Mapleton Foundry IT Application Lead

Career Area:
Technology, Digital and Data
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.
Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.
Our common values and focus on inclusion and respect drive the decisions made by our company, teams, and people. This is why we are committed to hiring and building diverse team representatives of the customers we serve globally. When you join our team, you can apply your unique life and job experiences and work in an environment where your ideas are heard, your contributions are celebrated, and your whole-self matters.
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.
This role will provide application expertise to the Mapleton Castings and other Large Power manufacturing facilities. This is a critical role in bridging operational business processes with IT solutions, ensuring technology directly enables operational performance, reliability, and business success.
The ideal candidate brings deep understanding of manufacturing operations, strong business acumen, and the ability to influence across cross functional teams. This role requires someone who can translate shop-floor and plant-level needs into scalable, sustainable IT solutions while balancing priorities.
What You Will Do:

• Serve as IT liaison across manufacturing initiatives partnering closely with onsite IT resources, cross-business functional teams, as well as extended IT organizations and third-party providers.
• Analyze and understand end-to-end manufacturing processes, aligning them with enabling IT capabilities.
• Enhance and optimize use of manufacturing systems, with a strong emphasis on ERP / MES Solutions.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to manufacturing and technology stakeholders by clearly communicating tradeoffs, risks, and value.
• Identify opportunities to leverage data, analytics, and AI-enabled solutions to improve decision-making, efficiency, and operational outcomes.

What You Have:

• Advanced experience in IT with manufacturing applications experience.
• Demonstrated advanced functional knowledge of MFG Pro and other ERP / MES Solutions.
• Proven business acumen, particularly in manufacturing, operations, and supply chain.
• Excellent soft skills, including communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management.
• Strong prioritization capabilities effectively managing competing demands.

Top Candidates Will Have:

• Experience supporting or integrating with various ERP and MES systems in a manufacturing or enterprise context.
• Familiarity with data solutions, reporting platforms, or manufacturing analytics.
• Experience applying AI or advanced analytics to solve operational or business problems.

Skills Descriptors:
Core Application Systems:

• Knowledge of major production application systems used for delivery of services to internal and external clients; ability to leverage major production application systems in diverse situations.
• Manages application-related issues, implications, and approaches with clients.
• Evaluates key interfaces and interdependencies among core applications systems.
• Explains features and benefits of core applications for consideration by business units.
• Implements existing and planned application enhancements in major business units.
• Tracks data flow between own applications and core applications in other business areas.
• Plans enhancement, conversion, and retirement strategies for core applications.

Problem Solving:

• Ensures capture of lessons to be learned from a problem-solving effort.
• Use varying problem-solving approaches and techniques as appropriate.
• Contributes to standard practices for problem-solving approaches, tools, and processes.
• Develop successful resolutions to critical or wide-impact problems.

Application Design, Architecture:

• Knowledge of basic activities and deliverables of application design; ability to utilize application design methodologies, tools, and techniques to convert business requirements and logical models into technical application design.
• Facilitates application design reviews and walkthroughs.
• Creates and evaluates technical alternatives for complex applications.
• Interprets application services such as API; integrate them with technical design.
• Develops various, distinct, and multiple technical application designs.
• Prepares technical design documents and blueprints for applications.
• Explores and evaluates application design considerations for multiple technologies.

IT Service Management (ITSM):

• Knowledge of Information Technology (IT) service; ability to manage IT services and oversee service operations.
• Promotes the use of standard procedures in each function of IT services.

Implementation:

• Knowledge of how to run applications for organizations; ability to implement application software within an organization and help end-users perform specific tasks (ex: accounting or graphic design).
• Tracks problems are associated with the quality and effectiveness of application software.
• Researches the benefits and drawbacks of an organization's application software.
• Drafts application software usage for the department's needs.
• Provides instant support for end users of application software.
• Implements specific application software under the supervision of management.

System and Technology Integration:

• Knowledge of the features and facilities of systems; ability to integrate and communicate among applications, databases, and technology platforms.
• Designs and develops applications or technology interfaces and bridges.
• Documents existing best practices for system or technology integration processes.
• Identifies and quantifies risks of proposed alternatives to a system or technology integration initiative.
• Delivers training on key issues, interfaces, considerations and potential pitfalls and risks.
• Discusses with line areas on data, technology, and application integration issues.
• Advises others on how to integrate projects across multiple technologies.

Technical Troubleshooting:

• Knowledge of technical troubleshooting approaches, tools, and techniques; ability to anticipate, recognize, and resolve technical issues on hardware, software, application, or operation.
• Discovers, analyzes, and resolves hardware, software, or application problems.
• Works with vendor-specific diagnostic guides, tools, and utilities.
• Manages calls related to product features, applications, and compatibility standards.
• Analyzes code, logs, and current systems as part of advanced troubleshooting.
• Records and reports specific technical problems, solving processes and tools that have been used.

Additional Information:

• This role can sit in Mossville, IL, or Mapleton Foundry
• SPONSORSHIP IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THIS ROLE.
• This role requires 5 days onsite.
• Relocation: Yes

Education / Experience: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience.
What You Will Get:

• Our goal at Caterpillar is for you to have a rewarding career. Our teams are critical to the success of our customers who build a better world.
• Here you earn more than just a salary because we value your performance. We offer a total rewards package that provides benefits on day one (medical, dental, vision, RX, and 401K) along with the potential of an annual bonus. Additional benefits include paid vacation days and paid holidays.
• All qualified individuals - Including minorities, females, veterans, and individuals with disabilities - are encouraged to apply.

About Caterpillar -
Caterpillar Inc. is the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. For nearly 100 years, we've been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world and are committed and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed.
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.
Summary Pay Range:
$112,710.00 - $183,140.00
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 Caterpillar.
Benefits:
Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. This is a summary list of benefits.

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits*
• Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)*
• 401(k) savings plans*
• Health Savings Account (HSA)*
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)*
• Health Lifestyle Programs*
• Employee Assistance Program*
• Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts*
• Career Development*
• Incentive bonus*
• Disability benefits
• Life Insurance
• Parental leave
• Adoption benefits
• Tuition Reimbursement

* These benefits also apply to part-time employees
Posting Dates:
May 29, 2026 - June 8, 2026
Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen.
Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply.
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