CAREER AREA:

Engineering

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Your Work Shapes the World

Whether it be groundbreaking products, best-in-class solutions, or creating a lifelong career, you can do the work that matters at Caterpillar. With a 95-year legacy of quality and innovation and 150 locations in countries around the world, your impact spans the globe. When you join Caterpillar, you are joining a team of makers, innovators, and doers. We are the people who roll up our sleeves and do the work to build a better world. We don’t just talk about progress and innovation. We make it happen. And we are proud of that because it helps our customers build and power the world we live in – the roads, hospitals, homes, and infrastructure.  Without a dedicated workforce, Caterpillar could not effectively meet our customer’s needs.  Join us.

Job Description

The position of Supplier Collaboration Engineer will be the leader and key communicator for various Collaborative Product and Process Development teams to interface with Suppliers and Procurement to ensure early supplier collaboration on design for manufacturability, assembly, and costs as well as adherence to APQP guidelines. You will lead Cost Modeling activities that support the setting of Target Costs and managing product costs to achieve target while optimizing value. Additional functional responsibilities include supplier selection at a part-number level aligned to category strategies, supplier tooling validation & management, design for X elements & provide PFEP requirements to deliver on engineered value chains.    

Job Duties

• A focus of this position is the development of detailed component cost models and high-level cost estimates in both the NPI and Current product arena. This position will also provide cost reports as necessary to support the assigned project and programs.

• This role is accountable to meet product cost, quality, and time targets in the product- life cycle including NPI through supplier collaboration at a part number level for their respective components, systems, and/or categories (specify total cost management to include Ex-works, packaging & logistics).

• The position will lead a cross-functional team in trade-off discussions to balance performance, quality, velocity, and cost that provides work direction to Cost Modelers to develop detailed process-based cost models. The Incumbent is responsible to lead cross-functional teams (employees from quality, service, design, manufacturing, etc).

• The goal for this position is to lead the team through identifying cost opportunities, identifying requirements of a part(s) for each area, and ultimately leading the team to meet their individual area requirements within the cost target. Leading these discussions and projects will be difficult in nature due to the multiple “trade-offs” (negotiations/compromises) each area will need to make to achieve the quality and cost goals. Completed cost models and expert guidance will be used to identify cost reduction opportunities for subsequent delivery through the Strategic Cost Management, Purchase, or NPI teams in the form of negotiation, resource, or design change.

• This position leads the cross-functional team to a solution that meets multiple objectives and balances performance, quality, velocity, and cost. The position needs to have strong analytical skills and the ability to influence others when there is conflict in processes, objectives, or solutions. This position needs to have the ability to see issues and forecast future costs so that costs are stable and predictable. The incumbent is accountable to identify and set current and future, target costs that are realistic and valid.

• This position is proactive and ensures the effective management of product costs. Through these cost model projects, the organization will begin to have confidence in costs. This position identifies part opportunities and leads internal and external cross-functional groups through cost opportunity discussions while maintaining a balance with performance, quality, and cost. Cost models account for all costs drivers associated with the manufacture and supply of a component. The creation of the model will require the use of dedicated software and the application of existing manufacturing, engineering, and product knowledge supplemented by research into appropriate manufacturing methods as required.

• This position identifies who is needed on each project and makes team member recommendations. The development of excellent working relationships, teamwork, and project management across departmental boundaries (engineering, purchase, logistics, product management, etc) is essential to ensure effective collaboration and saving delivery.

• The position provides leadership and is the key communicator for Collaborative Product and Process Development.

• The incumbent directs teams to interface with Suppliers and Purchasing to ensure early collaboration on design for Manufacturability, Assembly, and Cost, as well as, adherence to APQP guidelines.

• The position will ensure the development, analysis, and documentation of cost information for new product development, design and cost improvement, maintenance, make versus buy, and other special projects. The Incumbent establishes Target Costs and manages product cost to target. The position provides leadership that ensures trade-off discussions early in the design process to balance performance, quality, velocity, and cost with a focus on optimizing value. The position of Supplier Collaboration Engineer provides leadership to ensure cost predictability.

• Beyond the completion of its own work, the position assigns and reviews the day-to-day work of other employees.

• Typical internal customers include a Department or Business/Service Unit in a Division. The position's primary customers are internal. The position is challenged to carefully evaluate problems and review a large number of possible solutions before selecting one option. Problems may be moderately complex and can require the incumbent to develop solutions. The incumbent sets priorities and establishes a work plan in order to complete defined assignments and achieve desired results. Not Applicable.

• Individuals working in this role will be deemed manufacturing, process, and cost experts by other areas of the business and will be called upon to provide ‘cost’ expertise as the norm.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in an accredited Engineering, Computer Science, or Materials Science curriculum.

5 plus years of job-related experience in a manufacturing environment.

Top Candidate will also have

Masters degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or Materials Science curriculum.

Experience as a Manufacturing Engineer preferably in Fabrication.

Good level of knowledge of a specific manufacturing process or engineering discipline, or maintenance process.

Good level of understanding of company policies and procedures related to manufacturing, engineering, and/or maintenance.

This individual needs to have a good level of understanding and knowledge of manufacturing processes.

Excellent interpersonal skills are required in order to deal with sensitive issues, develop others, or persuade others inside and outside the department to take specific actions.

Additional Information

The location for this position is Aurora, IL or Peoria, IL, or Decatur, IL.

Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

This position may require 50% travel.

Closing date: July 30th, 2021.

Employee benefit details

Our goal at Caterpillar is for you to have a rewarding career. Our teams are critical to the success of our customers who build a better world. Here you earn more than just a salary because we value your performance.  We offer a total rewards package that provides benefits on day one (medical, dental, vision, RX, and 401K) along with the potential of an annual bonus.

Additional benefits include paid vacation days and paid holidays (prorated based upon hire date).

Final details

Please frequently check the email associated with your application, including the junk/spam folder, as this is the primary correspondence method. If you wish to know the status of your application – please use the candidate log-in on our career website as it will reflect any updates to your status. This employer is not currently hiring foreign national applicants that require or will require sponsorship tied to a specific employer, such as H, L, TN, F, J, E, O. As a global company, Caterpillar offers many job opportunities outside of the U.S. which can be found through our employment website at www.Caterpillar.com/Careers.

For more information, visit caterpillar.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media

EEO/AA Employer.  All qualified individuals - Including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities - are encouraged to apply.

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