Metallurgical Engineer

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.

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Role Definition

Caterpillar’s Advanced Materials Technology Department is currently seeking an experienced engineer to be a part of the US Metallurgical Engineering team conducting Failure & Metallurgical Analysis. In this role you will have an opportunity to analyze a wide variety of components providing design support and development on a diverse customer portfolio supporting products produced at the Decatur manufacturing facility.

What you will do

• Lead material analysis investigations

• Develop metallurgical testing plans and analyze test results

• Create technical reports and/or procedures

• Effectively communicate results to our internal customers

• Provide technical support to metallurgical laboratory operations personnel.

• Support Met Lab process controls and compliance for certifications and audits.

• Resolving issues regarding the design or manufacturing. Ensuring design acceptance and manufacturing readiness.

• Participating in the adoption of new technologies and processes (automation, robotics, computer aided manufacturing software, etc.) to achieve greater efficiency, cost reduction and quality improvement.

• Planning and improving testing procedures and operations to make the test more reliable, efficient and cost-effective.

• Monitoring results, machine and process capabilities and performance reliability.

• Provide support for lab management, ISO 17025 certification management, and local heat treat engineering

Degree Requirement

• Bachelor’s in one of the following engineering disciplines: Materials Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering or Metallurgical Engineering is required.

What you must have (skills)

• Information Capture: Knowledge of the methods, channels and processes to obtain needed information; ability to identify, capture and document relevant business information in an auditable, organized, understandable and easily retrievable manner.

• Standard Operating Procedures: Knowledge of established standard operating procedures (SOP); ability to design, implement and evaluate standard operating procedures affecting daily and strategic business operations in order to increase operational efficiency.

• 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.

• 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.

• Design for Manufacturability (DFM): Knowledge of design for manufacturability guidelines, methodologies, and use cases; ability to use this knowledge to optimize product designs and manufacturing operations.

• Engineering - Manufacturing: Knowledge of processes, techniques and methods of engineering in a manufacturing environment; ability to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems and processes that safely realize a desired objective or invention.

• 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.

• Troubleshooting Technical Problems: Knowledge of troubleshooting approaches, tools and techniques; ability to anticipate, detect and resolve technical problems in a manufacturing or product development environment.

Top candidates will also have

• 2 or more years of relevant professional experience including:  

  • ISO 17025 laboratory accreditation

  • Familiarity with metrological traceability and use of metrological instruments

  • Use of statistical analysis to quantify process performance and improvements

  • In-depth understanding of ASTM specifications for tensile, Charpy impact, Rockwell hardness, microhardness, and spectroscopic chemistry analysis of ferrous metals.

Additional Information

• This position posting will close on 5/11/2026 at 11:59 p.m.

• This position will be located onsite 5 days a week in Decatur, IL.

•  Relocation (domestic) assistance is available for this position.

• Sponsorship is NOT available. 

• This position may require less than 10% travel

Final details

Please frequently check the email associated with your application, including the junk/spam folder, as this is the primary correspondence method. If you wish to know the status of your application – please use the candidate log-in on our career website as it will reflect any updates to your status.

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Summary Pay Range:

$81,370.00 - $122,060.00

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

This position requires working onsite five days a week.

Relocation is available for this position.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Posting Dates:

April 27, 2026 - May 11, 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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