Manufacturing Engineer – Sanford Advanced Manufacturing
Caterpillar · Sanford, NC
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $128k–$193k
- Travel
- 75%
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 17 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at Caterpillar (industrial) in Sanford, NC.
- Tools it names
- Root cause, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Robotics, Automation, Machining, Welding
- Base pay
- $128k–$193k
- Day to day
- about 75% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
At a glance
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Your game plan for this job
Most people just hit Apply. Do these first and you show up with someone on the inside.
- 1
Find 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at this site
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply most.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
Ask about the work, not for a referral. We write it for you.
- 3
Have a 15-minute chat
Good questions for this role:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- The posting says about 75% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply, ideally with a referral
Ask if they'd refer you or introduce you to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link and tell them the day you apply.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
About the role
Job Summary
We are hiring five Manufacturing Engineers: two focused on Fabrication, one focused on Paint, and two focused on Assembly. Candidates may be considered for the area that best aligns with their experience, interest, and business need.
The Manufacturing Engineer(s) will contribute to subsystem-level projects that bring manufacturing processes, equipment, tooling, automation, connected systems, and production systems into operation for a new smart manufacturing facility, working under the guidance of project engineers and other technical leaders.
You will be involved from planning through installation, commissioning, launch, and ramp-up. Candidates do not need experience across all three focus areas, but should bring strong manufacturing engineering, process development, project execution, and problem-solving capability in at least one area.
What You Will Do
- ◆Participate in facility launch activities from process planning through installation, commissioning, go-live, ramp-up, and steady-state operations, guided by project engineers.
- ◆Contribute to manufacturing process development and improvement projects in Fabrication, Paint, or Assembly, with responsibility for defined subsystems or project workstreams.
- ◆Help define and implement practical automation, robotics, connected equipment, error-proofing, and data-enabled processes that improve safety, quality, reliability, flow, and productivity.
- ◆Contribute to project scopes, schedules, budgets, technical specifications, risk assessments, and readiness plans under the guidance of project engineers.
- ◆Work with operations, engineering, quality, maintenance, supply chain, facilities, safety, information technology, suppliers, contractors, and system integrators.
- ◆Provide technical support for equipment, tooling, fixtures, layouts, work methods, process controls, production flow, and manufacturing documentation.
- ◆Resolve startup issues, complete root cause analysis, implement corrective actions, and support production stabilization.
- ◆Analyze capacity, cycle times, material flow, labor needs, throughput, bottlenecks, safety risks, and production readiness.
- ◆Develop standard work, operating procedures, training input, and knowledge transfer for operations and maintenance teams.
- ◆Share technical knowledge and work with engineers, technicians, and manufacturing team members to apply disciplined problem-solving methods.
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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.
Caterpillar is developing a new advanced manufacturing campus in Sanford, North Carolina, to expand production capacity for compact track loaders and telehandlers. The modern, technology-enabled operation is expected to incorporate automation, robotics, digital production systems and integrated logistics capabilities to enhance safety, quality and operational performance. Employees will help build the products our customers rely on while developing skills in advanced manufacturing and supporting the continued growth of Caterpillar’s Cat Compact℠ business.
Fabrication Focus Area
- •Experience in automated welding, forming, cutting, machining, fixtures, tooling, weld cells, fabrication layouts, material handling, quality controls, and production troubleshooting.
- •Support the design, installation, commissioning, and optimization of fabrication processes and equipment, partnering with suppliers and internal teams to achieve production readiness.
- •Drive improvements in quality, throughput, uptime, ergonomics, and material flow through data analysis, process monitoring, and structured problem-solving.
Paint Focus Area
- •Experience in automated paint process development, coatings operations, robotic application systems, pretreatment, e-coat, powder coat, liquid paint, ovens, booths, conveyors, environmental controls, paint delivery systems, quality systems, and process troubleshooting.
- •Support the design, installation, commissioning, and optimization of paint systems and equipment, partnering with suppliers and internal teams to ensure production readiness.
- •Drive improvements in paint quality, material efficiency, throughput, uptime, and process stability through data-driven analysis and continuous improvement.
Assembly Focus Area
- •Experience may include assembly process development, production line design, tooling and fixture implementation, automated or semi-automated assembly systems, torque systems, fastening, material flow, line balancing, error-proofing, work instructions, standard work, testing, quality validation, and production ramp-up.
- •Support the design, installation, commissioning, and launch of assembly processes, production systems, tooling, automation, and material flow solutions to achieve production readiness.
- •Drive improvements in manufacturability, quality, throughput, and operational performance through process optimization, validation, and cross-functional collaboration.
What You Will Have
Manufacturing Engineering: Working knowledge of manufacturing engineering principles, systems, standards, processes, and operational improvement methodologies.
Project Management: Working-level knowledge of project planning and controls, with the ability to organize and monitor assigned work to meet scope, schedule, quality and budget expectations.
Process Management: Working-level knowledge of methods used to evaluate, i