How to Apply to Oshkosh

Key Takeaways

Monitor Oshkosh's Workday portal closely and set up job alerts — with a focused number of active openings at any given time, roles fill quickly and early applicants have a meaningful advantage
Tailor every application to the specific Oshkosh business segment (Defense, JLG, Pierce, McNeilus, or Corporate) and reference the segment's products, customers, and mission in your resume and cover letter
Place certifications, clearance status, and technical credentials prominently — these are hard filters in Workday's screening process and top search criteria for Oshkosh recruiters
Prepare for interview questions centered on safety, continuous improvement, and hands-on problem-solving — these aren't generic behavioral questions at Oshkosh, they reflect daily operational priorities
Use a clean, single-column resume format submitted as .docx to maximize Workday parsing accuracy, and verify all auto-populated fields before hitting submit
Research Oshkosh's recent strategic moves — the USPS NGDV contract, electrification initiatives, and digital manufacturing transformation — to demonstrate informed enthusiasm during interviews
For skilled trades roles, emphasize career progression, certification depth, and specific equipment or process experience over generic job descriptions

About Oshkosh

Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) is a Fortune 500 industrial manufacturer headquartered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, specializing in purpose-built vehicles and equipment that serve defense, fire and emergency, access, and commercial markets worldwide. With approximately 16,000 employees across multiple continents, Oshkosh designs and manufactures some of the most recognizable specialty vehicles on the planet — from JLG aerial work platforms and Pierce fire trucks to McNeilus refuse vehicles and JLTV military tactical vehicles. The company made global headlines by winning the multi-billion-dollar USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) contract, signaling its aggressive push into vehicle electrification and last-mile delivery solutions. Oshkosh's culture is rooted in what the company calls its 'People First' philosophy, emphasizing safety, continuous improvement, and innovation. Employees frequently cite the company's commitment to building equipment that protects communities — whether that's military personnel, firefighters, or airport operations teams — as a powerful source of purpose. The engineering-driven environment rewards problem-solvers who thrive on tackling complex manufacturing and design challenges at scale. What makes Oshkosh distinctive in the motor vehicles and parts industry is its portfolio breadth combined with deep vertical expertise. Unlike automotive OEMs focused on consumer vehicles, Oshkosh operates at the intersection of heavy manufacturing, defense contracting, and municipal infrastructure. This creates unusually diverse career paths — a single company where you might work on autonomous vehicle technology, military defense programs, airport ground support equipment, or digital manufacturing transformation. For professionals seeking stability backed by defense contracts alongside innovation-driven commercial growth, Oshkosh represents a compelling blend of tradition and forward-looking ambition.

Application Process

1
Explore Oshkosh's Workday Careers Portal
Visit Oshkosh's dedicated Workday careers page at oshkoshcorporation.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Oshkosh to browse current openings. With only a focused number of active roles at any given time, positions fill quickly — particularly skilled trades roles like Certified Welder and field technician positions. Use Workday's filters to narrow by location, job family, and remote eligibility, and note that many roles span multiple Oshkosh business segments (JLG, Pierce, McNeilus, Oshkosh Defense).
2
Create or Log Into Your Workday Candidate Profile
Workday will prompt you to create a candidate account, or you can sign in using LinkedIn or an existing Workday account from another employer. Build your profile thoroughly — Oshkosh's recruiters can search the candidate database for future roles, so a complete profile with your skills, certifications, and experience keeps you visible even for positions not yet posted. Upload your resume in .pdf or .docx format for optimal parsing.
3
Tailor Your Application to the Specific Business Segment
Oshkosh operates across distinct segments — Defense, Fire & Emergency (Pierce), Access (JLG), Commercial (McNeilus), and newer ventures like airport products and USPS delivery vehicles. Your application should demonstrate awareness of the specific segment you're applying to and its end customers. For example, a Logistics Lead application should reference experience with heavy manufacturing supply chains, not generic warehouse management.
4
Complete Workday's Application Questionnaire
After attaching your resume, Workday will present role-specific screening questions. For Oshkosh, these commonly include questions about willingness to relocate (many roles are at manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, or field locations), security clearance eligibility for defense roles, and specific technical certifications. Answer these carefully — they function as initial screening filters, and incomplete or disqualifying answers may automatically remove you from consideration.
5
Initial Recruiter Review and Phone Screen
Oshkosh's talent acquisition team typically reviews applications within one to three weeks, though timelines vary based on role urgency and hiring volume. If your profile matches, expect a 20-30 minute phone screen with an HR recruiter covering your background, salary expectations, relocation flexibility, and basic qualifications. For defense-related roles, expect additional questions about security clearance status or eligibility.
6
Technical or Hiring Manager Interview
Candidates who advance typically participate in a more in-depth interview with the hiring manager and possibly team members. For manufacturing and technical roles (welders, technicians, systems analysts), expect hands-on assessments or technical scenario questions. For corporate roles like Pricing Analyst or Regional Bid Manager, prepare for case-style discussions about cost modeling, competitive bidding, or cross-functional collaboration. Many applicants report that Oshkosh interviewers focus heavily on practical problem-solving over abstract theory.
7
Final Interview, Offer, and Onboarding
Final-round interviews for professional roles often involve meeting with senior leadership or cross-functional stakeholders, sometimes on-site at an Oshkosh facility. The company commonly conducts background checks and, for defense positions, initiates security clearance processing before extending formal offers. Oshkosh's onboarding process typically includes orientation at the relevant business segment, safety training (a core company value), and integration into their continuous improvement culture.

