Robotics Platform Architect

Caterpillar Inc.•Irving, TX

2d•$128,470 - $208,770•Onsite

About The Position

The Robotics Platform Architect owns and delivers defined areas of Caterpillar’s shared robotics software platform, including middleware, runtime, inter-process communication, platform services, developer frameworks, and onboard and edge execution capabilities. Working within the end-to-end robotics platform architecture established by the Principal Robotics Platform Architect, this role turns architectural direction into implementable solution architectures and detailed technical designs. The architect owns technical design decisions and assigned platform components, APIs, interfaces, data flows, deployment patterns, and reference implementations, supporting engineering teams through implementation, integration, validation, and deployment. The role bridges architecture and engineering to create working software that autonomy teams can build upon and deploy on Caterpillar machines. It designs reusable platform capabilities and integration patterns, develops onboard and edge execution solutions, evaluates robotics technologies, enables testing across simulation and machine environments, and contributes implementation feedback and emerging technology considerations to platform roadmaps. The position is based onsite five days a week at Caterpillar’s Irving, Texas (Dallas) office. Domestic relocation assistance is available; visa sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

Knowledge of platform architecture principles and ability to design reusable platform capabilities, interfaces, services, and deployment patterns within an established end-to-end architecture.
Knowledge of software and solution architecture methods and ability to translate functional and nonfunctional requirements into implementable component designs, interfaces, APIs, and technology choices.
Ability to analyze complex technical problems, identify root causes, evaluate alternatives, and recommend practical solutions considering performance, reliability, scalability, safety, cost, and delivery.
Ability to elicit, analyze, and translate product, machine, engineering, and operational needs into platform requirements, technical designs, and measurable acceptance criteria.
Knowledge of target architecture principles and ability to translate established architectural direction and roadmaps into implementable designs for assigned platform areas.
Ability to understand complex cyber-physical systems, identify dependencies and ownership boundaries, and evaluate trade-offs across a robotics system.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate across architecture and engineering, communicate technical decisions clearly, and influence delivery without direct authority.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing or architecting robotics software platforms using ROS 2, DDS, messaging, middleware, runtime services, component lifecycle management, or comparable distributed robotics frameworks.
Experience turning architectural concepts into detailed solution designs, including APIs, component boundaries, interfaces, data flows, deployment patterns, and reusable software architectures.
Understanding of latency, concurrency, reliability, quality of service, fault handling, observability, resource utilization, and communication across distributed or real-time systems.
Experience with Linux-based edge computing, containers, GPU or accelerated computing, resource management, and software deployment to embedded or robotic systems.
Understanding of integration among perception, planning, controls, machine interfaces, AI and machine learning capabilities, and platform services in autonomous or robotic systems.
Demonstrated ability to take a solution from architectural vision through technical design, implementation, integration, validation, and deployment with engineering teams.
Experience with C++ and/or Python, Linux, containers, CI/CD, automated testing, source control, Agile software delivery, and modern software-engineering practices.
Progressive experience in software engineering, solution architecture, or platform architecture, preferably involving robotics, autonomous systems, embedded systems, or other cyber-physical products.
Ability to communicate complex technical concepts, provide implementation guidance, resolve cross-team issues, and help teams adopt technologies and platform patterns.
Experience with robotics, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, heavy equipment, Physical AI, or another cyber-physical domain is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead architecture and technical design for assigned robotics platform capabilities through implementation, integration, validation, and deployment.
Translate architecture into component designs, APIs, interfaces, message and data flows, deployment patterns, acceptance criteria, and reference implementations.
Develop and evolve shared robotics platform middleware, runtime services, inter-process communication, developer frameworks, common services, and reusable software components.
Define interfaces and integration patterns for perception, planning, controls, intelligent behaviors, and machine systems without assuming ownership of those specialized domains.
Develop onboard and edge execution solutions addressing containerized workloads, accelerated compute, resource management, observability, lifecycle management, and real-time execution in alignment with the broader platform and Edge Architecture.
Partner with engineering teams to resolve design issues, evaluate technical trade-offs, and ensure delivered software conforms to platform architecture, interface contracts, and quality expectations.
Evaluate robotics platform technologies such as ROS 2, DDS, Linux, containers, GPU and accelerated computing, and distributed runtime frameworks against performance, scalability, reliability, safety, and integration needs.
Support integration and validation in simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, prototype-machine, and production-oriented environments with Robotics Validation.
Create reference designs, technical documentation, implementation guidance, and reusable patterns that reduce duplication and improve consistency across teams.
Contribute implementation experience, engineering feedback, and emerging technology considerations to broader architecture decisions and roadmaps.