery, etc.
• Manufacturing Engineering experience
• ASQ Certification

Additional Information

• This position may require travel up to 50% of the time
• This position requires working onsite five days a week.
• Relocation is not available for this position.
• Candidates must attach an updated resume.

Summary 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:

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 16, 2026 - September 30, 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.

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