Sr. Supplier Technical Engineer

Career Area:

Supply Chain and Logistics

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.

Role Definition

This position is based at the supplier’s facility in Whitehall, Michigan. The Supplier Technical Engineer (STE) is responsible for assessing and improving supplier quality processes to reduce product defects and ensure compliance with manufacturing specifications and standards. The role involves daily interaction and collaboration with cross-functional teams including Supply Chain, Engineering, and Production located in San Diego, California. The SQE will serve as a key quality liaison between the supplier and internal teams, driving continuous improvement and ensuring alignment with quality expectations and operational goals.

Responsibilities

- Ensure quality of received components by reviewing supplier provided data against drawing requirements.

- Generating reports on supplier quality, by monitoring their defect rates and areas that can lead to potential flaws; Guiding suppliers to reduce these defect rates.

- Researching the potential vendors, assessing their manufacturing environment, practices, and procedures; Conducting supplier quality control audits to ensure compliance with organizational policies and quality certifications (ISO, NADCAP).

- Supporting suppliers in improving their performance through process enhancements, implementing process controls, and developing quality assurance plans.

Skill Descriptors

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.

Level: Working Knowledge

- Delivers helpful feedback that focuses on behaviors without offending the recipient.

- Listens to feedback without defensiveness and uses it for own communication effectiveness.

- Makes oral presentations and writes reports needed for own work.

- Avoids technical jargon when inappropriate.

- Looks for and considers non-verbal cues from individuals and groups.

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: Extensive Experience

- Ensures capture of lessons to be learned from a problem-solving effort.

- Organizes potential problem solvers and leads problem resolution efforts.

- Uses varying problem-solving approaches and techniques as appropriate.

- Contributes to standard practices for problem-solving approaches, tools, and processes.

- Analyzes and synthesizes information and devises alternative resolution strategies.

- Develops successful resolutions to critical or wide-impact problems.

Process Improvement: Understanding and insight into evaluating current product quality and production methods and ability to maintains focus on the continuous improvement of processes, products and services.

Level: Extensive Experience

- Streamlines the critical workflow for executing key processes.

- Sets priorities for addressing process problems that limit performance.

- Develops methods for improving and establishing controls for critical processes.

- Monitors external sources for applicable new methods and controls.

- Analyzes findings from improvement cycles to ensure success of interventions.

- Coaches others to develop the skills to improve processes.

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

Level: Working Knowledge

- Confronts root causes of problems wherever they exist.

- Eliminates unnecessary work and all non-value-added activities.

- Uses objective quality criteria and data to drive decisions.

- Documents learnings regarding quality outcomes so that the data can be used for improvement.

- Surfaces quality problems whose root causes fall outside the group's responsibility.

Product Quality Assurance: Knowledge of product quality assurance; ability to use tools, techniques and methodologies assuring the quality of development for and manufacturing of products.

Level: Extensive Experience

- Advises others on the strengths and weaknesses of alternative quality assurance methodologies.

- Consults on the optimal matching of quality assurance tools to specific products or product groups.

- Interprets QA failures, analyzes the underlying causes and estimates associated costs.

- Implements quality assurance processes for multiple hardware products.

- Conducts and directs quality reviews and audits.

- Oversees the activities and documentation associated with the preparation, administration, validation, and publications of QA audits.

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: Extensive Experience

- Consults on development and implementation of cross-functional standards.

- Participates in the development of organizational policies and practices.

- Develops and uses control and monitoring mechanisms for adherence.

- Collaborates with other functions on establishing and documenting joint standards.

- Participates in defining architectural principles and standards for organization.

- Ensures communication vehicles are effectively informing affected areas and employees.

Supplier Management - MFG: Knowledge of processes and methods to effectively manage business relationships and transactions with suppliers of raw materials or product components; ability to apply related knowledge, experience and skills into real practice.

Level: Extensive Experience

- Facilitates supplier partnering arrangements that share risk and reward.

- Monitors supplier performance; works to resolve discrepancies between performance and agreements.

- Develops quality standards and controls for suppliers.

- Builds and maintains partnerships with multiple and/or large suppliers.

- Evaluates issues and terminates supplier relationships as appropriate; works with legal departments.

- Ensures the fulfillment of report and record-keeping requirements.

Supplier Evaluations and Certification: Knowledge of supplier evaluations and certification; ability to identify the methods, tools and documentation for evaluating, selecting and certifying vendors, suppliers and partners.

Level: Working Knowledge

- Documents and pursues results of reference calls or other sources for a specific supplier.

- Participates in selecting and certifying a specific supplier and/or product.

- Assists with the steps and procedures for supplier certification.

- Researches several types of sources of information for a supplier's or a product's reputation.

- Assesses a product or service using pre-defined evaluation criteria.

Desired Requirement

Master’s degree with 3-5 years, Bachelor’s degree with 4-7 years, 12 years equivalent experience with no degree.

Supplier Quality Engineering experience is a must

This Job Description is intended as a general guide to the job duties for this position and is intended for the purpose of establishing the specific salary grade. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as an exhaustive summary of all responsibilities, duties and effort required of employees assigned to this job. At the discretion of management, this description may be changed at any time to address the evolving needs of the organization. It is expressly not intended to be a comprehensive list of “essential job functions” as that term is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Summary Pay Range:

$108,834.00 - $163,252.00

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. 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:

August 21, 2025 - September 4, 2025

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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