Life Cycle Manager

Career Area:

Job Description:

At Caterpillar, we work to help our customers build a better world. Without our team of talented, bright and driven individuals, we wouldn’t be the Caterpillar we are today. Now, this is your chance to join our team and do work that matters. We want you to help us enable customer success, make progress possible around the world and help our communities grow and thrive. We are looking for a dynamic individual to join our Product Support and Logistics Division.

The Product Support and Logistics Division (PSLD) is one of the most innovative divisions within Caterpillar. In PSLD, as within all of Caterpillar, our priority is our customers and helping them build a better world. We touch nearly every element of the services value stream from procurement to design and manufacturing to distribution. PSLD is responsible for Aftermarket Parts Distribution of Cat Parts, Integrated Logistics, segment Procurement and the design and manufacture of Wear Components (Undercarriage and GET) and Maintenance Components (Seals, Tubes & Hardware, Hose & Couplings, Fluids and Filters).

We’re committed to our customers, who build a better world with our products, services and solutions. We understand and show the value of why they should always choose us. We’re exploring new ideas and opportunities – innovating to discover the breakthroughs necessary for tomorrow’s growth.

The Life Cycle Manager (LCM) is accountable for ensuring a competitive lifecycle solution for their assigned products, for the parts business results of a product or component group, with focus on improving OPACC-C, POPS-C, parts margins, parts inventories, and parts material costs. As such, this individual will develop strategies, which includes NPI, retrofit and Reman solutions to maximize supportability and optimize the parts sales portfolio. The LCM will collaborate cross-enterprise with process partners to address parts challenges including but not limited to serviceability, source, cost, pricing, marketing, and inventory. This position will report to a NPI Manager in a Machine Business Division (MBD)/Engine Business Division (EBD) or to a Component, Commercial, or Solution Product Manager.

Responsibilities:

• Ensures the health and profitability of the product group aftermarket parts business
• Development of strategies for NPI seeding, inventory management, cost reduction, retrofit and Reman to maximize profitability, product supportability and optimization of the parts sales portfolio
• Work across a matrix organization with all process partners to ensure the critical aspects of Seed / Grow / Harvest of the parts business are managed and parts challenges are addressed at the product group level
• Responsible for parts product that have lower volume or are less complex
• Championing the parts business to the product group and supporting organizations by providing training and strategy leadership
• Key Process Managed:
  • Parts Annual Business Plan (ABP): Contribute to the Parts margin, parts net sales and transfers
  • POPS Growth: Lead the strategy and growth goals for current products and NPI, further the application of intellectual property, branding, supplier agreements, retrofit, up-grades and Reman for parts growth, execute the NPI process from Gate Way (GW) L through GW7
  • Parts Inventory: Including but not limited to contribute to Parts stocking level, service level gaps, past dues, back orders, low volume and non-current parts turns
  • OPACC-C/Margin Optimization: Including but not limited to leading pricing study definition, cost reduction project definition and execution, negative margin
  • Parts Business Teams and Roundtables: Including but not limited to contribute to Prime Product, Engine, Components, Low Volume, etc.
  • Life cycle solution improvements: Including but not limited to contribute to service part reuse and rationalization, customer contracts (CSA, MARC, etc.) support, repair option development, service efficiency and components improvement, to achieve lowest operating costs. Analyze portfolio for trends and recommendations. Provides life cycle solutions to optimally release, manage and discontinue/rationalize service parts portfolio
  • Liaison with cross-enterprise partners: Leads parts-related impacts and decisions. Aftermarket strategies to advise Engineering as well as Engineering BOM (Bill of Materials)
  • Parts Marketing: Contribute to the sales program initiation through parts marketing and distribution organizations
  • Educate and Coach Production Group team on Parts business
• Other duties as assigned by Caterpillar management from time-to-time

Basic Requirements:

• 7-10 years previous experience in Engineering, Logistics, Market/Product Support, Supply Chain or Procurement
• 5 (plus) years’ experience in a project leadership related role where the use of analytical tools and problem-solving methods such as Sigma/Lean and Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) have been utilized
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
• Ability to work as part of a global cross-functional team
• Strong attention to detail and ability to drive results when faced with ambiguity and uncertainty
• Previous leadership experience with proven ability to deliver results, while maintaining a strong people focus
• Previous experience with Change Management
• Previous in both the development and execution of strategy
• Excellent interpersonal skills and growth mindset in order to deal with sensitive issues, develop others, or persuade others inside and outside the department to take specific actions

Top candidates will also have :

• Thorough knowledge of Caterpillar products and product applications, dealer network, merchandising programs, and/or warranty practices and procedures
• Knowledge of multiple functional areas within Caterpillar, which may include: NPI/CPI (Continuous Product Improvement), 6 SIGMA/Lean, product engineering, parts product background or field experience
• Previous experience with O&E model to identify opportunities for growth, rationalization and protection of OPACC pools
  

Additional Information:

• This position may require up to 10% domestic and international travel
• This position does offer relocation

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 www.Caterpillar.com/careers .

EEO/AA Employer. All qualified individuals - Including minorities, females, veterans and individuals with disabilities - are encouraged to apply.

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