Metallurgical Engineering Manager
Caterpillar · Mossville, IL
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $159k–$239k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Today
The role in 30 seconds
A management manufacturing role at Caterpillar (industrial) in Mossville, IL. Build a highly engaged, high-performing organization with a strong focus on safety, engineering excellence, customer support, talent development, and continuous improvement.
- They ask for
- 2+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- PPAP
- Base pay
- $159k–$239k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $98k–$146k. This one lists $159k–$239k.
Median of the low and high ends of 22 live postings that list pay, out of 48 manufacturing 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 47 other live manufacturing postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- About 65% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 5+)
Typical $96k–$145k, from 18 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Root cause 46%
- Automation 44%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 38%
- Lean 35%
- ✓ New product launch 27%
- Tooling 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for PPAP, 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 Manufacturing team at Caterpillar
We found 4 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, 2 leaders. 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 J. → (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?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- 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 Mossville
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Full description from CaterpillarAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Job Summary
Caterpillar’s Advanced Materials Technology Department is seeking an experienced Metallurgical Engineering Manager to lead a large, multidisciplinary materials engineering organization supporting machines, engines, components, and manufacturing operations. This leadership role oversees a machine-focused product support team of engineers and contract technicians located in Mossville, Illinois, and Lafayette, Indiana.
You will also lead the Metallurgical Lab, which provides metallurgical testing supporting more than 30 product groups supporting Continuous Product Improvement, New Product Introduction, and Production Part Approval Process activities. The broader U.S. Metallurgical Engineering organization provides materials and metallurgical engineering, failure analysis, metallurgical laboratory, and nondestructive testing services to U.S.-based product and operations teams.
This is an opportunity for an accomplished materials and metallurgy leader to build engineering capability, develop technical talent, strengthen client partnerships, and help ensure world-class materials engineering support across Caterpillar.
What You Will Do
- ◆Lead and develop materials engineering talent, building the technical depth, leadership capability, and metallurgical expertise required to maintain Caterpillar's world-class materials engineering competency.
- ◆Provide technical leadership and oversight for metallurgical engineering reports, technical analyses, failure investigations, laboratory testing, and materials-related engineering support.
- ◆Lead the Tech Center's Metallurgical Lab, delivering high-quality metallurgical testing and technical support for Continuous Product Improvement (CPI), New Product Introduction (NPI), and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) activities.
- ◆Partner with internal clients to establish service requirements, technical expectations, priorities, budgets, and effective materials engineering solutions.
- ◆Develop new opportunities for materials engineering services, strengthening support for both new and existing internal clients across Caterpillar product and operations organizations.
- ◆Build a highly engaged, high-performing organization with a strong focus on safety, engineering excellence, customer support, talent development, and continuous improvement.
- ◆Lead across organizational boundaries, communicating effectively with employees ranging from frontline/hourly team members through Caterpillar executive management and collaborating across multiple business units.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Career Area
Engineering
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.
About IDES
Caterpillar’s Integrated Drivetrain Energy Solutions (IDES) division will focus on delivering advanced electrified power train, zero-emissions products/technologies, and the solutions and services associated with these technologies. Focus areas include batteries, fuel cells, motors, inverters, micro grid controllers, charging, energy storage systems, lifecycle solutions/services and integration of components for ePowertrain solutions across industries.
We are looking for top talent to build and scale the next generation of technologies, products and services to help our customers build a better—more sustainable—world. We need self-motivated, intelligent and team-oriented individuals to make our plans a reality. Individuals with high emotional intelligence, humility and openness to discovery will thrive in the teams we are building.
What You Will Have
- •Education & Engineering Experience: Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering or Metallurgical Engineering
- •Planning: Tactical, Strategic: Extensive experience and knowledge of effective planning techniques and ability to contribute to operational (short term), tactical (1-2 years) and strategic (3-5 years) planning in support of the overall business plan.
- •Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Extensive experience and knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
- •Technical Excellence: Extensive experience and knowledge of a given technology and various application methods; ability to develop and provide solutions to significant technical challenges.
- •Deep technical knowledge of ferrous metallurgy and broad knowledge of the materials and materials-processing methods used in the design, manufacture, and application of heavy equipment.
- •Communicating for Impact: Working knowledge of the concepts, tools and techniques for effective listening and communicating; ability to apply these theories to receive, transmit and accurately interpret information and ideas to influence others in various situations.
- •Demonstrated ability to communicate and build productive relationships at all organizational levels, from hourly employees through executive management and across Caterpillar business units.
- •Managing People: Extensive experience and knowledge of processes involved in managing people; ability to lead successful teams, and diligently address issues related to performance and conflicts at the workplace.
- •Collaborating Globally: Extensive experience and knowledge of effective collaboration techniques and ability to build networks with people from different countries and cultures, think and work with them to bring positive impact and flourishing business results.
- •Influencing Through Expertise: Extensive experience and knowledge of effective influe