Generative AI Product Manager

Caterpillar•Chicago, IL

About The Position

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. Cat Digital is the digital and technology arm of Caterpillar Inc., leveraging the latest technologies to build industry leading digital solutions for our customers and dealers. With over 1.5 million connected assets worldwide, our teams use data, technology, advanced analytics, telematics and AI capabilities to help our customers build a better, more sustainable world. As the Generative AI Product Manager for Caterpillar, you will lead the development, integration, and lifecycle management of AI-powered capabilities for Caterpillar machines. This role focuses on delivering multimodal, voice-guided, and context-aware experiences that enhance productivity, safety, and comfort through intelligent, real-time assistance You will oversee day-to-day activities and cross-functional teams supporting the design, engineering, testing, and deployment of GEN AI agents tailored for heavy machinery environments. This includes managing the product roadmap, aligning with enterprise AI governance, and ensuring seamless integration with machine systems and digital platforms.

Requirements

Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Apply AI ethics and risk frameworks to guide decisions on agent behavior, data usage, and model selection.
Effective Communications: Translate complex AI concepts into actionable insights for stakeholders across engineering, product, and field operations.
Software Change Request Management: Manage change requests for AI agent configurations, model updates, and edge deployment protocols.
Software Engineering: Lead development of AI agents using modular architectures, ensuring flexibility in LLM selection and minimizing hallucinations.
Software Product Business Knowledge: Understand the business impact of AI features on operator productivity, safety, and customer satisfaction.
Software Product Management: Navigate ambiguity in emerging AI technologies, balancing innovation with operational feasibility and compliance.
Software Product Technical Knowledge: Deep familiarity with edge computing, machine telemetry, and integration with Caterpillar’s digital ecosystem.
Marketing Strategy and Positioning: Position AI-enabled operator assistance as a transformative capability in Caterpillar’s product portfolio, supporting upselling and customer retention.

Nice To Haves

Experienced with Agile methodology.
Experience managing product backlog.
Experience working with BI tools such as PowerBI or Tableau.
Experience with Python programming is a plus.

Responsibilities

Product Strategy & Roadmap Define and evolve the GEN AI product vision for operator-focused experiences, aligned with Caterpillar’s AI Assistant roadmap and enterprise transformation goals. Drive prioritization of features such as voice interaction, operator coaching, real-time condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, and proactive safety alerts.
Cross-functional Leadership Collaborate with engineering, UX, data science, and platform teams to deliver edge-deployed AI agents with low latency and high reliability. Partner with Cat Digital, DPM, and Cat Technology teams to ensure alignment with broader enterprise AI strategies.
Lifecycle Management Oversee the full lifecycle of GEN AI agents, from ideation and prototyping to testing, deployment, and continuous improvement. Ensure compliance with governance frameworks, security protocols, and production readiness standards.
Customer & Dealer Enablement Champion user-centric design for operator interfaces, enabling intuitive access to manuals, troubleshooting guides, and personalized recommendations. Support customer onboarding through embedded coaching and contextual guidance features.
Performance & Analytics Monitor agent performance, usage patterns, and feedback to inform enhancements and ensure measurable impact on operator efficiency and safety.
Innovation & R&D Lead proof-of-concept initiatives with external partners and internal teams to explore new GEN AI capabilities for heavy machinery applications.