Career Area:

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.

As an NPI Team Leader, you will lead multiple or complex 400 Series new product introduction programs involving cross-functional teams and, where applicable, multiple sites. You will coordinate resources, manage program cost and schedule, communicate status and risks to stakeholders, resolve delivery issues, and ensure effective program controls and reporting. You will work closely with internal and external customers, sales, applications, aftermarket, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, manufacturing engineering, quality, and other functional teams to deliver program objectives and meet business and customer expectations.

What You Will Do:

• Lead multiple or complex 400 Series new product introduction programs involving multiple functions or sites.
• Develop and maintain integrated program plans covering deliverables, resources, cost, schedule, risks, and key decision points.
• Coordinate with internal and external customers, sales, applications, aftermarket, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, manufacturing engineering, quality, and other functional teams to secure and align resources for program deliverables.
• Monitor program progress and cost, communicate status and risks to stakeholders, and drive timely issue resolution.
• Apply effective project controls, governance, and reporting mechanisms to keep programs aligned with objectives.
• Engage customers and internal stakeholders to clarify requirements, manage expectations, and monitor delivery of agreed commitments.
• Influence program staffing and support the motivation and development of project team members.
• Support product and manufacturing readiness and document key stages for review and audit.
• Identify problems, evaluate alternatives, assess risks and benefits, and facilitate fact-based decisions and corrective actions.
• Communicating program progress and result to internal stakeholders and customers.

What Skills You Will Have:

Business Acumen: Knowledge of business operations, market drivers, financial considerations, and customer requirements; ability to make decisions that balance technical, commercial, and operational objectives to support business success.

Program Management: Working knowledge of planning, organizing, monitoring, and controlling related projects within a program, including cost, schedule, resource requirements, status tracking, and program reporting.

Effective Communication: Ability to communicate effectively upward, downward and across functions; adapt content for different audiences; provide constructive feedback; and use appropriate influence and persuasion.

Planning: Ability to contribute to operational and tactical plans, monitor progress against objectives, anticipate changes, report variances and implement agreed corrections.

Problem Solving: Ability to identify and document problems, understand stakeholder perspectives, use fact-finding and diagnostic methods, evaluate alternatives, and support risk-based decisions.

Customer Focus: Ability to identify customer needs and priorities, monitor delivery against commitments, resolve customer concerns and take action to prevent recurrence.

Product and Service Knowledge: Ability to understand major products, product linkages, delivery alternatives, costs and relevant market considerations.

Quality Management: Understanding of quality-management concepts, methods, tools and organizational resources.

Leadership through Influence: Knowledge of team development principles and collaborative working practices; ability to foster an environment where individuals work effectively together, share accountability, and achieve program objectives.

Customer Service Management: Working knowledge of customer-service priorities and practices; ability to identify internal and external customer needs, monitor delivery against commitments, facilitate the resolution of customer concerns, and take action to prevent recurrence.

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience coordinating or delivering complex, cross-functional projects.
• Experience managing project or program plans, including schedule, cost, resources, risks, status reporting and issue resolution.
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across functions, internal stakeholders, and internal or external customers.
• Ability to use structured problem-solving and fact-based decision-making methods.

Desired Qualifications:

• Project Management Professional certification preferred.
• Six Sigma Black Belt certification preferred.
• Experience delivering new product introduction or complex engineering programs in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of formal program governance, project controls, milestone or gateway reviews, risk management, and change control.
• Experience coordinating engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, supply chain, commercial, finance, sales or marketing stakeholders.
• Experience balancing customer requirements, product readiness, cost, schedule, quality and manufacturing considerations.
• Working knowledge of Design for Manufacturability and quality-management principles.
• Experience communicating program status, risks, decisions, and recovery plans to senior stakeholders and customers.
• Evidence of developing practical program plans, identifying delivery risks early, and achieving closure through clear ownership and follow-up.

Additional Information:

• This role is classified as an Individual Contributor position.
• International and domestic travel may be required as needed.
• Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

Posting Dates:

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply

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