Quality Engineer
Caterpillar

Career Area:
Manufacturing
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.

Position Information:

• This is an on-site position in Pontiac, IL.
• Domestic relocation assistance is available for this position.
• Visa sponsorship is NOT available for this position.

Role Definition:

Performs advanced inspection and audits to track, analyze, and report on materials, processes, and products to ensure conformance to company's quality standards.

What You Will Do:

• Conducting measurement systems analysis; gathering, analyzing, and communicating non-conformance data.
• Analyzing non-conformance data and maintaining quality system documentation.
• Participating in and offering technical support to internal and external audits; following up response of corrective action from audit.
• Work in a team environment to develop and implement best practices that emphasize defect prevention, reduction in variation and waste and provide for continuous improvements in meeting all customer requirements.
• Quality Development & Support: Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) and New Capital Investment (NCI) initiatives, ensuring the development and maintenance of Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), PFMEA, and Control Plans.
• Inspection Methodology & Measurement Systems Analysis: Develop and implement inspection methods utilizing quality tools (e.g., PFMEA, GD&T, SPC, MSA) and analyze non-conformance data to maintain quality documentation.
• Audits, Compliance & Continuous Improvement: Conduct internal quality audits, ensure adherence to ISO 9001:2015 standards, and actively promote quality improvement initiatives to achieve zero defects and enhance customer satisfaction.
• Collaboration & Communication: Coordinate with engineering teams on product and process development, address quality issues, and serve as a liaison across departments.
• Statistical Analysis & Problem Resolution: Utilize statistical techniques (e.g., SPC, capability studies) to analyze product and process trends, recommend procedural changes, and support root cause analysis (RCA) initiatives, such as 8D and DMAIC.
• Training & Lean Manufacturing Support: Develop and deliver training programs on quality methodologies and support lean practices (e.g., 5S, Built in Quality) to ensure standardization and process control.

What You Will Have:

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Quality Management: Knowledge of quality management methods, tools, and techniques and ability to create and support an environment that meets the quality goals of the organization.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Interprets results of quantitative and statistical tools and explains results to others.
• Communicates key benefits of a quality management process.
• Conducts and directs quality reviews.
• Develops expertise in quality assurance tools, techniques, and standards.
• Develops quality assurance processes based on Six Sigma, ISO 9000 or Baldrige principles.
• Develops programs for motivating employees to meet or exceed quality goals.

Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Evaluates and makes contributions to best practices.
• Processes large quantities of detailed information with high levels of accuracy.
• Productively balances speed and accuracy.
• Implements a variety of cross-checking approaches and mechanisms.
• Demonstrates expertise in quality assurance tools, techniques, and standards.
• Employs techniques for motivating employees to meet or exceed accuracy goals.

Collaborating: Knowledge of collaborative techniques; ability to work with a variety of individuals and groups in a constructive and collaborative manner.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Demonstrates experience participating in productive collaborative processes.
• Under guidance, initiates collaborative meetings.
• Assists in communicating shared goals with diverse groups and parties.
• Helps promote collaboration across generations, functions, regions, and levels.
• Helps solve business problems and meet business goals through collaborative processes.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Knowledge of successful approaches and techniques for dealing with change; ability to adapt to a changing environment and be comfortable with change.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Adjusts to new or changing assignments, processes, and people.
• Demonstrates willingness to listen to other opinions.
• Provides examples of shifting from task to task.
• Identifies and considers alternative approaches to situations or problems.
• Accepts new or radical ideas with an open mind; avoids snap reactions.

Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Identifies and documents specific problems and resolution alternatives.
• Examines a specific problem and understands the perspective of each involved stakeholder.
• Develops alternative techniques for assessing accuracy and relevance of information.
• Helps to analyze risks and benefits of alternative approaches and obtain decision on resolution.
• Uses fact-finding techniques and diagnostic tools to identify problems.

Manufacturing Standards, Procedures and Policies: Knowledge of organizational standards, procedures and policies in manufacturing activities; ability to plan, guide, and monitor manufacturing processes for compliance.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Contributes to the development and implementation of specific manufacturing procedures.
• Investigates the need to refer potential exceptions upward for review and approval.
• Explains the rationale for procedures and standards in own area of responsibility.
• Participates in the implementation of manufacturing standards and procedures to one's own function.
• Provides feedback for improvement of procedures.

Root Cause Analysis (RCA): Knowledge of the concepts, principles and techniques of root cause analysis (RCA); ability to use a structured approach to identify the causes of undesirable consequences in a manufacturing environment and the changes needed to prevent recurrences.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Investigates a broad range of problems, determines causes, and finds resolutions.
• Recommends candidates for root cause analysis in spite of chaotic organizational conditions.
• Develops corrective action based on RCA results.
• Uses RCA techniques such as Re-enactment, Comparative Re-enactment, Re-construction.
• Guides others to recognize repeat situations even when they are distributed over time or happen to different people.
• Works with a variety of RCA approaches such as safety-based, production-based, process-based, failure-based, and systems-based.

Top Candidates May Also Have:

• Manufacturing and assembly experience.
• Manufacturing Engineer experience.
• Strong data analytics with experience in Excel, PowerBI, Minitab.
• ASQ Certification for Quality Engineering or equivalent.

What You Will Get:

• Safety in words and actions. Safety is a core value at Caterpillar. We encourage and commit to safety in all processes that we do. We strive to provide a safe and secure work environment for all our employees.
• 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).
• The Power of Everyone : At Caterpillar, we believe each person is unique and valued, and are committed to ensuring that our workplace is diverse and representative of the many customers we serve around the globe. Different perspectives help us achieve our best work and come together to form a high-performing Caterpillar team that makes positive changes in the communities where we live and work.

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.

Summary Pay Range:
$95,640.00 - $143,520.00
Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar.

Benefits:

Annual incentive bonus plan*

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holiday, Volunteer, Etc.)

401k savings plan

Health savings account (HSA)

Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)

Disability benefits

Life Insurance

Parental leave

Healthy Lifestyle Programs

Employee Assistance Programs

Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts

Tuition Reimbursement

Career Development

*Subject to annual eligibility and incentive plan guidelines .
Relocation is available for this position.Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. 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.
Posting Dates:

Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen.

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

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