Senior Product Owner

Caterpillar•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Caterpillar Inc. is a global leader in manufacturing construction and mining equipment, engines, and more. Cat Digital is the digital and technology arm of Caterpillar, focused on building industry-leading digital solutions. The CAT® AI Assistant team is seeking a Senior Product Owner to join the In-Cab AI Assistant Product Owner Delivery (POD). This role is crucial for defining, prioritizing, and delivering intelligent operator experiences with machine-aware AI capabilities directly into Caterpillar equipment. The team is organized into dedicated product PODs, with this role focusing on the In-Cab initiatives. The Senior Product Owner will collaborate with Product Managers, Engineering, UX, Architecture, Commercial teams, and Cat Technology stakeholders to translate business objectives into product requirements. Responsibilities include owning backlog readiness, feature definition, user stories, acceptance criteria, and delivery coordination, while shaping future AI-enabled operator experiences such as voice interaction, machine guidance, fault interpretation, display navigation, and operator coaching.

Requirements

Knowledge of business analysis and the set of tasks, techniques and tools required to identify business needs; ability to recommend solutions that deliver value to stakeholders.
Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment.
Knowledge of software change request management; ability to manage software product change requests from customers, prospective customers, vendors, and internal staff.
Knowledge of software engineering; ability to deliver new or enhanced fee-based software products.
Knowledge of and experience with the business aspects and operation of a software product; ability to manage install base, current uses, future plans, and product vision.
Knowledge of UAT activities, tasks, tools and techniques; ability to design, implement and evaluate acceptance tests for end-users.
5+ years of Product Owner, Product Management, Business Analyst, or related experience.
Experience working within Agile product development environments.
Experience managing complex cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
Proven ability to translate customer, business, and operational needs into actionable product requirements, prioritized backlogs, and delivery plans.
Strong backlog management and requirements definition skills.
Ability to facilitate technical and business discussions.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Experience with Azure DevOps, Agile, Scrum, or SAFe methodologies.
Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
Ability to influence without direct authority.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Generative AI, AI Assistants, Voice and Conversational AI, LLMs, or Agentic AI solutions.
Experience with connected products, IoT, embedded systems, industrial equipment, automotive, or telematics platforms.
Experience working in safety-critical environments.
Familiarity with heavy equipment, machine control systems and operator-focused digital experiences.
User focused mindset and perspective.

Responsibilities

Own and manage prioritized product backlogs for assigned In-Cab AI Assistant capabilities.
Create and maintain epics, features, user stories, and acceptance criteria in Azure DevOps.
Ensure requirements are complete, testable, traceable, and aligned with program objectives.
Define business value, scope boundaries, non-functional requirements, and success criteria for new capabilities.
Continuously refine and prioritize work based on customer feedback, technical dependencies, and business priorities.
Partner with Engineering, Architecture, UX, Validation, Commercial, and Machine teams to drive alignment and execution.
Facilitate requirements workshops, architecture reviews, technical sessions, and backlog grooming activities.
Coordinate across large matrix organizations to resolve ambiguity, mitigate risks, and accelerate decision-making.
Support integrated program planning and dependency management across workstreams.
Support development and delivery of AI Assistant capabilities including: Machine system integration with AI based cloud and edge devices, Voice-first interaction experiences and contextual assistance, Machine display navigation, fault codes and events interpretation, Machine-specific knowledge retrieval, operator coaching and guided workflows, Safety, security, governance, and optimization guidance.
Engage with stakeholders across CAT Digital and CAT Technology teams.
Represent the product team in architecture and design discussions.
Collaborate with program management to drive product development milestones.
Support customer-back product development through dealer, customer, and operator feedback loops.
Help define measurable success criteria for Early Learner initiatives and future product releases.
Translate field insights into backlog priorities and roadmap recommendations.
Track and mitigate risks, issues, blockers, and dependencies affecting delivery.
Prepare executive-ready presentations, status reports, and stakeholder updates.
Participate in sprint planning, product reviews, release planning, and POD operating rhythms.