Senior Perception Engineer

Caterpillar Inc.•Irving, TX

3d•$112,710 - $183,140•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Perception Engineer develops cutting-edge autonomous and operator-assisted driving systems for mobile off-road machines. The role involves designing, implementing, and testing algorithms for sensor fusion, object detection, tracking, and classification, and integrating those solutions into Caterpillar’s software stack and hardware platform. The engineer works with other engineers, researchers, and application teams to address customer needs, analyze customer and machine data, improve machine intelligence, and deliver safe, production-quality autonomy solutions. The position participates in the Agile software development lifecycle, from requirements and architecture through validation and deployment. It includes documenting architecture and software designs, verification plans, test cases, operating procedures, and safety procedures; supporting iterative machine-learning training; and using debugging, testing, and validation tools to maintain and troubleshoot perception software. The position is based onsite at the Irving, Texas office five days a week and requires up to 10% travel.

Requirements

Excellence in C++ programming.
Fluency in Python.
Experience developing computer vision, machine-learning, sensor-fusion, object-detection, and tracking algorithms.
Strong software-engineering, debugging, and code-quality practices.
Ability to analyze code, logs, sensor data, and machine-performance data to troubleshoot perception software issues.
Ability to support verification and validation activities for autonomous machine systems.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing perception systems for autonomous vehicles, robotics, or advanced operator-assist systems using lidar, radar, and camera sensors.
Strong background in computer vision, machine learning, deep learning, sensor fusion, object detection, tracking, and classification algorithms.
Experience developing production-quality software in C++ and Python.
Experience with ROS/AIS, OpenCV, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Git, CMake, Docker, and GoogleTest.
Experience developing, integrating, or validating complex autonomous systems with a focus on machine safety and productivity.
Experience working in Agile environments using Azure DevOps or Jira.
Experience using AWS cloud technologies, including EC2, S3, and Batch, for data processing and model development.

Responsibilities

Solve perception problems for mobile off-road machines and autonomous or operator-assisted heavy equipment in dynamic off-road environments.
Design, develop, implement, test, and optimize perception software and algorithms, including sensor fusion, object detection, tracking, and classification.
Participate in the development of high-quality perception software and algorithms that meet customer and product requirements.
Document architecture specifications, software designs, verification plans, test cases, test procedures, operating procedures, and safety procedures.
Work with application teams to collect and analyze customer-experience data from robotic and manned platforms.
Analyze and annotate data for machine-learning training and participate in iterative training cycles to meet perception requirements.
Use appropriate tools to debug, test, and maintain perception software and resolve software issues.
Support verification and validation of autonomous machine systems.
Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate perception solutions into software and hardware platforms and deliver safe, production-quality autonomy solutions.
Analyze customer, machine, sensor, code, and log data to identify performance gaps, troubleshoot complex problems, and continuously improve perception capabilities.