Supply Chain Planning Engineer

Caterpillar; East Peoria (IL); On-site; USD 128,000 - 193,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Health Savings Account

FSAs

Career development

Incentive bonus

Disability benefits

Life Insurance

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Caterpillar in East Peoria, IL, is seeking a Supply Chain Planning Engineer on the KK Material Planning team. You will build supplier relationships, procure finished and raw materials, and analyze ROI to identify improvements that keep material deliveries on time.

You will lead cross-functional initiatives, participate in customer proposals with pricing, and maintain supply chain systems to optimize inbound material flow and daily operations.

Qualifications

• Effectiveness measurement techniques to improve work quality and quantity.
• Analytical thinking to identify root causes and provide solutions.
• Cross-team collaboration to drive results across functions.
• Sound decision making using informed judgment and tools.
• Project management to plan, monitor, and deliver objectives.
• Knowledge of SOPs to improve daily and strategic operations.
• Supplier management skills in manufacturing contexts.
• Foundational supply chain management knowledge for manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Identify and lead initiatives to improve the supply-chain process.
• Support customers and lead pricing-informed supplier selections.
• Maintain supply chain application systems.
• Improve inbound material flow and inventory management.
• Participate in continuous improvement projects.
• Resolve material issues through root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Provide tactical management of inventory and daily operations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including engineering, operations, logistics, warehouse, and purchasing.
• Support proactive demand planning and supplier recovery planning.
• Manage freight costs and supplier relationships.

Skills

Effectiveness measurement

Analytical thinking

Cross-team integration

Decision making

Project management

SOP knowledge

Supplier management

Supply chain management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, or similar curriculum

Job description

Career Area:

Supply Chain and Logistics

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.

Role Definition

As a Supply Chain Planning Engineer on the KK Material Planning team, you perform both operational and tactical work to meet plant material deliverables. You will be responsible for building relationships with your supply base, managing the procurement of Purchase Finished & rough forging, castings, bar stock material from the worldwide supply base, working with supply base to deliver material on time. This position performs analysis to identify and develop business improvement opportunities and to evaluate return on investment (ROI) of the opportunity.

What you will do

• Identifies and leads initiatives to improve the supply-chain process.
• Supporting customers and leading customer proposal efforts with pricing information and supplier selection.
• Accountable for maintaining supply chain application systems.
• Performing tasks to improve inbound material flow
• Participating/leading continuous improvement projects
• Investigating root cause and performing corrective actions to resolve material issues
• Providing tactical management of inventory levels and supporting daily operations
• Working with cross functional teams including but not limited to engineering, operations, logistics, warehouse, purchasing
• Resolving grief reports and proactive demand planning
• Supplier recovery planning
• Freight cost management
• Supplier relationship management

Degree Requirement

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, or similar curriculum or equivalent experience desired.

What you must have (skill descriptors)

• Effectiveness Measurement: Knowledge of effective measurement techniques and ability to measure the quality and quantity of work effort for the purpose of improvement.
• 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.
• 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.
• Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
• Project Management: Knowledge of effective project management strategies and tactics; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve project objectives.
• Standard Operating Procedures: Knowledge of established standard operating procedures (SOP); ability to design, implement and evaluate standard operating procedures affecting daily and strategic business operations in order to increase operational efficiency.
• Supplier Management - Manufacturing: 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.
• Supply Chain Management - Manufacturing: Knowledge of functions, principles and techniques used in supply chain management; ability to develop and use, strategies, practices and tools for controlling the logistical processes.

Top candidates will also have

• 3 years of progressive responsibility with experience in supply chain, manufacturing or logistics
• Knowledge of standard supply chain systems.
• Must possess understanding of manufacturing and operations standard processes and basic product knowledge.
• Ability to analyze business conditions and situations during deployment needed to minimize disruption to daily requirements.
• Must possess strong interpersonal and negotiation skills to drive common supply chain processes across multiple departments within a business division.

Additional Information

• This position will close on 11/8/2026 at 11:59 pm.
• This position will be located onsite 5 days a week in East Peoria, IL (Building KK).
• Relocation assistance is NOT available for this position.
• VISA sponsorship is NOT available.
• This position may require less than 10% travel.

Final details

Summary Pay Range

$128,470.00 - $192,710.00

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

• 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

November 5, 2026 - November 8, 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.