Resume Tips for Oshkosh

critical

Lead with Heavy Industry and Manufacturing Relevance

Oshkosh is a specialty vehicle and heavy equipment manufacturer — your resume must immediately signal relevance to this world. If you've worked in defense contracting, heavy manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, construction equipment, or municipal fleet operations, lead with that experience. Even for corporate roles like Pricing Analyst, frame your background around industrial products, B2B pricing, or government contract pricing rather than consumer goods or SaaS.

critical

Highlight Certifications and Technical Credentials Prominently

For roles like Certified Welder, Senior Technician, and Field Service Technician, your certifications are your ticket past the initial screen. Place AWS welding certifications, ASE certifications, CDL licenses, OSHA safety training, PMP credentials, or Six Sigma belts in a dedicated 'Certifications' section near the top of your resume. Workday's parsing engine picks up these credentials, and Oshkosh recruiters commonly search for them when sourcing candidates.

critical

Use Oshkosh's Own Terminology and Product Language

Mirror the language Oshkosh uses in their job descriptions and corporate communications. Reference terms like 'purpose-built vehicles,' 'continuous improvement,' 'lean manufacturing,' 'People First,' and specific product lines (JLTV, NGDV, JLG, Pierce, McNeilus) where relevant. If you've worked with Oshkosh products — say, maintained JLG lifts or serviced Pierce fire apparatus — call that out explicitly. This signals domain knowledge that generic manufacturing experience doesn't convey.

recommended

Quantify Impact with Metrics Relevant to Manufacturing KPIs

Oshkosh operates in an environment driven by production throughput, quality rates, safety records, on-time delivery, and cost reduction. Instead of vague accomplishments, write bullets like 'Reduced welding defect rate by 18% through updated fixturing procedures' or 'Managed $4.2M logistics budget across 3 distribution centers with 99.1% on-time delivery.' These manufacturing-relevant metrics resonate far more than generic percentage improvements without context.

recommended

Address Security Clearance Status for Defense Roles

Oshkosh Defense is a major segment producing vehicles like the JLTV for the U.S. military. If applying to any defense-adjacent role, clearly state your security clearance level and status (Active Secret, Top Secret, or 'Clearance eligible — U.S. Citizen'). This is frequently a hard filter in Workday's screening questions, and having it visible on your resume ensures recruiters don't overlook your eligibility during manual review.

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Format for Workday's Resume Parser — Keep It Clean

Workday's parser handles standard formatting well but can struggle with tables, multi-column layouts, headers/footers containing critical information, and embedded images. Use a single-column layout with clear section headers (Experience, Education, Certifications, Skills). Avoid placing your name or contact information exclusively in a header field, as Workday may not parse it. Submit in .docx for best parsing accuracy or .pdf if your formatting is simple.

nice_to_have

Demonstrate Cross-Functional and Multi-Site Experience

Oshkosh operates dozens of facilities across multiple business segments and countries. Roles like Lead DT Systems Analyst - Digital Manufacturing or Regional Bid Manager inherently require collaboration across sites, functions, and sometimes business units. Highlight any experience working across multiple manufacturing plants, coordinating with distributed teams, or implementing systems that spanned organizational boundaries. This mirrors the cross-segment collaboration Oshkosh values.

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Show Progression and Commitment to Skilled Trades

For hands-on roles — welders, technicians, material support, equipment operators — Oshkosh values stability and skill progression. Rather than listing multiple short stints, emphasize career growth within companies: apprenticeship to journeyman, increasing responsibility, mastery of additional equipment types, or mentorship roles. If you've invested in ongoing training or earned advanced certifications, that trajectory aligns with Oshkosh's culture of developing long-term talent.

ATS System: Workday

Oshkosh uses Workday Recruiting (hosted at wd5.myworkdayjobs.com) as its applicant tracking system. Workday parses uploaded resumes to auto-populate candidate profiles, uses recruiter-configured screening questions to filter applicants, and allows hiring managers and recruiters to search candidate pools using keyword and criteria-based queries. Your resume content directly feeds into how discoverable and competitive your profile appears within the system.

