Logistics Planning and Operations Manager

Career Area:

Supply Chain and Logistics

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 Description :

Lead logistics engineering, planning, and operations across two manufacturing facilities, ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective material flow to support business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Drive a safety-first culture across all logistics operations.

Lead end-to-end logistics planning, warehouse, material handling, inventory, and transportation activities.

Partner with Operations, Procurement, and Manufacturing Engineering to streamline processes and improve performance.

Manage, coach, and develop logistics specialists while building team capability.

Establish and monitor key logistics KPIs, benchmarks, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Lead logistics engineering projects focused on capacity, productivity, automation, and cost optimization.

Drive operational excellence through Lean, Six Sigma, and data-driven decision making.

Degree Requirement

Degree or equivalent experience desired

Skill Descriptors

Effectiveness Measurement: Knowledge of effective measurement techniques and ability to measure the quality and quantity of work effort for the purpose of improvement.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Under guidance, reports measurement results in actionable form to management.
• Interprets and analyzes results vs. established benchmarks.
• Establishes short-range and long-range improvement goals for own function.
• Uses assigned measurements for own function or specialization.
• Under guidance, develops action plans to achieve those goals.
  
  

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.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue and determining its significance.
• Makes a systematic comparison of two or more alternative solutions.
• Uses flow charts, Pareto charts, fish diagrams, etc. to disclose meaningful data patterns.
• Identifies the major forces, events, and people impacting and impacted by the situation at hand.
• Uses logic and intuition to make inferences about the meaning of the data and arrive at conclusions.
  
  

Cross-Team Integration: Understanding of the importance of inter-team collaboration in breaking down silos and achieving business results; ability to lead employees from various functions to communicate, coordinate work across divisions, and collaborate in solving problems as one team.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Maintains a strong internal network that promotes informal collaboration.
• Shares information that may be relevant to other teams across divisions.
• Assesses the potential synergies from combining common practices across teams.
• Identifies differences among teams that could cause barriers to effective integration.
• Applies relevant information gathered from comparable teams to own team.
  
  

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 Knowledge:

• 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.
  
  

Forecasting: Knowledge of forecasting tools, approaches and practices; ability to determine product demand and estimate production requirements and loads.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Participates in preparation of short-term forecasts for a specific product or site.
• Gathers and analyzes demand data with specific tools and procedures.
• Locates useful information and sources of input used in weekly, monthly and quarterly forecasts.
• Researches seasonal trends for a major product or product line.
• Explains common types of business conditions and activities that impact demand.
  
  

Performance Management: Knowledge of successful performance management techniques; ability to apply organization's performance management system, practices, and tools to developing and improving individual, team, and organizational performance.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Identifies opportunities to enhance performance, e.g., practice assignments, training, shadowing.
• Ensures performance goals, checkpoints, and feedback focus on behaviors.
• Provides documented input to formal performance review conducted by manager.
• Observes individual performance and provides fair and objective feedback.
• Uses formal and informal rewards and recognition programs for employees.
  
  

Supplier Management - MFG: Knowledge of processes and methods to effectively manage business relationships and transactions with suppliers of raw materials or product components; ability to apply related knowledge, experience and skills into real practice.

Level Working Knowledge:

• Follows procedures in carrying out routine supplier management tasks.
• Uses electronic systems or tools to record/retrieve supplier information and carry out transactions with suppliers.
• Resolves routine supplier issues; escalates non-routine issues up chain of command.
• Researches alternative vendors or suppliers; participates in supplier selection.
• Works with suppliers to ensure that purchases meet delivery date and quality specifications.
  
  

Supply Chain Management - MFG: Knowledge of functions, principles and techniques used in supply chain management; ability to develop and use, strategies, practices and tools for controlling the logistical processes.

Level Extensive Knowledge:

• Manages supply chain finance activities and measurements of effectiveness.
• Advises others on capacity issues at various points in the supply chain.
• Monitors the complete supply chain management process.
• Consults on supply chain network design projects or processes.
• Quantifies and evaluates benefits and risks of various supply chain strategies and approaches.
• Participates in joint planning, process design/redesign with clients and partners.
  
  

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.

Posting Dates:

September 4, 2026 - September 18, 2026

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply

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