Supplier Development Engineer

Career Area: Procurement 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 Assesses the supplier quality and ensures that all the products are free from defects and are in compliance with manufacturing specifications and legal standards. Responsibilities • Ensuring the quality of supplies by conducting tests and assessments on incoming supplies to identify any quality issues; Developing supplier inspection, testing, and evaluation mechanism. • 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 and federal policies and standards. • Supporting suppliers in improving their performance through process enhancements, implementing process controls, and developing quality assurance plans. Degree Requirement Degree or equivalent experience desired 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 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. 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 Working Knowledge: • Defines the critical workflow for executing key processes. • Identifies process problems that limit performance. • Implements methods for improving and establishing controls for critical processes. • Focuses on the most significant problems to maximize efficiency gains. • Surfaces systemic problems to be addressed at the organizational level. 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. Production Part Approval Process (PPAP): Knowledge of Production Part Approval Processes (PPAP) elements, submissions, and objectives; ability to determine whether a supplier can manufacture products that meet the quality requirements and standards of their customers consistently. Level Extensive Experience: • Develops testing and validation procedures to test the quality of manufactured parts/products so that it meets desired customer standards. • Identifies and resolves key issues with PPAP implementation and submissions. • Monitors the execution of PPAP steps within a facility and ensures their compliance with industry standards and internal guidelines. • Oversees PPAP implementation; establishes a high trust relationship between stakeholders. • Reviews the complex documentation and elements required during the PPAP submission process. • Trains others on the execution of PPAP to get the required approvals and teaches them about the different PPAP submission levels. 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. 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. This position requires working onsite five days a week. Relocation is available for this position. Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. Posting Dates: September 8, 2026 - September 15, 2026 Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community .