Autonomy Systems Engineer

Caterpillar Inc.; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Systems Engineer to contribute to operator safety systems across automation and autonomy solutions.

The role focuses on defining requirements, architectures, and interfaces, with cross-functional collaboration across engineering, product, test, and operations teams. You will support verification, validation, and field learnings to deliver safe, reliable machinery in mining and construction contexts.

Qualifications

• Experience defining system-level requirements and interfaces.
• Ability to trace needs to design decisions and verifications.
• Collaboration across engineering, product, test and operations teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop, manage, and maintain system-level requirements for operator safety system capabilities, interfaces, and behaviors.
• Define system architectures, operating concepts, use cases, interfaces, and functional allocations.
• Use Jama or similar tools to establish traceability between needs, design decisions, verification evidence, and field learnings.
• Support integration, verification, and validation planning for operator safety features across lab, machine, proving ground, and customer-site environments.
• Collaborate with software, hardware, controls, test, product, and field teams to deliver cohesive safety system solutions.
• Analyze hazards, operational scenarios, edge cases, and system interactions to drive decisions and risk-informed trade-offs.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues spanning machine operation, sensing, software behavior, operator interaction, and environment.
• Create and maintain systems engineering artifacts including requirements.

Skills

Systems engineering

Requirements management

Cross-functional collaboration

Troubleshooting

Risk assessment

Tools

Jama

Job description

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.

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.

This role contributes to the definition, design, integration, and validation of operator safety systems across Caterpillar automation and autonomy solutions. The Systems Engineer applies established systems engineering practices to develop reliable, field-ready safety system capabilities that help protect operators, bystanders, and equipment in demanding mining and construction environments. Working collaboratively with cross-functional engineering, product, test, and operations teams, this role supports system architecture definition, requirements development, interface management, integration planning, and verification activities for operator-facing safety technologies.

Our CAT Technology Automation and Autonomy teams are focused on advancing practical automation and autonomy solutions for harsh production environments found on mining and construction jobsites. The Operator Safety Systems team develops technologies that support safe operation around people, machines, and jobsite hazards, including sensing, monitoring, alerting, intervention, and system behaviors that reduce operational risk.

• Operator presence, awareness, and monitoring systems
• Cameras, sensors, perception inputs, and machine interfaces that support operator safety
• Safety-related system behaviors, alerts, and intervention concepts
• Integration of operator safety features with autonomy, remote control, and site technology solutions
• Field-ready safety solutions for mining, construction, quarry, surface, and underground applications

What You Will Do

• Develop, manage, and maintain system-level requirements for operator safety system capabilities, interfaces, and behaviors
• Define system architectures, operating concepts, use cases, interfaces, and functional allocations across software, hardware, sensing, and machine control components
• Use Jama or similar requirements management tools to establish traceability between needs, requirements, design decisions, verification evidence, and field learnings
• Support integration, verification, and validation planning for operator safety features across lab, machine, proving ground, and customer-site environments
• Collaborate with software, hardware, controls, test, product, and field teams to deliver cohesive safety system solutions
• Analyze hazards, operational scenarios, edge cases, and system interactions to drive clear technical decisions and risk-informed trade-offs
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues that span machine operation, sensing, software behavior, operator interaction, and environmental conditions
• Create and maintain systems engineering artifacts including requirements