Product Change Control Engineer
Caterpillar · Pontiac, IL
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Controls
- Base pay
- $89k–$134k
- Degree
- Required
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Yesterday
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level controls role at Caterpillar (industrial) in Pontiac, IL. You will coordinate engineering releasing activities between engineering design areas and procurement/scheduling and other process partners with effective and timely implementation.
- They ask for
- degree required
- Base pay
- $89k–$134k
- Day to day
- relocation help
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Controls Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $89k–$133k. This one lists $89k–$134k.
Median of the low and high ends of 23 live postings that list pay, out of 33 controls engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 32 other live controls postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- In line with similar roles
- Experience asked
- Not stated
Typical $89k–$133k, from 22 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Automation 76%
- PLC 64%
- Robotics 45%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 36%
- Root cause 36%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Power BI / Tableau, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at Caterpillar
We found 15 people at this company and state: 11 in this kind of role, 4 leaders, plus 3 likely hiring managers. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Scott → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 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.
This plant: Caterpillar in Pontiac
2 other open roles at this site · 15 people we found in controls roles at Caterpillar.
- Manufacturing Engineer · Manufacturing
- Quality Engineer - Metrology · Quality
Full description from CaterpillarAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
What You Will Do
- ◆Analyzing engineering releases, changes, drawing notices to create change management requirements, providing the creation of product structure based on engineering design.
- ◆Maintaining close team relationships with releasing analysts, as well as teams in manufacturing operations, process planning, engineering design, and material planning.
- ◆Proven ability to drive accountability across teams and process partners, ensuring implementation milestones and deadlines are met.
- ◆Proven ability to analyze and manage complex data from multiple ongoing projects, prioritize competing demands, and drive alignment across cross-functional teams.
Requirements
Planning (MRP): Knowledge of the processes, practices and systems used in manufacturing
requirements
planning (MRP); ability to optimize planning for manufacturing cycles and ensure capacity and materials availability.
- ✓Describes basic concepts of materials and capacity management processes and procedures.
- ✓Describes the use of bills of materials and other documentation needed to provide supplies.
- ✓Clearly understands BoM management and ownership of Parts setup, releasing and how different elements of a part setup interacts with MRP Processes.
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.
- ✓Utilizes accepted procedures for problem analysis and resolution.
- ✓Identifies key aspects of problem-solving techniques used in own area.
Process Management: Knowledge of business process improvement tools and techniques; ability to understand, monitor, update, control, or enhance existing business or work processes.
- ✓Interprets process flow diagrams.
- ✓Explains differences between a process and a project.
- ✓Identifies process management initiatives in own area.
- ✓Describes key business processes in own area.
Production Scheduling and Control: Knowledge of procedures and tools for scheduling and controlling production runs; ability to utilize knowledge of daily manufacturing processes to assure quality deliverables.
- ✓Describes key aspects of production control.
- ✓Identifies types of problems that can affect production schedules.
- ✓Lists major activities performed by production control staff.
- ✓Locates information regarding fundamental practices and policies.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
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.
Role Definition
As a Product Change Control Engineer at our Pontiac facility, you will coordinate engineering releasing activities between engineering design areas and procurement/scheduling and other process partners with effective and timely implementation.
What You Have
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.
- •Accurately gauges the impact and cost of errors, omissions, and oversights.
- •Utilizes specific approaches and tools for checking and cross-checking outputs.
- •Processes limited amounts of detailed information with good accuracy.
- •Learns from mistakes and applies lessons learned.
- •Develops and uses checklists to ensure that information goes out error-free.
Cross-Team Integration: Understanding of the importance of inter-team collaboration in breaking down silos and achieving business results; ability to lead employees from various functions to communicate, coordinate work across divisions, and collaborate in solving problems as one team.
- •Maintains a strong internal network that promotes informal collaboration.
- •Shares information that may be relevant to other teams across divisions.
- •Assesses the potential synergies from combining common practices across teams.
Data Gathering & Analysis: Knowledge of data gathering and analysis tools, techniques, and processes; ability to collect and synthesize data from a variety of stakeholders and sources in an objective manner to reach a conclusion, goal, or judgment.
- •Participates in gathering and analyzing an organization's data based on requirements.
- •Follows proper data gathering and analysis processes and policies.
- •Documents data from various sources and in various formats.
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.
- •Explains characteristics and steps in an effective decision-making process.
- •Identifies issues and communicates with others when a decision needs to be made.
- •Names decision makers in own environment and cites examples of past decisions.
Manufacturing
Top Candidates May Also Have
- •Experience using Microsoft Office 365 applications, with a focus on Excel and Power BI.
- •Demonstrated intermediate proficiency in Excel (data analysis, formulas) and Power BI (reporting and dashboards).
Additional Information
- •This position requires the selected candidate to work on-site five days a week in the Pontiac, IL facility.
- •Domestic relocation assistance is available.
- •VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
- •Please ensure you frequently sign in to your Candidate Home for any updates or correspondence for positions that you have applied for: https://cat.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/CaterpillarCareers
#LI
Summary Pay Range
$89,210.00