Submit your resume in .docx format for optimal Workday parsing accuracy — PDF works but occasionally loses formatting nuances that affect field mapping
Avoid tables, text boxes, columns, and graphics — Workday's parser reads content linearly and can scramble multi-column layouts or skip content inside text boxes entirely
After Workday parses your resume, manually review every auto-populated field in your candidate profile and correct any parsing errors before submitting your application
Include exact keywords from the Oshkosh job description in your resume — Workday enables recruiters to search by specific terms like 'lean manufacturing,' 'DOD,' 'JLTV,' 'aerial work platform,' or 'MRP systems'
Do not embed critical information (name, phone number, email) solely in document headers or footers — Workday frequently ignores these regions during parsing
Use standard section headings such as 'Work Experience,' 'Education,' 'Skills,' and 'Certifications' so Workday correctly categorizes your information into the appropriate profile fields
Set up job alerts within your Workday candidate account — with only a small number of positions active at any time, being notified immediately when relevant Oshkosh roles post gives you a significant timing advantage

Complete Workday Resume Guide →

Interview Culture

Oshkosh's interview process reflects its identity as an engineering-driven, safety-conscious manufacturer that builds mission-critical equipment.

Expect a practical, down-to-earth interview culture that prioritizes demonstrated capability and cultural alignment over polished interview performance alone. For most professional and corporate roles, the process typically spans two to three rounds. The initial phone screen with a recruiter establishes baseline qualifications, compensation alignment, and logistical fit (location, travel willingness, clearance eligibility). The second round usually involves a deeper conversation with the hiring manager, often joined by one or two team members. For roles like Lead DT Systems Analyst or Pricing Analyst, prepare for scenario-based questions: how you'd approach implementing a digital manufacturing system across multiple plants, or how you'd develop a pricing model for a government bid with complex compliance requirements. Skilled trades and technician candidates should be ready for hands-on assessments. Certified Welder applicants commonly report practical welding tests evaluated against AWS standards, while field service technician roles may include troubleshooting scenarios involving hydraulic, electrical, or mechanical systems. Oshkosh takes craftsmanship seriously — they build vehicles that protect lives. Culturally, Oshkosh interviewers commonly assess alignment with their core values: safety mindset, integrity, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Don't be surprised if you're asked about a time you stopped work due to a safety concern, improved a process, or navigated a quality issue. These aren't hypothetical exercises — they reflect daily decisions on the production floor and in the field. For on-site interviews, you may tour a manufacturing facility, giving you a tangible sense of the work environment. Use this opportunity to ask informed questions about production processes, team dynamics, and how the specific business segment fits into Oshkosh's broader strategy. Senior-level and management candidates may meet with directors or vice presidents, particularly when the role involves cross-segment responsibility or strategic impact. Throughout the process, many applicants note that Oshkosh interviewers are genuinely interested in your hands-on experience and problem-solving approach rather than textbook answers.

What Oshkosh Looks For

Safety-first mindset — Oshkosh builds life-saving equipment (military vehicles, fire trucks, aerial platforms), and they expect every employee to embody proactive safety awareness regardless of role
Hands-on problem-solving ability — whether you're a welder troubleshooting a joint defect or a systems analyst debugging a digital manufacturing workflow, Oshkosh values people who diagnose and fix issues pragmatically
Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement orientation — familiarity with Kaizen, 5S, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies signals alignment with Oshkosh's operational culture
Government contracting and regulatory awareness — for defense and municipal segments, understanding FAR/DFAR compliance, ITAR restrictions, Buy America provisions, and security clearance protocols is highly valued
Cross-functional collaboration and adaptability — with multiple business segments (Defense, Access, Fire & Emergency, Commercial) and diverse product lines, Oshkosh seeks people comfortable working across teams, sites, and technical domains
Commitment to mission-driven work — Oshkosh's products protect soldiers, equip first responders, maintain airport operations, and serve critical infrastructure; they look for people motivated by that impact rather than purely transactional career moves
Technical depth paired with systems thinking — especially for roles in digital manufacturing, logistics, and engineering, Oshkosh values candidates who understand both the detailed technical work and how it connects to the larger production ecosystem
Stability and career investment — in skilled trades and operations roles, Oshkosh values candidates who demonstrate long-term commitment, progressive skill development, and a track record of growing within organizations

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it typically take to hear back after applying to Oshkosh?

Most applicants report hearing back within one to three weeks for roles that are actively being filled, though defense-related positions may take longer due to additional security and compliance screening. If your qualifications closely match the job description and you pass the Workday screening questions, a recruiter phone screen is typically the first point of contact. Because Oshkosh often has a focused number of openings, competition can be concentrated — ensure your application is complete and error-free at submission. You can check your application status by logging into your Workday candidate account at any time.

