Autonomy Engineering Specialist - MineStar Onboard

Caterpillar Inc.•Irving, TX

6d•$128,470 - $208,770•Onsite

About The Position

The Autonomy Engineering Specialist serves as the technical authority for MineStar Onboard, the software that runs on Caterpillar mining machines to provide autonomy, productivity, and safety capabilities at customer sites. The role works between Site Solutions, Site Systems, and L6 Solutions, translating site-level system designs into architectures and requirements for product teams to deliver. In a collaborative SAFe environment, the specialist applies systems engineering, design, and validation expertise to align requirements, interfaces, geospatial data, and secure communications from site design through software release. The position also advises on feasibility, configuration, deployment, technical risks, and escalated customer-site issues, and helps evaluate new technologies, including artificial intelligence. This is a full-time, onsite position in Irving, Texas, requiring work onsite five days per week and 25–50% travel, with heavier travel during the first year. Relocation assistance is available; visa sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in systems engineering or systems and software development for complex, software-intensive systems, including developing, decomposing, and managing requirements, interfaces, and validation plans across multi-team or multi-product environments.
Experience with the architecture and design of major or multiple products, including converting customer and system requirements into practical system designs, facilitating design reviews, and analyzing architecture trade-offs.
Working knowledge of autonomy, robotics, or machine control systems and embedded onboard software and systems, such as Linux-based platforms, machine networks, and sensors, sufficient to act as product technical authority.
Knowledge of structured product development methods and experience working in an Agile environment.
Knowledge of verification and validation, including ability to review test plans and results and confirm adherence to stated requirements.
Ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to varied audiences and influence decisions across teams and organizational levels through technical expertise.
Degree in an accredited Engineering, Computer Science, or Materials Science curriculum, or equivalent.

Nice To Haves

Experience in autonomy, robotics, or machine control and automation product development programs.
Experience with mining, heavy machinery, or construction equipment, such as haul trucks, loaders, dozers, or motor graders, or with customer-site deployments and commissioning.
Experience with model-based systems engineering, such as SysML, and requirements management tools.
Working knowledge of artificial intelligence applied to autonomy or industrial domains.
Experience or working knowledge of GIS, including site maps, geospatial data, and positioning, as applied to mine sites or similar environments.
Knowledge of functional safety and safety-critical system design.
Experience with GPS positioning, wireless networks, TCP/IP, UDP/IP, CAN/J1939, and real-time operating systems.
Experience or working knowledge of secure communications for distributed systems, such as VPN, MQTT, TLS, and network security practices.
Interest in developing scripts or tools, such as Python, to automate analysis, requirements, or traceability work.
Systems engineering certification, such as INCOSE CSEP, or professional engineering registration.
Proven ability to mentor or influence engineers and communicate complex technical concepts in clear, actionable terms.

Responsibilities

Serve as the technical authority and primary technical contact for MineStar Onboard, including its architecture, functionality, interfaces, performance, limitations, and technical roadmap.
Analyze L8 site systems designs and decompose them into Onboard system and subsystem architectures and requirements allocated to L6 solutions.
Define needs, write clear and testable requirements, and maintain traceability from site-level needs through L6 requirements to verification.
Lead design reviews and walkthroughs, evaluate architecture alternatives and trade-offs, and estimate proposed design costs and effort.
Advise on integration of MineStar Onboard with machine platforms, site infrastructure, and MineStar and third-party products; define and manage the associated interfaces.
Define architectures and requirements for geospatial data and secure communications, including VPN and MQTT, between machines, site infrastructure, and cloud services.
Participate in test review and analysis, test witnessing, certification, and release readiness for Onboard software.
Support verification and validation planning against the intent of the L8 site systems design.
Evaluate and apply new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to improve the Onboard portfolio.
Provide technical guidance to Site Solutions and Site Systems on feasibility, configuration, and deployment, and support analysis of escalated customer-site issues.
Perform trade studies and change-impact analysis as site designs, requirements, or product plans evolve, and identify and drive mitigation of system-level risks.
Work with L6 TPMs and Product Owners in a SAFe agile environment to review, refine, and prioritize allocated requirements.
Communicate requirements, technical risks, readiness, and trade-offs to stakeholders, and document system architecture, design decisions, interface expectations, and validation strategy.