NPI Team Leader - Electric Power

Caterpillar's Electric Power Division (EPD) offers integrated solutions, parts, and services to meet the needs of our various commercial and industrial electric power customers. EPD supports a wide range of customer applications across the globe, including providing back-up power to hospitals, providing emergency power when natural disasters strike, and supporting critical infrastructure for data centers, municipalities, and more. With a rich history of more than 95 years in the electric power business, our team has world-class expertise and a proven ability to adapt to changing demands. We’re committed to providing sustainable and reliable solutions to our customers. Join our team to help build a better, more sustainable world for future generations!

Job Summary:

Caterpillar’s Large Electric Power Solutions (LEPS) business is seeking an NPI Team Leader focused on LEPS Controls & Hybrid Solutions projects. In this role, the successful candidate will lead a multi-functional and diverse team in the development of Large Electric Power’s Energy Control System (ECS) through the Caterpillar NPI Process, NTI process, and general program/project leadership. This position will be responsible for leadership and coordination of 3 to 6 high-visibility programs that strategically position LEPS’ Electric Power Control systems and Hybrid Solutions for the ongoing Energy Transition and for the future. NPI Team scope reaches across multiple business units and geographies globally, with key team members in the US, Germany, and India.

What You Will Do:

• Own the overall management of the team and the day-to-day resource issues. Identify and find improvement opportunities that exist across each of the different processes and execute strategies to address them.

• Identify and define product problems and ensure this is passed to the relevant person within the business for resolution. Act as the link between the product teams and the process teams.

• Work with LEPS Product Definition teams to identify and prioritize product opportunities and determine technology enhancements which offer cost/value for the customer. Direct the activities of the NPI Team and determine the scope of work, including costing and pricing, selecting, negotiating, and administering agreements.

• Develop specific plans for program execution and monitor actual performance. Negotiate changes to programs, including cost, price, supplier selection, etc. Direct changes required due to performance or reliability problems. Provide input into departmental marketing strategies for assigned products and markets. Act as the product development process expert in supporting all project teams.

• Communicate effectively across functional areas, including Engineering, Marketing, Product Definition, Service, Supply Chain/Operations, and Aftermarket to gain understanding and acceptance of ideas and recommendations.

• Work and collaborate with people from many different backgrounds and cultures, internally and externally, with the appropriate influence and ability to resolve differences. Apply strong communication and influencing skills to develop a collaborative and cooperative working relationship with others inside of Caterpillar.

What You Will Have:

Planning: Tactical, Strategic: Extensive knowledge of effective planning techniques and ability to contribute to operational, tactical, and strategic planning in support of the overall business plan.

• Develops, refines, and communicates tactical plans for own responsibilities.

• Provides the right level of detail as input for strategic plan development.

• Demonstrates the value and necessity of linking tactical plans to overall strategic plan.

• Ensures attention to the detail and dependencies of existing departmental-level plans.

• Plans for allocation of resources in line with unit goals, technical and business objectives.

• Ensures the planning process is integrated with the overall business plan.

Products and Services: Working knowledge of major products and services and product and service groups; ability to apply knowledge of product and service appropriately to diverse situations.

• 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 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.

Effective Communications: Expert knowledge and 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.

• Works to create a climate that values and rewards good oral and written communication.

• Communicates effectively with diverse audiences, using appropriate media and language.

• Monitors developments in communications tools for potential use by organization.

• Ensures important messages are clearly understood.

• Coaches others on methods of improving their own communications.

Customer Service Management: Extensive 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.

• Communicates with clients on quality of service measurements.

• Ensures teams maintain focus on value-added services.

• Conducts and acts on reviews of open service requests.

• Identifies and resolves gaps in customer expectations versus actual service levels.

• Negotiates the terms of deliverables, service level agreements, and expectations.

• Verifies client satisfaction and keeps customers informed.

Program Management: Extensive 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.

• Evaluates risks and vulnerabilities and creates contingency plans.

• Advises others on preferred tools, techniques and methods for estimating program cost and time.

• Conducts regular and ad-hoc program reviews with project managers, team and clients.

• Coaches others in maintaining open communication among project managers and interested parties.

• Oversees reporting requirements and creates monitoring and control mechanisms.

• Plans, estimates, staffs, organizes and monitors a set of projects within a program.

Top Candidates Will Also Have:

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Business, Engineering, or Marketing field preferred.

• At least 3-5 years of Product Development experience.

• Knowledge of electric power systems.

• Strong commercial, business, engineering, and manufacturing skills, and an understanding of product test & development, materials, accounting, and pricing functions.

• Proven ability to work directly with partners to solve customer’s problems with innovative solutions.

• Proven ability to build strong interpersonal relationships and constructively manage challenging situations.

• The ability to lead and manage a cohesive team and provide clear direction to the wider organization.

• A desire to continue learning and developing in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Information:

• This position will be located in Mossville, IL, Griffin, GA, Lafayette, IN, or Mannheim, Germany.

• Travel up to 10-15% is required, both domestic and international.

• Domestic relocation assistance is offered for this position.

• Visa sponsorship is not offered for this position.

• This position requires the candidate to work a 5-day-a-week schedule in the office.

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 of 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.

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 over 100 years, we have 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.