Engineering Design Manager Jobs in Illinois
Engineering Design Manager jobs in Illinois are in steady demand, with the strongest concentration in advanced manufacturing, industrial automation, and infrastructure engineering, and openings at every level from project lead to senior director. Chicago, Rockford, and Peoria anchor most of the hiring, with established employers like Caterpillar, Abbott, and Motorola Solutions known for consistent openings in this role. Product development, systems engineering, and process design are the sub-areas drawing the most interest from Illinois hiring teams. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 28+ Engineering Design Manager jobs
Career Area:
EngineeringJob 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.
About IDES:
Caterpillar’s Integrated Drivetrain Energy Solutions (IDES) division will focus on delivering advanced electrified power train, zero-emissions products/technologies, and the solutions and services associated with these technologies. Focus areas include batteries, fuel cells, motors, inverters, micro grid controllers, charging, energy storage systems, lifecycle solutions/services and integration of components for ePowertrain solutions across industries.
We are looking for top talent to build and scale the next generation of technologies, products and services to help our customers build a better—more sustainable—world. We need self-motivated, intelligent and team-oriented individuals to make our plans a reality. Individuals with high emotional intelligence, humility and openness to discovery will thrive in the teams we are building.
Job Summary:
Help shape the future of electrification at Caterpillar. As a Mechanical Design Engineering Specialist within Integrated Drivetrain Energy Solutions, you’ll influence the development of innovative inverter and power electronics technologies that enable the next generation of Caterpillar products.
This role offers the opportunity to combine deep mechanical engineering expertise with technical leadership, tackling complex challenges, advancing new technologies, and helping transform innovative concepts into high-performing, production-ready solutions.
What You Will Do:
- Lead mechanical design and development activities for inverter and power electronics products, providing technical direction from concept development through validation and production.
- Lead and coordinate project execution, including establishing priorities, defining technical tasks, assigning work across project team members, monitoring progress, identifying risks, and driving activities to completion.
- Develop and guide mechanical designs for components, assemblies, packaging, and thermal management solutions to meet product performance, durability, quality, cost, and manufacturability requirements.
- Serve as a technical resource and mentor to engineers and designers, providing design guidance, reviewing technical work, resolving complex engineering challenges, and helping team members determine the appropriate path forward.
- Lead cross-functional collaboration with electrical, controls, simulation, manufacturing, validation, and supplier teams to ensure mechanical designs are effectively integrated into inverter and power electronics systems.
- Lead design reviews and support product validation, troubleshooting, and issue resolution, including thermal, vibration, structural, durability, and manufacturing-related challenges.
- Apply strong project management and engineering judgment to balance technical requirements, resources, schedules, risks, and competing priorities while maintaining progress toward project milestones.
- Identify opportunities to improve mechanical design practices, development processes, product reliability, manufacturability, and overall engineering execution.
What You Will Have:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field
- Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Extensive experience and knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
- Effective Communications: Extensive experience and 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.
- Project Management: Extensive experience and knowledge of effective project management strategies and tactics; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve project objectives.
- Product Development Life Cycle - MFG: Extensive experience and knowledge of the methodology and associated phases, activities and deliverables of product development life cycle in manufacturing organizations; ability to bring new or enhanced products to the marketplace.
- Product Testing: Extensive experience and knowledge of product testing approaches, techniques and tools; ability to design, plan and execute testing strategies and tactics to ensure product quality at all stages of manufacturing.
Additional Information:
- This position is located in Mossville, IL and requires 5-day a week on-site availability
- This position offers domestic relocation
- This position does not offer visa sponsorship
- Travel is expected up to 20% of the time
Summary Pay Range:
$128,470.00 - $192,710.00Compensation 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
Relocation is available for this position. Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.
Posting Dates:
November 9, 2026 - November 16, 2026Any 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.
Career Area:
EngineeringJob 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.
About IDES:
Caterpillar’s Integrated Drivetrain Energy Solutions (IDES) division will focus on delivering advanced electrified power train, zero-emissions products/technologies, and the solutions and services associated with these technologies. Focus areas include batteries, fuel cells, motors, inverters, micro grid controllers, charging, energy storage systems, lifecycle solutions/services and integration of components for ePowertrain solutions across industries.
We are looking for top talent to build and scale the next generation of technologies, products and services to help our customers build a better—more sustainable—world. We need self-motivated, intelligent and team-oriented individuals to make our plans a reality. Individuals with high emotional intelligence, humility and openness to discovery will thrive in the teams we are building.
Job Summary:
Help shape the future of electrification at Caterpillar. As a Mechanical Design Engineering Specialist within Integrated Drivetrain Energy Solutions, you’ll influence the development of innovative inverter and power electronics technologies that enable the next generation of Caterpillar products.
