Manufacturing Engineer - 3rd Shift

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.

Job Summary:
As a Manufacturing Engineer with a strong process engineering focus, you play a key role in designing, improving, and supporting manufacturing processes that drive safety, quality, cost, and efficiency across the production floor. This is a 3rd shift role, providing a great opportunity to support operations in a hands-on environment during critical production hours.

You work closely with cross-functional teams to develop and optimize processes, introduce new tooling and equipment, support engineering changes, and solve complex manufacturing challenges.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys hands-on process improvement, root cause problem solving, and working directly with operations to build safe, capable, and efficient manufacturing systems. You are part of a collaborative team that values continuous improvement, innovation, and delivering high-quality products every day.

What You Will Do:

• Design, develop, and continuously improve manufacturing processes to support safety, quality, cost, and production goals.
• Serve as a process engineering expert for molding operations, identifying opportunities to improve process capability, efficiency, and reliability.
• Lead process risk identification and mitigation activities, including Safety FMEAs and Process FMEAs, and drive corrective actions for safety incidents, near misses, and quality defects.
• Support new product introductions, engineering changes, and process updates by developing and implementing new processes, tooling, and equipment.
• Provide day‑to‑day engineering support to manufacturing operations, including troubleshooting process issues and driving root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Reduce manufacturing costs and improve throughput through data‑driven process optimization and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams including Operations, Quality, Design Engineering, and Supply Chain to ensure manufacturable designs and robust processes.
• Develop and maintain process documentation, standard work, and engineering specifications to ensure compliance with safety, quality, and environmental standards.
• Support equipment planning, installation, validation, and ongoing maintenance to ensure processes remain capable and efficient.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, defect prevention, and safe work practices across the manufacturing floor.

Education requirement:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or demonstrate equivalent knowledge through professional expertise.

What skills you will have:

Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Demonstrates strong decision‑making and critical thinking skills by thoughtfully evaluating prior decisions to extract insights and continuously improve future outcomes. Guides others in analyzing relevant data and evaluating multiple alternatives to reach well‑informed conclusions. Actively challenges assumptions and conventional thinking, ensuring decisions are grounded in objective analysis rather than habit or bias.

Manufacturing Processes: Leverages extensive industry experience and external benchmarks to advise others on improving manufacturing methodologies and overall process effectiveness. Provides clear instruction on critical tasks, key process considerations, and end‑to‑end manufacturing workflows. Identifies, tailors, and optimizes process‑specific methodologies while evaluating the benefits, limitations, and applicability of alternative processes and technologies.

Lean Manufacturing: Ensures communication channels effectively inform all impacted employees and functional areas of relevant standards and updates. Collaborates cross‑functionally to establish, align, and document shared standards that promote consistency across the organization. Actively contributes to defining organizational principles, standards, and governance frameworks that support operational excellence and compliance.

Engineering - MFG: Oversees issue identification and resolution, providing timely feedback to downstream customers and stakeholders. Applies established manufacturing procedures to address non‑standard or complex problems and consistently utilize structured problem‑solving methodologies to deliver effective and sustainable solutions.

Additional Information:    

This position is a 3rd shift role and requires the candidate to work onsite five days a week at the Mapleton, IL office.

Domestic relocation assistance is NOT available for this position.

Visa sponsorship is NOT available with this position.

This position will require 10% travel.

 

 

Summary Pay Range:

$89,210.00 - $133,810.00

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:

Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. This is a summary list of benefits.

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits*

• Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)*

• 401(k) savings plans*

• Health Savings Account (HSA)*

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)*

• Health Lifestyle Programs*

• Employee Assistance Program*

• Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts*

• Career Development*

• Incentive bonus*

• Disability benefits

• Life Insurance

• Parental leave

• Adoption benefits

• Tuition Reimbursement

       

* These benefits also apply to part-time employees

 

 

This position requires working onsite five days a week.

 

 

 

 

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

 

 

Posting Dates:

June 5, 2026 - June 16, 2026

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

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.  Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply.

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