Category Buyer
Caterpillar, Inc.
**Career Area:**
Procurement
**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.
**Job Description**
Caterpillar is seeking a Category Buyer at our Mossville, Illinois or Irving, Texas location. As a Category Buyer within Electrical & Electronics, you will provide purchasing solutions expertise using Quality, Cost, Logistics, Development, and Management (QCLDM) to deliver maximum customer value. In this role, you will collaborate with a network of procurement professionals to support and complement Tier-1 strategies.
This position supports procurement processes across category teams, with a focus on driving standard work and enabling key procurement initiatives aligned to business and financial objectives. The Category Buyer partners with category teams, sourcing leaders, and cross‑functional stakeholders to ensure consistent execution of procurement processes, including the rollout and adoption of enterprise procurement tools and ways of working.
**Key Responsibilities:**
+ Support a high functioning team transitioning from tactical to strategic objectives.
+ Work with buyers, category managers, and engineering teams to ensure alignment on all finished component technology and supplier strategies.
+ Close collaboration with engineering teams to enable flawless New Product Introduction (NPI) and New Source Introduction (NSI).
+ Manage and improve current initiatives aimed at building resiliency through contracts, finished goods inventory, and global point of consumption effectiveness.
+ Recognizing the potential for cost decreases, inventory reductions, and quality improvement, as well as responsibility for soundness of business proposals and risk assessment.
+ Responsible for all emergency Assurance of Supply (AoS) issues by strategically developing insights and relationships within the broker and secondary markets in close collaboration with the semi-conductor buyer
+ Execute current initiatives aimed at building resiliency through contracts, finished goods inventory, and global point of consumption effectiveness.
**Top Candidates Will Bring:**
+ Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years’ experience in the Procurement or related space or equivalent combination of education and experience.
+ Experience is preferred in purchasing, logistics, manufacturing, supply chain and/or engineering.
+ Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including crafting visually compelling materials for executive audiences
+ Professional certification in Purchasing and/or Inventory Management preferred
+ Strong relationship-building and influence skills, with experience engaging senior leaders and global suppliers to advance business goals
+ Experience negotiating traditional and non-traditional contracts with both US domestic and international suppliers. Expertise in contract negotiation (traditional and non-traditional), with both domestic and international suppliers
**Skills You Will Need:**
**Data Analytics:** Knowledge of techniques and processes for inspecting, cleansing, transforming, and modeling data; ability to discover useful information, draw logical conclusions, and support decision-making.
**Purchasing Tasks and Activities:** Knowledge of policies, regulations and processes of purchasing; ability to use practices and procedures for procurement of materials, components, equipment and services.
**Effective Communications:** Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.
**Negotiating:** Knowledge of successful negotiation concepts and techniques; ability to negotiate successfully across the organization and with external vendors and clients in a constructive and collaborative manner.
**Contracts Management and Administration:** Knowledge of policies, standards and processes of how to manage and administer contracts; ability to use proper processes and practices for managing and administering a variety of contractual agreements.
**Additional Information:**
**Primary Location:** Mossville, Illinois
**Secondary Location:** Dallas, Texas
**Relocation:** Not Offered
**Sponsorship:** Not Available
**Travel:** 10%
**Summary Pay Range:**
$112,710.00 - $169,060.00
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:**
February 13, 2026 - March 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.
Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community (http://flows.beamery.com/caterpillarinc/talcom) .
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