Design Engineering Specialist

Caterpillar Caterpillar · Industrial · East Peoria, IL

Designs, develops, validates, and implements drivetrain components, subsystems, and technologies for Medium and Large Track‑Type Tractors. Provides technical leadership across design, validation, manufacturing, and supply chain to ensure product performance, quality, and supply continuity. Develops design parameters, performance characteristics, and technical specifications. Leads the evolution of technical designs, validation strategies, and implementation plans. Guides supplier technical readiness. Drives structured problem-solving. Monitors, evaluates, and integrates new technologies, materials, and manufacturing processes. Supports prototype builds, material selection, process optimization, and reliability testing. Leads failure analysis and corrective action development. Ensures data provenance, traceability, and reviewer-ready documentation. Coordinates engineering tasks. Provides technical leadership to buyers, supply specialists, and suppliers. Supports cost estimates and incorporates cost-impact considerations into design and supplier decisions. Develops and maintains functional requirements, detailed design documentation, and release packages.

What you'd actually do

  1. Develop design parameters, performance characteristics, and technical specifications for drivetrain components and systems that meet customer requirements and improve safety, quality, velocity, and cost
  2. Lead the evolution of technical designs, validation strategies, and implementation plans across NTI, NPI, CPI, and Assurance of Supply workstreams
  3. Guide supplier technical readiness, including capability assessments, PPAP reviews, APQP deliverables, and deviation management
  4. Drive structured problem‑solving for factory, field, and supplier issues using data‑driven analysis, statistical methods, and traceable documentation
  5. Monitor, evaluate, and integrate new technologies, materials, and manufacturing processes to identify product or process improvement opportunities

Skills

Required

  • Analytical Thinking
  • Decision Making and Critical Thinking
  • Effective Communications
  • Project Management
  • Computer-Aided Design & Engineering
  • Product Development Life Cycle - MFG
  • Product Testing
  • Troubleshooting Technical Problems

Nice to have

  • Drivetrain component or system design experience, ideally with heavy‑equipment or TTT applications
  • Strong supplier‑facing capability, including PPAP, APQP, capability studies, and deviation management
  • Proficiency with Creo, Teamcenter, PRWB, and Caterpillar BOM structures, or equivalent CAD/PLM systems
  • Cross‑functional leadership experience, driving alignment across design, validation, manufacturing, supply chain, purchasing, and global teams
  • Ability to manage supplier technical deliverables with clear expectations, data provenance, and reviewer‑ready documentation
  • Understanding of manufacturing engineering and assembly processes, including how design decisions affect build sequence, tooling, rework, and throughput
  • Awareness of facility operations, such as material flow, takt time, constraints, and the operational impact of engineering changes
  • Experience resolving factory and field issues, including collaboration with Service Engineering to translate field learnings into corrective actions
  • CPI and field‑issue closure discipline, with the ability to drive root‑cause analysis, corrective actions, and cross‑functional alignment
  • Systems thinking, with the ability to understand interactions across components, subsystems, and manufacturing processes

What the JD emphasized

  • technical leadership
  • supplier technical readiness
  • structured problem-solving
  • data-driven analysis
  • traceable documentation
  • new technologies
  • materials
  • manufacturing processes
  • product improvement opportunities
  • failure analysis
  • corrective action development
  • data provenance
  • traceability
  • reviewer-ready documentation
  • supplier submissions
  • technical leadership to buyers
  • supply specialists
  • suppliers
  • performance
  • risk reduction
  • supply continuity
  • cost estimates
  • cost drivers
  • cost-impact considerations
  • design decisions
  • supplier decisions
  • functional requirements
  • detailed design documentation
  • release packages