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NPI Team Lead

Caterpillar · Mossville, IL · $128,470–$192,710 a year · Full time

Posted Oct 1, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you led an NPI team where most of the people did not report to you. How did you keep them committed to your dates?

What they are checking: Influence without authority, which is most of what an NPI lead actually has to work with.

Describe a time a product launch went badly. What did you change in how you run launches afterward?

What they are checking: Whether they learn from failure and turn it into process, not just a story about bad luck.

How do you develop the engineers and technicians on your NPI team while still hitting launch dates?

What they are checking: Whether they see growing people as part of the lead role rather than something that waits until the schedule is clear.

What would you do

Your launch date is fixed, but test fixtures for a new ECM are three weeks late from the supplier. What do you do this week?

What they are checking: Whether they act on schedule risk early with options, rather than waiting and reporting a miss.

This is a high visibility role. How do you report status to senior leaders when a project is behind and you do not yet have a recovery plan?

What they are checking: Honesty under pressure, and whether they can bring bad news with a clear next step instead of hiding it.

Cat Reman talks about a circular economy. How would you weigh the cost of a reman process against the value of keeping that core in use?

What they are checking: Business sense about reman economics, where both core recovery rate and process cost decide if a product is worth launching.

Engineering wants to add one more design change late in the program and operations wants to freeze. How do you settle it?

What they are checking: Managing scope creep by weighing risk and value openly, rather than siding with whoever pushes hardest.

About the work

Walk me through how you would take a new electronic component from first core return to a released remanufactured part here in Mossville.

What they are checking: Whether they understand that reman NPI starts from a used core, not a fresh design, and plans salvage and test around that.

Reman electronics often come back with unknown failure history. How would you decide which failures a reman process can recover and which cores should be scrapped?

What they are checking: Judgment about salvage criteria, because a bad call either wastes good cores or ships parts that fail in the field.

How do you build a test and diagnostic plan for remanufactured electronics so the part performs like new?

What they are checking: Whether they can define functional test coverage that justifies the same quality promise as a new part.

What does a good stage-gate review look like to you, and what would make you refuse to pass a project to the next gate?

What they are checking: Whether they treat gates as real quality checks with criteria, not as meetings to rubber-stamp progress.

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The full job description

As published by Caterpillar.

