Logistics Engineer – Sanford Advanced Manufacturing

Career Area:
Supply Chain and Logistics
Job Description:
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Caterpillar is developing a new advanced manufacturing campus in Sanford, North Carolina, to expand production capacity for compact track loaders and telehandlers. The modern, technology-enabled operation is expected to incorporate automation, robotics, digital production systems and integrated logistics capabilities to enhance safety, quality and operational performance. Employees will help build the products our customers rely on while developing skills in advanced manufacturing and supporting the continued growth of Caterpillar’s Cat Compact℠ business.
Job Summary
As a Logistics Engineer in Sanford, North Carolina, you will help design and improve the material flow, warehousing, line-side delivery, and replenishment processes needed for launch readiness, production ramp-up, and long-term operational performance for a new advanced manufacturing facility.
This role is ideal for someone who takes ownership of complex design and implementation challenges, anticipates risks, makes sound decisions, and drives solutions through launch and stabilization. You will work with engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, operations, maintenance, and digital teams to remove barriers and deliver logistics systems that improve flow, reliability, and execution.
The Logistics Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously improving logistics processes that support safety, flow, space utilization, productivity, inventory accuracy, and delivery performance. This position applies lean manufacturing, industrial engineering, automation, and data analysis to establish scalable material-flow processes for a new operation. With automation designed into the facility from the start, the role identifies where automation can add value, selects fit-for-purpose solutions, integrates equipment with ERP and shop-floor systems, and optimizes material-handling equipment to deliver reliable throughput, availability, and return on investment.
The successful candidate will translate production needs into practical logistics designs and work across technical and nontechnical teams to implement them. The role requires strong analytical thinking, shop-floor partnership, attention to detail, communication, adaptability, and the ability to connect physical material flow with data, systems, and advanced manufacturing technology.
What You Will Do
Design end-to-end material-flow processes for receiving, warehousing, kitting, line-side delivery, point-of-use replenishment, packaging, and outbound movement, including critical handoff points to and from production.
Develop new logistics layouts, flow paths, storage strategies, replenishment models, material-presentation methods, equipment interfaces, and standard work for launch readiness.
Develop functional requirements, equipment specifications, capacity models, risk assessments, and acceptance criteria for automated logistics systems.
Evaluate material-handling technologies, connected systems, suppliers, and system integrators; recommend solutions based on safety, process fit, velocity, cost, scalability, and operating requirements.
Build business cases and implementation plans for logistics equipment, systems, layouts, and process controls, aligning manufacturing, supply chain, facilities, maintenance, and digital partners.
Lead testing, commissioning, validation, go-live, ramp-up, and handoff to operations and maintenance.
Use performance data to optimize equipment utilization, throughput, availability, reliability, maintainability, system recovery, and future scalability.
Own design and implementation challenges through resolution by evaluating alternatives, aligning stakeholders, removing barriers, managing actions to closure, and verifying results.
Establish and sustain logistics standards, process maps, layouts, work instructions, material-flow analyses, and performance measures.
Communicate recommendations, decisions, project status, and risks clearly to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
What You Will Have
Analytical thinking: Ability to break complex challenges into manageable components, identify inconsistencies, compare alternatives, and recommend practical solutions.
Decision making and critical thinking: Ability to gather relevant information, clarify priorities, assess risks and benefits, and contribute to sound decisions.
Logistics management: Working knowledge of material movement, process flow, warehouse operations, line-side delivery, lead-time tracking, cost assessment, and operational performance.
Automation and advanced manufacturing: Ability to identify high-value automation opportunities, compare technical and financial alternatives, select fit-for-purpose solutions, integrate equipment with ERP and shop-floor systems, and optimize performance after implementation.
Problem solving, ownership, and accountability: Ability to anticipate design and launch challenges, define issues clearly, evaluate options, make timely decisions, drive cross-functional actions to closure, and remain accountable for measurable results.
Top Candidates Will Also Have
Degree or equivalent relevant experience desired.
Experience designing manufacturing logistics or material-flow processes for a greenfield facility, major production launch, or significant layout change.
Experience with logistics automation and material-handling technologies such as autonomous mobile robots, automated guided vehicles, conveyance, automated storage and retrieval, barcode/RFID, or connected equipment.
Experience integrating logistics equipment and processes with ERP, warehouse-management, manufacturing execution, fleet-management, or shop-floor systems.
Practical experience with lean manufacturing, industrial engineering, data analysis, capacity modeling, and flow optimization.
Experience evaluating suppliers or system integrators and supporting equipment implementation, commissioning, validation, and operational handoff.
What You Will Get
Help build logistics processes for a new greenfield advanced manufacturing facility from launch through steady-state operations.
Work with partners across engineering, manufacturing, operations, supply chain, facilities, maintenance, and digital systems.
Apply lean manufacturing, data analysis, and practical advanced factory thinking to improve material flow, productivity, space utilization, and delivery performance.
Gain exposure to modern warehouse, manufacturing, material-handling, and connected shop-floor systems.
Contribute to meaningful work that supports safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and customer outcomes.
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