Robotics Platform Architect

Caterpillar•Irving, TX

1d•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, the role translates architectural vision into implementable solution architectures and detailed technical designs. The architect owns technical decisions and deliverables for assigned platform capabilities, including components, APIs, interfaces, data flows, deployment patterns, and reference implementations, and partners with engineering teams through implementation, integration, validation, and deployment. The role bridges architecture and engineering, developing shared capabilities that autonomy teams can build on and deploy across Caterpillar machines and jobsites. It involves designing reusable platform services and software components; addressing containerized workloads, accelerated compute, resource management, observability, lifecycle management, and real-time execution; and enabling integration and validation in simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, prototype-machine, and production-oriented environments. The position is full-time and requires working onsite five days a week at Caterpillar’s Irving, Texas 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; ability to convert 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 solution designs for assigned platform areas.
Ability to understand complex cyber-physical systems, identify dependencies and ownership boundaries, and evaluate trade-offs across the complete robotics system.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate across architecture and engineering, communicate technical decisions clearly, and influence delivery without relying on 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 deploying software to embedded or robotic systems.
Understanding of how perception, planning, controls, machine interfaces, AI and machine learning capabilities, and platform services integrate within an autonomous or robotic system.
Demonstrated ability to take a solution from architectural vision through technical design, implementation, integration, validation, and deployment in partnership 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 new technologies and platform patterns.
Experience with robotics, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, heavy equipment, Physical AI, or another cyber-physical domain.

Responsibilities

Lead architecture and technical design for assigned robotics platform areas from architectural vision through implementation, integration, validation, and deployment.
Translate architecture into implementable designs, including component designs, APIs, interfaces, message and data flows, deployment patterns, acceptance criteria, and reference implementations.
Develop and evolve shared robotics platform capabilities, including middleware, runtime services, inter-process communication, developer frameworks, common services, and reusable software components.
Define interfaces and integration patterns that let perception, planning, controls, intelligent behaviors, and machine systems use common platform mechanisms without taking 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 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 across simulation, software-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, prototype-machine, and production-oriented environments in partnership 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.