Senior Autonomy Systems Engineering Specialist

Caterpillar Inc.•Irving, TX

2d•$128,470 - $208,770•Onsite

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. You’ll build and deploy against one of the most unique data foundations—over 1.6 million connected assets generating real-world data daily. These data and platform capabilities are enabling the development of AI models, edge computing architectures, and software systems that scale across fleets, products, and industries. The result will be a new generation of machines that continuously learn, improve, and deliver performance at 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. Our connected ecosystem brings together massive volumes of high-quality data to create a foundation where engineers like you can build and deploy against. If this work motivates you, we invite you to join our team. In these roles, you’ll work at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds. You’ll help design and deliver intelligent systems that enable machines to perceive their environment, make informed decisions, and support safer, more productive operations. Apply today to build the new era of construction autonomy at Caterpillar. As a Senior Autonomy Systems Engineering Specialist on the Surface Loading Autonomy team, you will be an integral part of the Caterpillar team developing the next generation of autonomous machines for the construction industry. In this role you will provide technical and project leadership for integrating autonomy solutions with the base machine, including system-level integration, requirements definition, architectural alignment, hardware coordination, and test coordination, balancing short‑term delivery needs with long‑term architectural quality and product integrity. The successful candidate will operate with a high degree of independence and will serve as a technical authority within their area of expertise, influencing architecture, design decisions, and engineering practices while mentoring and supporting teams across the organization. Additionally, this role includes leadership of hands-on engineering in both lab environment and on machine at our proving grounds for development, validation and demonstration of autonomous solutions.

Requirements

Acquires expertise through training and practical experience in the relevant field.
Analyzes the needs, desires, and motivations of the other party to effectively understand a given scenario.
Identifies who the decision makers are and how they receive information.
Provides evidentiary support while giving opinions or recommendations to influence decision-making.
Conducts tasks in such a way as to build a strong reputation and credibility as an expert in the field.
Strong knowledge of the concepts, technologies and methods of artificial intelligence (AI)
Assists in business requirements analysis in the AI solution design or deployment process.
Deploys, develops or operates specific AI products, equipment, systems and/or platforms to achieve certain business goals.
Tests and troubleshoots the functionality of AI applications and systems within a specific area.
Strong professional experience with the architecture and design of major or multiple products.
Strong ability to describe major architecture alternatives, tradeoffs and considerations.
Displays experience in estimating the time to develop a specific design of a proposed product.
Facilitates design reviews and walkthroughs.
Identifies and documents specific problems and resolution alternatives.
Helps to analyze risks and benefits of alternative approaches and obtain decisions on resolution.
Uses fact-finding techniques and diagnostic tools to identify problems
Discovers, analyzes, and resolves software, hardware, or application problems.
Analyzes code, logs, and current systems as part of advanced troubleshooting.
Records and reports specific technical problems, solving processes and tools that have been used.
Knowledge of effective presentation tools and techniques to ensure clear understanding; ability to use summarization and simplification techniques to explain complex technical concepts in simple, clear language appropriate to the audience.
Clearly explains project goals to team members, keeps leadership informed of progress, and shares relevant updates with external partners
Uses data-driven arguments, active listening, and tailored messaging to persuade stakeholders and achieve consensus.
Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field – or commensurate industry experience.

Nice To Haves

Extensive experience as a Systems Integration or Design Engineer supporting engineering projects on robotics, autonomous or semi-autonomous systems.
Strong experience with robotics with an understanding of Planning, Perception, Positioning, and Controls.
Experience with radars and sensors such as LIDAR, GNSS, GPS, Radar, and other camera sensors preferred
Experience with field testing, HIL, and Proving Ground support preferred
Experience with Site Autonomy Platforms preferred
Knowledge and experience with Wheel Loaders, Excavators, and/or Articulated Trucks preferred
Experience in Construction or Mining Industries preferred

Responsibilities

Apply new autonomous system solutions and technologies to machines working in the Construction Industry, including Excavators, Wheel Loaders and Articulated Trucks.
Lead and contribute to the design, architecture, implementation, testing, and release of autonomy or robotics systems
Lead or strongly influence requirements generation and system architectural trade‑off decisions
Provide technical leadership across functional testing, verification, validation, and certification activities
Integrate new technologies to improve the capability and robustness of autonomy solutions
Troubleshoot and resolve complex system issues across development and production environments
Facilitate and participate in design reviews and technical discussions
Communicate complex technical concepts, risks, readiness, and trade-offs clearly to engineers, stakeholders, and leadership
Manage projects balancing time, cost, quality, and risk
Mentor engineers and raise overall technical quality through guidance and example