Staff Engineer, Precision Upgrades Custom Engineering

Your Responsibilities

Location: Silvis, IL (preferred) or Des Moines, IA at manager discretion

As the Staff Engineer for Precision Upgrades Customs Engineering, you will serve as the technical and business owner for the Precision Upgrades Customs offering—ensuring our customers and dealers receive innovative custom solutions that extend the value of their machines.  This is a highly visible role that sits at the intersection of engineering, product, dealers, and field teams, and plays a critical part in how Precision Upgrades delivers flexibility and differentiation to customers across multiple product lines.  This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys technical problem‑solving, leadership through influence, and direct dealer interaction, and who wants clear ownership of a meaningful business space.

Visa sponsorship is NOT available for this position

What You Will Do

• Own the Precision Upgrades Customs business across Planter, Self‑Propelled Sprayer, Blast Sprayer, Combine, Air Seeder, and Autonomy product lines
• Lead and coordinate cross‑functional engineers to define, design, and deliver custom upgrade kits—driving clarity, accountability, and execution without direct authority
• Serve as a primary technical contact for dealers and internal stakeholders, including Precision Upgrades Product Specialists, to assess incoming customs requests and deliver timely solutions
• Balance customer needs, engineering rigor, and business constraints to determine the right technical path forward
• Define, document, manage, and continuously improve the Precision Upgrades Customs process using feedback from dealers, customers, and field teams
• Act as a connector across engineering, manufacturing, order fulfillment, product support, and sales to ensure solutions are executable and repeatable where possible

What Skills You Need

• 5+ years of experience working with Deere engineering systems, including locating and integrating data across platforms such as Creo, SAP, Windchill, Recon, Build and Price, and related tools
• 5+ years of experience applying multi‑disciplinary engineering principles, including PV&V and application judgment, to solve complex customer or system‑level needs
• 3+ years of experience in design engineering or a closely related engineering group
• Proven ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly to dealers and customers in a practical, non‑technical manner
• Strong critical thinking, investigative, and problem‑solving skills, including diagnosing machine or system issues
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional teams and drive results through influence, prioritization, and technical credibility

What Makes You Standout

• Experience working in cross‑functional environments spanning hardware, software, manufacturing, order fulfillment, and product support
• Hands‑on familiarity with Deere machines, particularly planters and application equipment, in operational or manufacturing settings
• Creativity and judgment to deliver customer solutions using non‑traditional or non‑standard Deere processes, while maintaining safety and compliance
• Experience collaborating within global design or development teams
• A passion for sharing knowledge, mentoring engineers, and raising team capability

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering plus 5+ years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and applicable work experience