Development & Research Senior Engineer

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.

Role Definition
Designs, develops, builds and evaluates products or technologies.

Responsibilities
•    Providing product development technical and project management interface to management and internal clients.
•    Performing data extraction/analysis, failure analysis and problem solving, application of simulation tools and methods, and practical application of theory and concepts. 
•    Testing products, analyzing test data and making modifications to ensure compliance with specifications and requirements. 
•    Building, testing and modifying product prototypes using working models or theoretical models. 
•    Requires a degree in an accredited Engineering, Computer Science, or Materials Science curriculum.

Degree Requirement
Degree required

Skill Descriptors
Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.
Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue and determining its significance.
•    Makes a systematic comparison of two or more alternative solutions.
•    Uses flow charts, Pareto charts, fish diagrams, etc. to disclose meaningful data patterns.
•    Identifies the major forces, events and people impacting and impacted by the situation at hand.
•    Uses logic and intuition to make inferences about the meaning of the data and arrive at conclusions.

Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Applies an assigned technique for critical thinking in a decision-making process.
•    Identifies, obtains, and organizes relevant data and ideas.
•    Participates in documenting data, ideas, players, stakeholders, and processes.
•    Recognizes, clarifies, and prioritizes concerns.
•    Assists in assessing risks, benefits and consideration of alternatives.

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 Extensive Experience: 
•    Reviews others' writing or presentations and provides feedback and coaching.
•    Adapts documents and presentations for the intended audience.
•    Demonstrates both empathy and assertiveness when communicating a need or defending a position.
•    Communicates well downward, upward, and outward.
•    Employs appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement.
•    Maintains focus on the topic at hand.

Technical Excellence: Knowledge of a given technology and various application methods; ability to develop and provide solutions to significant technical challenges.
Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Provides effective technical solutions to routine functional challenges via sound technical competence, effectively examining implications of events and issues.
•    Effectively performs the technical job aspects, continuously building knowledge and keeping up-to-date on technical and procedural job components.
•    Applies technical operating and project standards based on achieving excellence in delivered products, technologies and services.
•    Applies current procedures and technologies to help resolve technical issues in one's general area of technical competence.
•    Helps others solve technical or procedural problems or issues.

Project Management: Knowledge of effective project management strategies and tactics; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve project objectives.
Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Provides input for Gantt or PERT charts or their equivalent to track project progress and status.
•    Under guidance, plans and estimates simple projects.
•    Assists in detailed project plans including cost, schedule, and resource requirements.
•    Obtains information from stakeholders during the planning stage of a project.
•    Produces standard project status reports.

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 Basic Understanding: 
•    Discusses the relevance of standards for a manufacturing environment.
•    Researches process and product blueprints for own area.
•    Describes and follows all policies, standards and procedures.
•    Obtains documentation and information on standards and their usage.

Product Testing: Knowledge of product testing approaches, techniques and tools; ability to design, plan and execute testing strategies and tactics to ensure product quality at all stages of manufacturing.
Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Coordinates execution of test plans, including resources, strategy, schedules, processes and tools.
•    Collaborates with design team to ensure testing considerations are incorporated into system design.
•    Recommends tools and techniques for automating, simplifying and enhancing product testing.
•    Compares and contrasts alternative testing methodologies and tools.
•    Matches testing methodology and tools to product being tested; develops test scenarios and scripts.
•    Estimates time, effort and resources required for thorough testing.

Troubleshooting Technical Problems: Knowledge of troubleshooting approaches, tools and techniques; ability to anticipate, detect and resolve technical problems in a manufacturing environment.
Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Documents common hardware, software and communications problems and likely resolutions.
•    Troubleshoots typical technical problems in a specific area.
•    Works with vendor-specific diagnostic guides, tools and utilities to discover application problems.
•    Adheres to standard troubleshooting procedures to ensure effectiveness of resolutions.
•    Participates in setting evaluation standards and criterion for troubleshooting.

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.

Posting Dates:

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO).

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