Production Manager

Caterpillar · Industrial · Decatur, IL

Production Manager role at Caterpillar, focusing on overseeing and coordinating a production line, preparing schedules, resolving issues, and ensuring safety and quality standards are met. Requires strong people leadership, daily execution, and continuous improvement skills in a manufacturing setting.

What you'd actually do

  1. Create reports and records of production processes, tooling issues, performance, and inventory; share with leaders and recommend improvements to safety, productivity, and quality.
  2. Prepare, maintain, and update documentation related to operating procedures and safety and quality standards; ensure processes and products meet expectations.
  3. Supervise and direct the daily activities of production line employees; assign work, coordinate across teams, promote safe work practices, and monitor performance.
  4. Train new hires; manage scheduling and work conflicts; monitor safety; and strengthen internal communication to build a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
  5. Partner with cross‑functional teams (quality, maintenance, engineering, materials) to quickly remove barriers impacting throughput, safety, quality, and schedule attainment.

Skills

Required

  • Production leadership in a manufacturing environment
  • Problem solving
  • Performance management
  • Planning and organizing
  • Decision making and critical thinking
  • Effective communication
  • Accuracy and attention to detail

Nice to have

  • Lean manufacturing / continuous improvement leadership
  • Six Sigma exposure or structured process improvement experience
  • Experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) and production reporting systems
  • Experience leading off‑shift operations, shift handoffs, and multi‑team coordination
  • Safety leadership

What the JD emphasized

  • Production leadership in a manufacturing environment
  • Problem solving
  • Performance management
  • Planning and organizing
  • Decision making and critical thinking
  • Effective communication
  • Accuracy and attention to detail