Does Oshkosh require a cover letter with applications?

Workday's application for Oshkosh typically includes an optional field for cover letters, but submitting one can differentiate you — especially for corporate, management, and bid-related roles like Regional Bid Manager or Pricing Analyst. Use your cover letter to explain why you're drawn to Oshkosh specifically (not just 'a manufacturing company') and connect your experience to the particular business segment. For skilled trades and operator roles, a cover letter is generally less critical — your certifications and hands-on experience carry more weight. When in doubt, a concise, well-targeted cover letter never hurts.

What resume format works best with Oshkosh's Workday ATS?

Submit a .docx file using a clean, single-column layout with standard section headers (Work Experience, Education, Skills, Certifications). Avoid tables, graphics, multi-column designs, and text boxes — Workday's parser reads content linearly and can misinterpret or skip non-standard formatting. Don't place your name or contact details exclusively in the document header/footer, as Workday commonly ignores those regions. After uploading, take two minutes to review the auto-populated fields in your Workday profile to catch any parsing errors before final submission.

Does Oshkosh offer remote work opportunities?

Oshkosh does offer select remote positions — the Regional Bid Manager role, for example, is listed as remote. However, the majority of Oshkosh's workforce operates at manufacturing facilities, field service locations, or customer sites (like airports). Hybrid arrangements may be available for certain corporate and professional roles based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin or other office locations. When applying, pay close attention to the location and work arrangement specified in each Workday job listing, and be prepared to discuss flexibility and travel willingness during the recruiter screen.

What experience level does Oshkosh typically hire for?

Oshkosh hires across a wide experience spectrum — from entry-level operators and material support roles to senior technicians, lead analysts, and management positions. Skilled trades roles like Certified Welder value demonstrated proficiency and certifications over years of experience per se, while professional roles like Lead DT Systems Analyst typically seek candidates with 5-10+ years of relevant experience. Oshkosh also invests in early-career talent through internship and co-op programs, particularly in engineering and operations. Check individual job descriptions for specific experience requirements, and don't self-select out of a role if you meet most but not all listed qualifications.

Do I need a security clearance to work at Oshkosh?

Not all Oshkosh roles require security clearance, but positions within Oshkosh Defense — and some cross-segment roles that touch defense contracts — commonly require Secret or Top Secret clearance. If a clearance is required, the Workday posting will specify this, and you'll be asked about your eligibility or current clearance status during the screening questions. If you don't currently hold a clearance but are a U.S. citizen eligible to obtain one, state that clearly on your resume. Oshkosh can typically sponsor clearance processing for the right candidate, but existing clearance holders have a significant advantage for defense positions.

How should I prepare for a technical interview at Oshkosh?

Preparation depends on the role category. For skilled trades (welders, technicians), review the specific certifications listed in the job description and be ready for hands-on practical assessments — welding tests, equipment troubleshooting, or diagnostic scenarios. For technical professional roles like Lead DT Systems Analyst, prepare to discuss specific platforms and methodologies you've worked with (MES systems, ERP integration, IoT in manufacturing) and how you've driven measurable outcomes. For all roles, brush up on lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement frameworks, as Oshkosh's operational culture is steeped in these practices. Research the specific business segment you're interviewing with and come prepared to ask informed questions about their products, production challenges, and strategic direction.

Can I apply to multiple positions at Oshkosh simultaneously?

Yes, Workday allows you to apply to multiple Oshkosh positions from the same candidate account. However, be strategic — tailor each application to the specific role rather than submitting identical materials across positions. Oshkosh recruiters can see all your applications in the system, and submitting to many unrelated roles (e.g., both Certified Welder and Pricing Analyst) can signal a lack of focus. Applying to two or three closely related roles within the same job family or business segment is perfectly reasonable and shows genuine interest in contributing to that area of the organization.

What is the onboarding process like at Oshkosh?

Oshkosh's onboarding typically includes corporate orientation covering the company's history, values (particularly safety culture), and organizational structure across business segments. For manufacturing and field roles, expect thorough safety training before beginning active work — this is non-negotiable in Oshkosh's culture. Many new hires report being introduced to continuous improvement programs early in their tenure, and skilled trades employees often go through equipment-specific training for the particular product lines at their facility. The onboarding experience varies by segment and location, but the consistent theme is an emphasis on integrating new employees into a safety-conscious, improvement-oriented work environment.

Sample Open Positions

Check Your Resume Before Applying → View 29 open positions at Oshkosh

Sources

Oshkosh Corporation Careers Page — Oshkosh Corporation
Oshkosh Corporation - About Us — Oshkosh Corporation
Oshkosh Corporation Company Reviews and Interviews — Glassdoor
Oshkosh Corporation Investor Relations and Annual Reports — Oshkosh Corporation