Supplier Quality Supervisor (Early Talent )

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.

About LPSD

The Large Power Systems Division (LPSD) is part of Caterpillar's Power & Energy segment. Through this global organization, Caterpillar designs and manufactures large (greater than 18 liters) diesel and natural gas engines, powertrains and key engine systems. LPSD products and solutions support customers across power generation, industrial, marine, oil & gas, rail, services and Cat machine applications worldwide.

LPSD teams work across regions and functions to deliver safe, reliable and compliant solutions that help solve our customers' toughest challenges

Job Summary

The Supplier Quality Supervisor Coordinates supplier quality material flow, supports containment, oversees supplier-related rework, CAPA execution for third-party services, document control applicable to IQA, and drive continuous improvement across IQA and supplier-related quality activities.

What you will do

• Coordinate movement of incoming, nonconforming, and reworked material to support production priorities.
• Establish and communicate daily inspection, containment, and rework priorities based on operational needs.
• Monitor inventory status of held, suspect, and dispositioned material to prevent production disruptions.
• Coordinate with SQ team to ensure timely material disposition.
• Escalate material shortages, containment risks, and aging inventory requiring action.
• Daily reviews of open NCMs, containment actions, and rework status.
• Coordinate external rework providers activities.
• Lead CAPA investigations and ensure effective implementation of corrective and preventive actions at IQA facility.
• Identify recurring quality issues and drive systemic improvements, using statistical analysis where applicable.
• Ensure containment actions are implemented promptly and verified for effectiveness.
• Support supplier corrective action processes and collaborate with SQEs on supplier-related issues.
• Coordinate the creation, revision, approval requests, and implementation of IQA work instructions.
• Maintain document control processes to ensure only current revisions are in use.
• Ensure inspection plans, standard work, visual aids, forms, and procedures remain available, accurate, and up to date.
• Coordinate document reviews and approvals with relevant stakeholders.
• Drive standardization of inspection and containment processes.
• Support compliance with ISO 9001, Caterpillar requirements, and applicable quality standards.

Degree Requirement

This position is an early talent position. Candidates must have graduated from an accredited university within the last TWO years or a future graduation by Dec. 2026

What you will have

Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Knowledge of concepts, tools and techniques related to accuracy and attention to detail; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to supplier quality supervision activities.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Accurately gauges the operational impact of errors, omissions, and oversights in material flow, containment, rework and NCM activity.
• Uses checklists, controlled documents, and verification steps to ensure inspection and rework outputs are accurate.
• Reviews status, priorities, dispositions and documents for accuracy before communicating direction or escalation needs.
• Learns from quality misses and applies lessons learned to inspection, containment and document-control processes.

Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of concepts, tools and techniques related to decision making and critical thinking; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to supplier quality supervision activities.

Level Basic Understanding:

• Executes appropriately when quality decisions require input from SQ, Operations, Engineering, suppliers or management.
• Identifies issues and communicates with others when disposition, containment or escalation decisions need to be made.
• Uses available data, risk and production impact to support priority-setting and issue escalation.
• Understands decisions the role may make directly and decisions requiring formal approval or stakeholder alignment.

Effective Communications: Knowledge of concepts, tools and techniques related to effective communications; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to supplier quality supervision activities.

Level Basic Understanding:

• Communicates daily inspection, containment, material movement and rework priorities in a clear and timely manner.
• Understands effective and ineffective communication across SQ, IQA, suppliers, operations and rework providers.
• Explains the importance of concise escalation communication with status, risk, owner and requested action.
• Speaks and writes using professional language appropriate for cross-functional quality discussions.

Lean Manufacturing: Knowledge of concepts, tools and techniques related to lean manufacturing; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to supplier quality supervision activities.

Level Basic Understanding:

• Understands benefits and risks associated with coordinating quality activities around production priorities and material flow.
• Describes basic tools for observing process issues, identifying waste and improving inspection or containment flow.
• Identifies opportunities to standardize inspection, containment, and rework processes.
• Highlights recurring issues that may require systemic improvement or corrective action.

Performance Management: Knowledge of concepts, tools and techniques related to performance management; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to supplier quality supervision activities. Level Basic Understanding:

• Demonstrates understanding of quality performance indicators and expected operating rhythms.
• Tracks inspection compliance, audit effectiveness, pass-through performance, CAPA closure, 8D timeliness, NCM aging, rework turnaround, productivity and COPQ.
• Uses metrics to identify misses, aging items, negative trends and improvement opportunities.

Planning and Organizing: Knowledge of concepts, tools and techniques related to planning and organizing; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to supplier quality supervision activities. Level Basic Understanding:

• Schedules priorities as production needs, shortages, containment risks or aging inventory change.
• Demonstrates ability to estimate resources and time required for inspection, containment, rework and material movement activity.
• Identifies key assignments, schedules, priorities and process steps needed to keep quality work on track.
• Applies critical-path thinking to support timely material disposition and avoid production disruption.

Problem Solving: Knowledge of concepts, tools and techniques related to problem solving; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to supplier quality supervision activities.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Identifies and documents specific quality problems, containment needs, and resolution alternatives.
• Facilitates or coaches teams through CAPA and 8D problem-solving methodology.
• Examines problems using data-driven root cause analysis and evidence-based decision support.
• Tracks corrective actions through closure and validates effectiveness of implemented actions.
• Uses fact-finding techniques and analytical tools, including Minitab where applicable, to support problem solving.

Quality Management System (QMS): Knowledge of concepts, tools and techniques related to quality management system (qms); ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to supplier quality supervision activities.

Level Basic Understanding:

• Explains the role of QMS controls in maintaining accurate inspection plans, work instructions, standard work, visual aids, forms and procedures.
• Maintains document-control discipline to ensure only current revisions are in use.
• Supports supplier corrective action processes and collaborates with SQEs on supplier-related issues.
• Understands the role of QMS in supporting ISO 9001, Caterpillar requirements and applicable quality standards.

What will put you ahead

• Leadership experience (work groups, projects, clubs or other groups)
• Experience with problem-solving methodologies (i.e., 5-Whys/Fishbone Analysis, Ishikawa, 8D)
• Metrology, CMM and/or experience with gauging
• Knowledge of supplier quality or other supply chain quality experience.

This Job Description is intended as a general guide to the job duties for this position and is intended for the purpose of establishing the specific salary grade. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as an exhaustive summary of all responsibilities, duties and effort required by employees assigned to this job. At the discretion of management, this description may be changed at any time to address the evolving needs of the organization. It is expressly not intended to be a comprehensive list of "essential job functions" as that term is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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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.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Posting Dates:

August 14, 2026 - August 20, 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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