About this role
Engineer, Quality I
Job Purpose: **This position can also be filled at the following Progress Rail Locations: La Grange, IL; Muncie, IN; Southlake, TX**
Responsible for leading failure analysis, teardown engineering, and design feedback activities in support of the facility's Built-In Quality (BIQ) strategy and Zero Defects operating model.
Serves as the primary liaison between Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supplier Quality, Field Services, and customers to ensure product failures, manufacturing issues, and field performance concerns are translated into sustainable engineering, process, and quality improvements.
Leads root cause investigations, defect classification, reliability assessments, and engineering change initiatives to improve product reliability, strengthen Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) and Critical-to-Process (CTP) requirements, and drive continuous improvement across the product lifecycle.
Champions a closed-loop quality system that converts customer, field, supplier, and manufacturing failures into engineering actions that improve product performance, manufacturability, and customer satisfaction.
Company Description: Progress Rail stands at the intersection of legacy and innovation—driving the future of rail with a pioneering spirit. Since its founding in 1983, the company has grown to become one of the world’s largest and most trusted providers of railroad products, services, and technologies. Today, Progress Rail delivers a comprehensive portfolio of cost-effective solutions to railway customers around the globe. From the rails themselves to the EMD® locomotives that ride them, the company’s products are in operation across more than 100 countries—powering progress and connecting communities. In 2006, Progress Rail joined Caterpillar Inc., further strengthening its ability to lead the rail industry with cutting-edge technology, unmatched expertise, and a commitment to excellence. At Progress Rail, the team is not just building the future of rail—they are making history every day.
Education / Training: • Bachelor's Degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering preferred; degrees in Quality, Manufacturing, Operations, or other related technical disciplines will also be considered. • Significant relevant experience in Quality, Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, Built-In Quality (BIQ), or Operational Excellence may be considered in lieu of a bachelor's degree. • ASQ, Lean Six Sigma, or related quality certifications preferred.
Key Job Elements: Failure Analysis & BIQ Integration • Lead formal teardown and forensic investigations of product failures. • Develop and maintain defect classification standards, failure databases, and trend reporting. • Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions using structured problem-solving methodologies. • Identify systemic failure modes and recommend engineering, process, or quality improvements. • Support BIQ and Zero Defects initiatives through failure prevention and continuous improvement. • Monitor and communicate reliability trends, emerging risks, and improvement opportunities.
Customer Interface & Engineering Liaison • Serve as the primary technical liaison between customers, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality. • Lead customer-facing investigations related to product failures, warranty concerns, and reliability issues. • Present technical findings, root causes, corrective actions, and improvement plans to customers and leadership. • Translate customer concerns and manufacturing challenges into actionable engineering requirements. • Ensure lessons learned are incorporated into design standards, specifications, and engineering changes. • Support customer visits, field investigations, and technical reviews.
Product Quality & Reliability Improvement • Support Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), design reviews, and validation activities. • Ensure CTQs and CTPs are clearly defined and effectively controlled. • Support DFMEA, PFMEA, APQP, Control Plans, and reliability improvement initiatives. • Collaborate with Engineering and Manufacturing teams to improve product robustness and manufacturability. • Analyze warranty, field, manufacturing, and supplier quality data to identify improvement opportunities.
Decision Making Authority • Approve failure classifications and investigation conclusions. • Initiate technical investigations and quality escalations. • Recommend engineering changes, corrective actions, and reliability improvements. • Escalate significant product quality, reliability, or safety risks to leadership. • Recommend investments supporting BIQ, forensic engineering, and reliability improvement
Qualifications and Experience: Experience • Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in Quality, Manufacturing, Engineering, Product Development, Reliability Engineering, or Operational Excellence within an industrial manufacturing environment. • Demonstrated experience leading failure analysis, forensic engineering, root cause investigations, and product reliability improvement activities. • Experience supporting engineering change management, design reviews, and corrective actions. • Experience working directly with customers and cross-functional engineering teams. • Experience working in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment preferred. • Experience within Rail is a plus.
Technical Knowledge • Built-In Quality (BIQ) methodology and Zero Defects principles. • Failure Analysis and Forensic Engineering methodologies. • Reliability Engineering and product performance analysis. • Root Cause Analysis (8D, A3, DMAIC, Fault Tree Analysis, etc.).Caterpillar - Confidential Green • CTQ and CTP development and process control methodologies. • DFMEA, PFMEA, APQP, Control Plans, and Core Quality Tools. • Engineering change management and product validation processes. • Statistical analysis and data-driven decision making. • SAP, Advanced Microsoft Office, and Power BI.
Competencies • Strong verbal and written communication skills in Spanish and English. • Customer focus. • Cross-functional collaboration. • Technical influence without direct authority. • Problem solving and decision making. • Results orientation and accountability. • Change management. • Continuous improvement mindset.
• Significant domestic and international travel required (up to 75%). • Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a valid passport and travel internationally.
Essential and Physical Activities Functions • Strength – Position involves work in both an office environment with daily visits to an industrial environment. Frequent sitting, standing and walking. Occasional light to medium-level lifting (up to 30 pounds); • Motion – Position regularly requires standard motions associated with working in an office environment; • Vision/Hearing Requirements – Frequent verbal communications, including both talking and hearing; • Work Environment – Primarily based in a manufacturing environment with significant engagement on the production floor, engineering teams, customers, and teardown investigation areas which may include a non-temperature-controlled environment, as well as exposure to noise (85+ decibels), occasional exposure to temperature changes, heavy machinery and other hazardous working conditions requiring the use of PPE; • Frequent hands-on involvement in product teardown, failure investigations, customer issue resolution, and field assessments. • Emotional Demands – Very high level of responsibility. Must be able to coordinate diverse aspects of a project. Requires significant interpersonal skills while sustaining very high standards; • Safety – This position requires the use of Personal Protective Equipment during visits to industrial areas.
EEO: Progress Rail is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.
Benefits: Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance, and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Progress Rail.** • Competitive Salary • 401(k) plan with up to 6% company match (no waiting period with immediate vesting) • Medical/Dental/Vision/Life/Disability Insurance • Supplemental Accident, Critical Care, and Hospital Insurance available along with an HDHP and HSA with seed money • Flexible Spending Accounts • Paid Vacation • Paid Holidays • Paid Time-Off (PTO) • Employee Assistance Plan • Education Assistance Program • Employee Recognition Programs • Site specific Production and Incentive Plans • Site specific Step and Skill Level Wage Adjustment Plans • Site Specific Relocation and Sign-on Bonus Programs
*Benefits eligibility varies by job position, full-time/part-time and regular/temporary status. The provisions of the plan documents control such benefits. **Subject to position, eligibility, and plan guidelines.