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.

Job Description

This role leads sourcing strategy, supplier management, and category optimization across a broad and strategically important procurement portfolio at Caterpillar. This role will be instrumental in building and maturing the category management framework, identifying supply base gaps, and driving continuous improvement initiatives. The role has responsibility for four direct reports and one indirect report and requires strong commercial acumen, cross‑functional leadership, and deep expertise in procurement best practices.

Success in this role is defined by the ability to quickly establish credibility and momentum. Early impact includes building strong relationships with team members and key stakeholders, gaining a deep understanding of assigned categories and key suppliers, and beginning to operationalize category management processes. Over time, the role is expected to demonstrate measurable improvements in cost, quality, supplier performance, and risk mitigation while creating alignment across functions and driving continuous improvement initiatives.

This is a high‑visibility, high‑impact role with broad scope and significant upside. It offers the opportunity to shape and influence how category management is executed rather than inheriting a fully mature model. This role brings a chance to drive meaningful cost reduction, supplier optimization, and strategic value creation within a global manufacturing leader, while leading a team and influencing enterprise‑level outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and execute supplier sourcing strategies by establishing bid rules for high‑impact purchases, qualifying suppliers, managing supplier performance, and resolving major supplier-related quality, delivery, and compliance issues.

• Manage end‑to‑end purchasing operations, including RFQs, purchase orders, invoice and contract approvals, recordkeeping, supplier quality and delivery oversight, and continuous improvement through data-driven analysis of historical and market information.

• Partner closely with internal stakeholders, audit, and compliance teams to ensure purchasing decisions align with business requirements, quality standards, and risk expectations, while communicating clearly to resolve issues and drive alignment.

• Lead negotiations for materials, services, and components by assessing market conditions, recommending cost and process improvements, managing urgent and critical issues, and negotiating pricing, contracts, and significant cost changes.

Top Candidates Will Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree with 4+ years of experience in Procurement, Supply Chain, or a related function, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across functions, building strong working relationships with internal stakeholders.

• Experience working with regional teams and external suppliers in a matrixed environment.

• Demonstrated success operating within complex, global organizations.

• Strong experience developing and executing supplier sourcing and category strategies.

• Demonstrated ability to identify and address gaps within a supply base to improve resilience, performance, and cost.

• Solid working knowledge of QCLDM (Quality, Cost, Logistics, Development, Management) principles.

• Experience leading or supporting continuous improvement initiatives within procurement and/or supply chain operations.

Skills You Will Need:

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.
Negotiating: Knowledge of successful negotiation concepts and techniques; ability to negotiate successfully across the organization and with external vendors and clients in a constructive and collaborative manner.

Category Management: Knowledge of category management within an organization's goods and services sector; ability to use this knowledge to analyze and improve the end-to-end procurement process and maximize business profitability.

• 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.
  Purchasing Tasks and Activities: Knowledge of policies, regulations and processes of purchasing; ability to use practices and procedures for procurement of materials, components, equipment and services.

Additional Information:

Location: Mossville, Illinois

Relocation: Offered

Sponsorship: Not Offered

Travel: 50%

Summary Pay Range:

$128,470.00 - $192,710.00

Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar.

Benefits:

Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. This is a summary list of benefits.

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits

• Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)

• 401(k) savings plans

• Health Savings Account (HSA)

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

• Health Lifestyle Programs

• Employee Assistance Program

• Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts

• Career Development

• Incentive bonus

• Disability benefits

• Life Insurance

• Parental leave

• Adoption benefits

• Tuition Reimbursement

• These benefits also apply to part-time employees

Posting Dates:

March 3, 2026 - March 15, 2026

Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen.

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply.

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