Quality Technician

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.

Role Definition
Analyze data and perform root cause analysis to ensure products conform to quality standards.

Responsibilities
•    Training and supporting manufacturing and quality team members in requirements, inspection, and test practices.
•    Producing inspection reports based on results of inspection analysis; participating in measurement systems analysis.
•    Collecting non-conformance data and maintaining and updating quality system documents.

Degree Requirement
Degree or equivalent experience desired

Skill Descriptors
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 Working Knowledge: 
•    Utilizes quality indicators relevant to own unit or function.
•    Adheres to organizational quality management processes and practices.
•    Applies key aspects of continuous improvement processes and evaluates impact on quality.
•    Uses quality evaluation tools and techniques such as walkthroughs and inspections.
•    Works with quality assurance methods, tools and techniques.

Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Evaluates and makes contributions to best practices.
•    Processes large quantities of detailed information with high levels of accuracy.
•    Productively balances speed and accuracy.
•    Implements a variety of cross-checking approaches and mechanisms.
•    Demonstrates expertise in quality assurance tools, techniques, and standards.
•    Employs techniques for motivating employees to meet or exceed accuracy goals.

Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Differentiates assumptions, perspectives, and historical frameworks.
•    Evaluates past decisions for insights to improve decision-making process.
•    Assesses and validates decision options and points and predicts their potential impact.
•    Advises others in analyzing and synthesizing relevant data and assessing alternatives.
•    Uses effective decision-making approaches such as consultative, command, or consensus.
•    Ensures that assumptions and received wisdom are objectively analyzed in decisions.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Knowledge of successful approaches and techniques for dealing with change; ability to adapt to a changing environment and be comfortable with change.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Creates processes with provisions to accommodate change.
•    Helps others adapt to changing environments and accept new situations.
•    Recovers from disappointments and setbacks.
•    Works effectively with unstructured teams, situations, or environments.
•    Leverages prior experience as a help towards handling changing situations.
•    Makes progress in an atmosphere of ambiguity and uncertainty.

Manufacturing Processes: Knowledge of existing product manufacturing methods, technologies and processes; ability to execute, plan, manage and monitor the entire manufacturing process.
 Level Basic Understanding: 
•    Describes functional areas in a manufacturing facility.
•    Describes the roles and responsibilities of manufacturing areas and staff.
•    Identifies major phases and activities associated with a manufacturing cycle.
•    Obtains and interprets high-level manufacturing flow and documentation.

Manufacturing Standards, Procedures and Policies: Knowledge of organizational standards, procedures and policies in manufacturing activities; ability to plan, guide, and monitor manufacturing processes for compliance.
 Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Contributes to the development and implementation of specific manufacturing procedures.
•    Investigates the need to refer potential exceptions upward for review and approval.
•    Explains the rationale for procedures and standards in own area of responsibility.
•    Participates in the implementation of manufacturing standards and procedures to one's own function.
•    Provides feedback for improvement of procedures.

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.
 Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Documents test process and results; prepares and analyzes defect-tracking reports.
•    Summarizes features of a specific product-testing process and associated procedures.
•    Tests components for compliance with functional requirements and established conventions.
•    Discusses and compares usability, safety and integration testing.
•    Develops product-testing procedures; participates in selecting testing environment and tools.

Root Cause Analysis (RCA): Knowledge of the concepts, principles and techniques of root cause analysis (RCA); ability to use a structured approach to identify the causes of undesirable consequences in a manufacturing environment and the changes needed to prevent recurrences.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Investigates a broad range of problems, determines causes, and finds resolutions.
•    Recommends candidates for root cause analysis in spite of chaotic organizational conditions.
•    Develops corrective action based on RCA results.
•    Uses RCA techniques such as Re-enactment, Comparative Re-enactment, Re-construction.
•    Guides others to recognize repeat situations even when they are distributed over time or happen to different people.
•    Works with a variety of RCA approaches such as safety-based, production-based, process-based, failure-based, and systems-based.

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.

Relocation is available for this position.

Posting Dates:

April 10, 2025 - April 23, 2025

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO).

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