Mapleton Foundry It Application Lead

Caterpillar Caterpillar · Industrial · Mapleton, IL +1

This role provides application expertise to manufacturing facilities, bridging operational business processes with IT solutions. The candidate will enhance and optimize manufacturing systems, with an emphasis on ERP/MES solutions, and identify opportunities to leverage data, analytics, and AI-enabled solutions to improve operational outcomes. The role requires deep understanding of manufacturing operations, business acumen, and the ability to translate needs into scalable IT solutions.

What you'd actually do

  1. Serve as IT liaison across manufacturing initiatives partnering closely with onsite IT resources, cross-business functional teams, as well as extended IT organizations and third-party providers.
  2. Analyze and understand end‑to‑end manufacturing processes, aligning them with enabling IT capabilities.
  3. Enhance and optimize use of manufacturing systems, with a strong emphasis on ERP / MES Solutions.
  4. Serve as a trusted advisor to manufacturing and technology stakeholders by clearly communicating tradeoffs, risks, and value.
  5. Identify opportunities to leverage data, analytics, and AI‑enabled solutions to improve decision‑making, efficiency, and operational outcomes.

Skills

Required

  • Advanced experience in IT with manufacturing applications experience
  • Demonstrated advanced functional knowledge of MFG Pro and other ERP / MES Solutions
  • Proven business acumen, particularly in manufacturing, operations, and supply chain
  • Excellent soft skills, including communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management
  • Strong prioritization capabilities effectively managing competing demands

Nice to have

  • Experience supporting or integrating with various ERP and MES systems in a manufacturing or enterprise context
  • Familiarity with data solutions, reporting platforms, or manufacturing analytics
  • Experience applying AI or advanced analytics to solve operational or business problems

What the JD emphasized

  • AI or advanced analytics to solve operational or business problems