Lead Physical AI Engineer

Caterpillar Inc.•Irving, TX

12d•$147,760 - $240,110

About The Position

At Caterpillar, technology always has a purpose, which is to solve our customers’ toughest challenges. Through Cat Technology, we are solving problems by building the intelligence layer that connects machines, data, and people to make jobsites safer, more productive, and more sustainable. By combining deep domain expertise in physical systems with software, connectivity, autonomy, and AI, we deliver solutions that work in the real world—on real jobsites, at global scale. Construction autonomy is one of the most complex challenges in applied AI, and at Caterpillar, advancements in physical AI, simulation, sensing, and edge computing are turning things that once felt impossible—intelligent machines operating in dynamic jobsites—into reality. If this work motivates you, we invite you to join our team. Apply today to build the new era of construction autonomy at Caterpillar.

Requirements

Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
8+ years of experience in simulation, robotics, autonomous systems, digital twins, or machine dynamics.
Demonstrated expertise in NVIDIA Newton or similar tools, including multibody dynamics, articulated systems, and machine physics simulation.
Strong knowledge of vehicle dynamics, hydraulics, powertrain systems, kinematics, and machine-terrain interaction.
Proficiency in Python and C++.
Experience developing and validating high-fidelity simulation models for complex mechanical systems or the CAE software tools used to build them.
Experience leading technical projects and collaborating across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim, Omniverse, Warp, OpenUSD, and Isaac Lab.
Experience modeling construction machinery equipment
Experience with ROS2, robotics software, and autonomous system development.
Experience supporting reinforcement learning, synthetic data generation, or Physical AI initiatives.
Experience developing digital twins and virtual validation environments.
Experience using AI code-generation tools like GitHub Copilot

Responsibilities

Serve as Caterpillar's primary subject matter expert for NVIDIA Newton and provide technical leadership for the adoption and advancement of Newton-based simulation technologies across the enterprise.
Evaluate the capabilities of the Newton physics engine, establish modeling standards and development methodologies, and define best practices for creating scalable, reusable machine simulation solutions.
Work closely with NVIDIA and internal stakeholders to align Newton capabilities with Caterpillar's long-term simulation, autonomy, robotics, and Physical AI strategies.
Develop machine models that accurately represent the behavior, performance, and operational characteristics of Caterpillar construction equipment using NVIDIA Newton to model rigid-body dynamics, articulated mechanisms, powertrain systems, hydraulic actuation, tire-ground interaction, and machine-terrain interaction.
Develop physics-based representations of machine subsystems and their interactions under realistic operating conditions, enabling accurate simulation of machine mobility, implement operation, material handling, and terrain engagement.
Collaborate closely with autonomy, robotics, and AI teams to ensure machine models support advanced applications such as reinforcement learning, synthetic data generation, software-in-the-loop testing, and autonomous system validation.
Enable integration between machine models, virtual environments, sensor simulation frameworks, and robotics software stacks, creating a simulation ecosystem capable of accelerating the development and deployment of next-generation autonomous machine capabilities.
Establish validation processes that ensure simulation results accurately represent real-world machine behavior.
Work with domain experts in machine systems, controls, hydraulics, and vehicle dynamics to validate models against engineering analyses, test results, operational data, and machine telemetry.
Drive continuous improvement in model accuracy, solver robustness, computational efficiency, and simulation credibility to support engineering decision-making and autonomous system development.
Lead the development of Reduced Order Models (ROMs) for Caterpillar construction machinery by transforming high-fidelity simulation models into computationally efficient representations that support real-time analysis, virtual validation, reinforcement learning, and AI-enabled engineering workflows.
Establish methodologies for ROM creation, validation, deployment, and lifecycle management while ensuring accuracy, scalability, and reusability across Caterpillar construction equipment platforms.
Collaborate with simulation, AI, and product development teams to accelerate design exploration, improve engineering efficiency, and enable next-generation model-based development capabilities.
Continuously assess emerging technologies, simulation methodologies, and industry advancements related to physics-based modeling and Physical AI.
Identify opportunities to leverage new capabilities within the NVIDIA ecosystem and help define Caterpillar's long-term roadmap for digital twins, virtual product development, machine simulation, and AI-enabled engineering workflows.
Influence strategic technology decisions while driving innovation across simulation and autonomy initiatives.