Autonomy Validation Leader for AI-Driven Machines

Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 128,000 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Paid time off

401(k) savings plans

Health Savings Account

Flexible Spending Accounts

Career Development

Incentive bonus

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Validation Lead to head verification and validation efforts for CI Autonomy programs.

You will guide validation strategies across software, hardware, and simulation, coordinating cross-functional teams and agile processes to ensure high-quality autonomous machine systems. You will lead validation efforts, drive test automation initiatives, mentor engineers, and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards while optimizing validation efficiency and product

Qualifications

• Experience leading Validation Engineers or test teams on complex product development programs.
• Strong knowledge of verification and validation methodologies for software, embedded systems, or autonomous technologies.
• Experience integrating validation activities into Agile release cycles using Scrum, SAFe, Kanban, Azure DevOps, Jira, or similar lifecycle tools.
• Experience with test automation frameworks, AI-enabled validation solutions, and data-driven validation approaches.
• Experience with SIL, HIL, simulation, virtual validation, and machine-level testing.
• Experience with Physical AI or similar simulation platforms is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead validation strategy and execution for autonomous machine products and supporting technologies.
• Manage end-to-end validation processes, including requirements traceability, test execution, defect management, and validation reporting.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to Validation Engineers across projects and environments.
• Integrate validation deliverables into Agile release cycles, including sprint planning and release planning.
• Collaborate with software, controls, systems, simulation, product, and TPM teams to ensure validation coverage aligns with priorities.
• Support validation across SIL, HIL, simulation, lab, and machine-level test environments.
• Drive root cause investigations, defect triage, BIQ analysis, and validation issue resolution.
• Develop and implement test automation frameworks and AI-enabled validation solutions.
• Ensure compliance with quality, safety, regulatory, and organizational standards.
• Drive continuous improvement to increase validation efficiency and product quality.

Skills

Validation leadership

Technical leadership

Agile methods

Cross-functional collaboration

Root-cause analysis

Test engineering

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira

NVIDIA Isaac Sim

Omniverse

Job description

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Validation Lead to head verification and validation efforts for CI Autonomy programs.

You will guide validation strategies across software, hardware, and simulation, coordinating cross-functional teams and agile processes to ensure high-quality autonomous machine systems. You will lead validation efforts, drive test automation initiatives, mentor engineers, and ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards while optimizing validation efficiency and product