Lead Product Owner - S&OP Order Planning

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.
Caterpillar's Strategic Procurement & Planning Division (SPPD) is seeking a Lead Digital Product Owner - S&OP Order Planning to lead the vision, strategy, and execution of digital products supporting enterprise Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) and Dealer Order Planning capabilities.
In this highly visible role, you will define and deliver a multi-year product roadmap that aligns digital investments with business priorities across supply chain, sales, and planning functions. You will act as the connective layer between business stakeholders and technical teams, translating complex planning needs into scalable, user-centric digital solutions.
This role combines strategic product leadership with hands-on execution across backlog management, UAT, and product lifecycle ownership. You will drive improvements in planning performance, system adoption, and decision-making capabilities across the enterprise.
What you will do:

• Define and lead the product vision, strategy, and multi-year roadmap for S&OP and Dealer Order Planning digital platforms
• Align product strategy with enterprise S&OP processes, including demand planning, supply planning, and inventory optimization
• Own and prioritize the product backlog, ensuring clear alignment to business priorities, planning cycles, and delivery timelines
• Translate business requirements into well-defined user stories, acceptance criteria, and technical requirements
• Partner with cross-functional teams across Supply Chain, Sales Operations, Finance, and IT to deliver high-impact digital solutions
• Lead User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with process owners and end users to validate product functionality, usability, and business readiness
• Establish, monitor, and improve Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure system performance, reliability, and compliance
• Collaborate with Digital Customer Support and IT Service Management teams to improve service management, issue resolution, and operational stability
• Provide direction to the Scrum Master and Agile teams to ensure efficient, high-quality product delivery
• Drive a quality-first product mindset, ensuring solutions meet performance, scalability, and user experience standards
• Design and execute end-user training and adoption strategies to improve planning capability maturity
• Identify and deliver opportunities to improve forecast accuracy, planning efficiency, and order planning outcomes
• Ensure alignment of digital product capabilities with SPPD strategic objectives and enterprise planning goals

What skills you will have:

• Business Analysis - Ability to identify business needs and translate them into clear, value-driven solutions using structured analysis techniques; experience supporting enterprise planning or operational processes is preferred.
• Decision Making and Critical Thinking - Strong analytical judgment with the ability to evaluate complex scenarios, assess trade-offs, and make informed decisions aligned with business and product priorities.
• Effective Communications - Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey complex technical and business concepts clearly across cross-functional stakeholders, including business, IT, and leadership teams.
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT) - Extensive experience designing, executing, and validating user acceptance testing to ensure solutions meet business requirements and deliver a high-quality user experience.
• Software Product Business Knowledge - Strong understanding of the software product lifecycle, including managing user adoption, analyzing usage patterns, and guiding product enhancements aligned with business strategy.
• Software Change Request Management - Experience managing software change requests from intake through delivery, including defining scope, assessing impacts, and prioritizing enhancements in alignment with business needs.
• Software Engineering - Working knowledge of software development practices and system integrations, with the ability to collaborate effectively with engineering teams to deliver scalable digital solutions.
• Software Problem Management - Experience identifying, tracking, and resolving software issues; ability to manage defects, improve system performance, and ensure reliable product operation for end users.

Top candidates will also have:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, Business Administration, or related field
• Hands-on experience in Agile/Scrum delivery frameworks (Jira, Azure DevOps, etc.)
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional product delivery, including dependency management and risk mitigation
• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills
• Demonstrated success delivering digital solutions that improve forecast accuracy, planning efficiency, or inventory outcomes
• Strong problem-solving skills including root cause analysis and continuous improvement
• Experience in large-scale enterprise or industrial digital environments

Additional information:

• Location: This position is based in Mossville, IL and requires onsite work five days a week.
• Relocation: Relocation assistance is not available for this position.
• Sponsorship: Sponsorship is not available.

Summary Pay Range:
$128,470.00 - $208,770.00
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
This position requires working onsite five days a week.
Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.
Posting Dates:
August 19, 2026 - September 1, 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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