Lead Software Engineer

Career Area: Technology, Digital and Data Job Description: Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it. Cat Digital is the digital and technology arm of Caterpillar Inc., leveraging the latest technologies to build industry leading digital solutions for our customers and dealers. With over 1.5 million connected assets worldwide, our teams use data, technology, advanced analytics, telematics, and AI capabilities to help our customers build a better, more sustainable world. Lead Software Engineer — Emerging Technology Role Summary: The Lead Software Engineer in the Emerging Technology group is a hands-on technical leader responsible for designing, building, piloting, and scaling next-generation software solutions that apply emerging technologies to high-value business problems. This role combines deep software engineering expertise with practical innovation, helping translate exploratory concepts into secure, reliable, maintainable, and production-ready capabilities. What You Will Do: Lead the architecture, design, development and testing of modern software solutions, prototypes, pilots, and reusable platform capabilities. Evaluate, prototype, and apply emerging technologies such as generative AI, agentic workflows, retrieval-augmented generation, cloud-native services, APIs, automation, and data-driven application patterns. Translate business opportunities, product goals, and technical requirements into scalable software designs, solution patterns, technical roadmaps, and implementation plans. Mentor engineers, provide technical direction, facilitate design reviews, and promote a culture of experimentation, learning, engineering excellence, and responsible technology adoption. Collaborate with product managers, architects, data scientists, cybersecurity, infrastructure, UX, and business stakeholders to deliver solutions aligned to organizational goals and risk expectations. Define and implement technical evaluation methods, including proof-of-concept success criteria, model or system performance measures, quality gates, automated testing, monitoring, and production readiness reviews. Identify technical risks, dependencies, integration needs, security considerations, and operational constraints early in the solution lifecycle and recommend practical mitigation strategies. What You Will Have: Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment. Software Development: Knowledge of software development tools and activities; ability to produce software products or systems in line with product requirements. Software Development Life Cycle: Knowledge of software development life cycle; ability to use a structured methodology for delivering and managing new or enhanced software products to the marketplace. Software Integration Engineering: Knowledge of software integration processes and functions; ability to design, develop and maintain interfaces and linkage to alternative platforms and software packages. Software Product Design/Architecture: Knowledge of software product design; ability to convert market requirements into the software product design. Software Product Technical Knowledge: Knowledge of technical aspects of a software products; ability to design, configure and integrate technical aspects of software products.. Software Product Testing: Knowledge of software product testing; ability to design, plan, and execute testing strategies and tactics to ensure software product quality and adherence to stated requirements. Considerations For Top Candidates: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline; equivalent practical experience may be considered. Progressive professional experience in software engineering, including hands-on development of complex applications, distributed systems, APIs, platforms, or cloud-native services. Demonstrated ability to lead technical work across the full software development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, architecture, design, coding, testing, deployment. Strong proficiency in one or more modern programming languages such as Python, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, C#, Go, or similar languages. Experience designing scalable, secure, observable, and maintainable software using modern architecture patterns, APIs, automated testing, CI/CD, and DevOps practices. Working knowledge of cloud platforms, containerization, infrastructure automation, integration patterns, and production support practices. Ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly to engineering, product, architecture, security, and business stakeholders. Demonstrated analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills in ambiguous or rapidly evolving technical environments. Preferred Qualifications Experience building or integrating AI, machine learning, generative AI, large language model, agentic, retrieval-augmented generation, vector database, or prompt-based solutions. Experience taking emerging technology concepts from proof of concept through pilot, production hardening, governance review, adoption, and operational support. Familiarity with responsible AI practices, model evaluation, guardrails, data privacy, cybersecurity, compliance, and enterprise risk management considerations. Experience with modern cloud services, serverless architectures, Kubernetes, microservices, event-driven architecture, API management, observability platforms, and infrastructure-as-code. Experience partnering with product, design, data, security, architecture, and business teams to identify high-impact use cases and deliver measurable business outcomes. Proven ability to mentor engineers, influence technical direction without direct authority, and establish reusable engineering standards, patterns, frameworks, or accelerators. Advanced degree, cloud certification, AI/ML certification, software architecture certification, or demonstrated contribution to technical communities, open-source projects, patents, publications, or internal innovation initiatives. What You Will Get: Working with a Fortune 100 leader, you can build your career on a global scale and take advantage of development opportunities with emerging technologies. We’ve created an inclusive environment for you to explore your passions, make an impact and do the work that really matters. Join Us. About Caterpillar Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. For nearly 100 years, we’ve been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world and are committed to and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed. Summary Pay Range: $128,470.00 - $208,770.00 Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar. Benefits: Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. This is a summary list of benefits. Medical, dental, and vision benefits* Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)* 401(k) savings plans* Health Savings Account (HSA)* Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)* Health Lifestyle Programs* Employee Assistance Program* Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts* Career Development* Incentive bonus* Disability benefits Life Insurance Parental leave Adoption benefits Tuition Reimbursement * These benefits also apply to part-time employees Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. Posting Dates: July 20, 2026 - July 27, 2026 Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen. Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply. Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community.