This role offers the opportunity to combine deep mechanical engineering expertise with technical leadership, tackling complex challenges, advancing new technologies, and helping transform innovative concepts into high-performing, production-ready solutions.
What You Will Do:
- Lead mechanical design and development activities for inverter and power electronics products, providing technical direction from concept development through validation and production.
- Lead and coordinate project execution, including establishing priorities, defining technical tasks, assigning work across project team members, monitoring progress, identifying risks, and driving activities to completion.
- Develop and guide mechanical designs for components, assemblies, packaging, and thermal management solutions to meet product performance, durability, quality, cost, and manufacturability requirements.
- Serve as a technical resource and mentor to engineers and designers, providing design guidance, reviewing technical work, resolving complex engineering challenges, and helping team members determine the appropriate path forward.
- Lead cross-functional collaboration with electrical, controls, simulation, manufacturing, validation, and supplier teams to ensure mechanical designs are effectively integrated into inverter and power electronics systems.
- Lead design reviews and support product validation, troubleshooting, and issue resolution, including thermal, vibration, structural, durability, and manufacturing-related challenges.
- Apply strong project management and engineering judgment to balance technical requirements, resources, schedules, risks, and competing priorities while maintaining progress toward project milestones.
- Identify opportunities to improve mechanical design practices, development processes, product reliability, manufacturability, and overall engineering execution.
What You Will Have:
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field
- Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Extensive experience and knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
- Effective Communications: Extensive experience and 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.
- Project Management: Extensive experience and knowledge of effective project management strategies and tactics; ability to plan, organize, monitor, and control projects, ensuring efficient utilization of technical and administrative resources to achieve project objectives.
- Product Development Life Cycle - MFG: Extensive experience and knowledge of the methodology and associated phases, activities and deliverables of product development life cycle in manufacturing organizations; ability to bring new or enhanced products to the marketplace.
- Product Testing: Extensive experience and knowledge of product testing approaches, techniques and tools; ability to design, plan and execute testing strategies and tactics to ensure product quality at all stages of manufacturing.
Additional Information:
- This position is located in Mossville, IL and requires 5-day a week on-site availability
- This position offers domestic relocation
- This position does not offer visa sponsorship
- Travel is expected up to 20% of the time
Summary Pay Range:
$128,470.00 - $192,710.00Compensation 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
Relocation is available for this position. Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.
Posting Dates:
November 9, 2026 - November 16, 2026Any 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.
See All 28 Engineering Design Manager Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsEngineering Design Manager Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Engineering Design Manager Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Energy
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in engineering design manager jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering from an accredited program
- Professional Engineer license issued or recognized in Illinois for roles involving sealed drawings
- Five or more years of engineering experience with demonstrated team or project leadership
- Proven ability to manage cross-functional design teams through full product development cycles
- Proficiency with CAD platforms such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or equivalent design tools
- Experience coordinating with manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams on design deliverables
Engineering Design Manager Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a engineering design manager in Illinois?
Most engineering design managers in Illinois hold a bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering and build several years of hands-on design or project engineering experience before moving into a management role. For positions that require stamping drawings or signing off on structural or systems designs, Illinois requires licensure through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation as a Professional Engineer, which involves passing the Fundamentals of Engineering and Principles and Practice of Engineering exams.
Which companies hire engineering design managers in Illinois?
Employers hiring engineering design managers in Illinois right now include Constellation Energy, Amazon, and Benesch, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's deep manufacturing base, from heavy equipment in Peoria to medical devices in the Chicago suburbs, keeps demand for this role broad and fairly consistent throughout the year.
Which Illinois cities have the most engineering design manager jobs?
The Illinois cities with the most engineering design manager openings are Chicago, Clinton, and Rockford. Chicago drives volume through its concentration of corporate headquarters, technology firms, and defense contractors, while Peoria and Rockford reflect the heavy presence of industrial and manufacturing employers, including large original equipment manufacturers and their supplier networks, that anchor engineering hiring in those metros.
Are there remote engineering design manager jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely desk-based fields, since the role often involves hands-on review of prototypes, lab collaboration, and on-floor coordination with manufacturing teams. About 50% of engineering design manager openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those arrangements tend to apply most to strategic planning, documentation review, and vendor management responsibilities rather than active development phases.
How can I get hired as a engineering design manager in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a design engineer or project engineer role at one of Illinois's large manufacturers, where rotational or development programs at employers like Caterpillar in Peoria or Abbott in the northern suburbs are designed specifically for engineers building toward leadership. Lateral moves from quality engineering, manufacturing engineering, or systems engineering are common stepping stones. Earning an Illinois Professional Engineer license early or completing a PMP or similar project management credential makes candidates noticeably more competitive for roles that carry team oversight responsibility.
Where can I find and apply to engineering design manager jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to engineering design manager jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings updated regularly. Find roles that fit your experience and location and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 28 Engineering Design Manager Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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