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. CATERPILLAR REMANUFACTURING Do you have a passion for helping customers and supporting a sustainable solution? Since 1973, Cat Reman has helped bring the value at the core of every Cat product back to life. Customers look to us to provide a high-quality solution that is good for their business - and promotes sustainability. It's important to us to deliver. Our team is full of industry leaders. Together, following common values, we share a passion for delivering sustainability benefits that help the company contribute to a circular economy. It’s rewarding to work, with an inspiring team, where every contribution matters. Caterpillar’s Remanufacturing Division is looking for a NPI Leader to support the Mossville, IL facility. This position is a high visibility leadership position within the Reman Electronics NPI team of Caterpillar’s Remanufacturing Division and reports to the NPI Program Manager. This role requires strong engineering fundamentals, project leadership, business acumen, and demonstrated product knowledge in generator ends, generator sets, power generation, large rotating electrics, electric motor functionality, and related manufacturing operations. Responsibilities: • Coordinating with the businesses, sales, marketing, and platform groups to manage resources for each deliverable within the project. • Overseeing project progress and costs; communicating status with stakeholders and participating functional areas; addressing and resolving problems. • Influencing project staffing; motivating and developing project team and team members. • Communicating with customers and managing expectations; ensuring effective use of project controls and reporting mechanisms. Planning: Tactical, Strategic: 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. Level Working Knowledge: • Contributes to short-term operational plans. • Anticipates and adapts to plan changes. • Monitors progress of work against plan as required to meet objectives. • Reports variances and makes agreed-upon corrections. • Under guidance, develops tactical plan for own direct responsibility. Products and Services: Knowledge of major products and services and product and service groups; ability to apply knowledge of product and service appropriately to diverse situations. Level Working Knowledge: • Obtains information about product and service linkages with other products and services elsewhere in organization. • Researches the target market and how the product and services are sold and delivered. • Explains current status, delivery alternatives and announced updates to products and services. • Summarizes key features of major products or services in own unit. • Assesses own unit's product alternatives, costs, and pricing. Quality Management: Knowledge of quality management methods, tools, and techniques and ability to create and support an environment that meets the quality goals of the organization. Level Basic Understanding: • Explains the purpose and limitations of quality management. • Accesses organizational resources that enable quality management. • Defines quality management concepts. • Cites examples of organizational quality management initiatives. 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. Level Extensive Experience: • Reviews others' writing or presentations and provides feedback and coaching. • Adapts documents and presentations for the intended audience. • Demonstrates both empathy and assertiveness when communicating a need or defending a position. • Communicates well downward, upward, and outward. • Employs appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement. • Maintains focus on the topic at hand. 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. Level Working Knowledge: • Identifies and documents specific problems and resolution alternatives. • Examines a specific problem and understands the perspective of each involved stakeholder. • Develops alternative techniques for assessing accuracy and relevance of information. • Helps to analyze risks and benefits of alternative approaches and obtain decision on resolution. • Uses fact-finding techniques and diagnostic tools to identify problems. Customer Service Management: Knowledge of customer service priorities and ability to utilize tools and techniques for maintaining an environment where all understand, and are committed to providing excellent service to internal and external customers. Level Working Knowledge: • Facilitates the resolution of customer problems, issues, or concerns. • Monitors and reports on delivery of what was promised. • Participates in a team that provides direct customer service. • Ensures identification of customer needs and priorities. • Analyzes problem trends and takes steps to avoid recurrence. Program Management: Knowledge of the policies and techniques to manage a set of related projects within a program; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control the set of projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve program objectives. Level Working Knowledge: • Assists in detailed project plans including cost, schedule, and resource requirements. • Participates in planning, estimating, and executing a set of projects. • Follows standard criteria to track project progress and status to ensure they are in line with program objectives. • Monitors standard project status reports. • Coordinates the necessary resources for managing efficient and effective projects within the program. 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. Level Working Knowledge: • Analyzes the implementation challenges of DFM methodologies and shares them with their supervisors. • Documents each stage of the design process for audit and review purposes. • Follows standard guidelines and best practices while carrying out DFM procedures. • Implements DFM methodologies to standardize product designs, simplify operations, and reduce costs for certain types of manufacturing processes. • Utilizes basic DFM tools and technologies to implement DFM methodologies. What Will Set You Apart: • Strong design and/or performance engineering knowledge related to generator ends, generator sets, power generation, large rotating electrics, electric motor functionality, and engine manufacturing environments. • Previous manufacturing, operations, process engineering, or team leadership experience supporting generator end, generator set, engine, or related electric power manufacturing operations. • Demonstrated NPI, project management, Lean manufacturing, and/or 6 Sigma experience, with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive execution through product introduction milestones. • 10–15 years of product knowledge or relevant experience in generator sets, generator ends, power generation, large rotating electrics, electric motors, or engine manufacturing. • Experience in design engineering, performance engineering, process engineering, manufacturing operations, NPI leadership, or related job profiles. • Experience within Electric Power Division, Lafayette Engine Center, or similar product groups/divisions is strongly aligned with the needs of this role. Education and Certifications • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent relevant experience preferred. • 6 Sigma Black Belt certification preferred. • Lean manufacturing experience or certification preferred. Additional Information : 25% - 30% travel What You Will Get! Our goal at Caterpillar is for you to have a rewarding career. Our teams are critical to the success of our customers who build a better world. Here you earn more than just an hourly wage, because we value your performance, we offer a total rewards package that provides day one benefits along with the potential of annual bonuses. Additional benefits include paid vacation days and paid holidays (prorated based upon hire date). • Medical, dental, and vision coverage • Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holiday, Volunteer, Etc.) • 401k savings plan • Health savings account (HSA) • Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) • Short and long-term disability coverage • Life Insurance • Paid parental leave • Healthy Lifestyle Programs • Employee Assistance Programs • Voluntary Benefits (Ex. Accident, Identity Theft Protection) All eligible candidates MUST pass the following pre-employment screenings before they can be hired to any Caterpillar position: • Background Screening • Drug & Alcohol Screening Please ensure you frequently sign into your candidate home for any updates or correspondence for positions that you have applied for. https://cat.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/CaterpillarCareers Keep a frequent check on emails as correspondence will be sent to the email that you used to apply with. 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. Visa sponsorship is NOT available for this position. This employer is not currently hiring foreign national applicants that require or will require sponsorship tied to a specific employer, such as, H, L, TN, F, J, E, O. As a global company, Caterpillar offers many job opportunities outside of the U.S which can be found through our employment website at www.caterpillar.com/careers Domestic relocation assistance is offered for this position. About Caterpillar Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. For 100 years, we’ve been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world and are committed and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed. 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 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: October 1, 2026 - October 22, 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. Not ready to apply? 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