Principal Manufacturing Engineer

Career Area:

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
Provides technical expertise and guidance in manufacturing process development projects for the continuous improvement of the safety, quality, velocity and cost of manufacturing

Key Responsibilities
•    Providing technical expertise and guidance in major manufacturing projects, working with internal/external suppliers to support/improve manufacturing productivity and cost effectiveness.
•    Evaluating enterprise systems and the coordination of those systems with the total plant.
•    Directing suppliers to analyze their current or proposed product/process designs to determine feasibility of using existing designs or modifying the designs to improve process and/or product.
•    Providing guidance and mentoring to manufacturing engineers and operators in order to develop high quality products and processes.

Skill Descriptors
Influencing: Knowledge of effective influencing tactics and strategies; ability to impact decisions within and outside own organization.
Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Achieves influence and impact even when holding a position contrary to the majority.
•    Discards examples of persuasive arguments lacking substance or impact.
•    Leads and presents collaborative assessments that persuasively influence decision makers.
•    Advises on techniques to build rapport and commitment to common purpose.
•    Determines and leverages the decision-making style of the individual or group being influenced.
•    Delivers well-received presentations of cost, benefits, risks, and other considerations.

Judgment and Decision Making: Knowledge of the decision-making process; ability to carefully evaluate the impact of emerging business situations and choose the best path forward communicating actions and activities that maximize organizational performance.
Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Seeks input from multiple sources to generate diverse ideas for decision making.
•    Sustains organization strategies over time by accurately analyzing tradeoffs in changing direction or staying the course.
•    Makes decisions that remain defensible beyond the short term.
•    Communicates decisions confidently and resolutely.
•    Remains steadfast in championing others' decisions that later come under scrutiny.
•    Coaches' others to improve judgment and confidence in decision making skills.

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.
Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Provides input for Gantt or PERT charts or their equivalent to track project progress and status.
•    Under guidance, plans and estimates simple projects.
•    Assists in detailed project plans including cost, schedule, and resource requirements.
•    Obtains information from stakeholders during the planning stage of a project.
•    Produces standard project status reports.

Manufacturing Best Practices and Standards: Knowledge of best practices and standards for improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and safety of the design, production, and distribution of manufacturing products; ability to create and implement best practices and standards for various manufacturing processes and activities.
Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Analyzes the feasibility of applying best practices within a manufacturing facility.
•    Describes common problems and implementation issues with applying best practices.
•    Explains the process of creation, dissemination, and maintenance of best practice documentation.

Reviews and assesses proposed criteria for identifying best practices.
•    Works with existing best practices within own's area of responsibility.

Manufacturing Process Design and Development: Knowledge of how to develop or design a manufacturing process; ability to establish and determine which processes and parameters should be opted to improve functionality and costs.
Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Creates a practical layout to carry out process development activities.
•    Designs strategies