Lead Data Engineer – Physical AI Platform, Data Engineering

Caterpillar Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 128,000 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Paid time off

401(k) savings plans

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. in Chicago, IL is seeking a Lead Data Engineer to design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines, microservices, and cloud-based data platforms that deliver reliable, high-quality data for business and engineering teams.

Working in an agile environment, you will help drive data architecture, performance, reliability, and continuous improvement across modern data solutions. You will collaborate with Principal Software Engineers and Data Architects to define solution

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 8+ years in data engineering or related disciplines.
• Experience with large Caterpillar data platforms (Helios).

Responsibilities

• Define solution architecture with engineers and data architects.
• Design scalable data pipelines and microservices in Python.
• Develop cloud-native data ingestion using AWS services.
• Ensure data quality, testing, and validation across ecosystems.
• Monitor, performance tune, and troubleshoot production data platforms.

Skills

Python

Java

AWS

SQL

Data pipelines

Microservices

CI/CD

Data architecture

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field

Tools

Azure DevOps

Jira

Jenkins

Kinesis

S3

DynamoDB

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.

Help Build the Future of Caterpillar

At Caterpillar, technology always has a purpose, which is to solve our customers’ toughest challenges. Through Cat Technology, we are solving problems by building the intelligence layer that connects machines, data, and people to make jobsites safer, more productive, and more sustainable. By combining deep domain expertise in physical systems with software, connectivity, autonomy, and AI, we deliver solutions that work in the real world - on real jobsites, at global scale.

Be Part of What’s Next in Autonomous Construction Sites

Construction autonomy is one of the most complex challenges in applied AI, and at Caterpillar, advancements in physical AI, simulation, sensing, and edge computing are turning things that once felt impossible - intelligent machines operating in dynamic jobsites - into reality.

Our connected ecosystem brings together massive volumes of high-quality data to create a foundation where engineers like you can build and deploy against.

If this work motivates you, we invite you to join our team. In these roles, you’ll work at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds. You’ll help design and deliver intelligent systems that enable machines to perceive their environment, make informed decisions, and support safer, more productive operations.

Job Summary

As a Lead Data Engineer, you will design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines, microservices, and cloud-based data platforms that deliver reliable, high-quality data for business and engineering teams. Working in an agile environment, you will help drive data architecture, performance, reliability, and continuous improvement across modern data solutions.

What You Will Do

• Actively collaborate with Principal Software Engineers and Data Architects to define solution architecture
• Lead the solution design and optimization of scalable data pipelines and microservices in Python, enabling both real-time and batch data processing across enterprise platforms
• Drive the development of cloud-native data ingestion and streaming solutions leveraging AWS services including Kinesis, S3, DynamoDB, EventBridge, and related technologies
• Own the design, implementation, and operational excellence of data integration frameworks and source data pipelines supporting CI Autonomy initiatives
• Partner with business, product, and engineering stakeholders to translate complex requirements into scalable data architectures, workflows, mappings, and system designs
• Establish and enforce automated testing, data quality controls, and validation frameworks to ensure integrity, reliability, and compliance across distributed data ecosystems
• Lead operational monitoring, performance tuning, and root-cause analysis of production data platforms using observability tools such as CloudWatch to maintain high availability and service reliability

What You Will Have

• Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Ability to lead the analysis and resolution of complex issues within distributed data platforms, designing scalable, and resilient solutions
• Effective Communications: Ability to communicate across teams by sharing feedback constructively, listening to others, and creating documentation that makes data systems and processes easy to understand and support
• Software Development: Experience in leading the design and development of backend systems and data pipelines using Python, Java, and modern frameworks, providing technical directions and ensuring the delivery of reliable, scalable solutions
• Software Development Life Cycle: Experience leading the delivery of data engineering solutions in an Agile environment by guiding work through the full development lifecycle, translating requirements into technical solutions, and ensuring projects are delivered with quality, reliability, and business value
• Software Integration Engineering: Capability to lead the design and integration of APIs, data pipelines, streaming platforms, and databases to enable reliable data exchange across enterprise systems and partner platforms
• Software Product Design/Architecture: Expertise leading the design of scalable, event-driven data systems and architectures, guiding technical decisions and ensuring solutions are reliable, maintainable, and aligned with business needs.
• Software Product Technical Knowledge: Ability to apply strong knowledge of AWS services and data engineering tools to define requirements, support testing and deployment activities, troubleshoot issues, and ensure data solutions are configured, implemented, and operated effectively across environments
• Software Product Testing: Ability to define and implement testing strategies, including functional, performance, and data quality testing, to ensure reliable, scalable, and high-performing data solutions across the development lifecycle.

Top Candidates Will Have

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in data engineering or related disciplines with increasing responsibility
• Extensive experience on modern, large scale, complex Caterpillar data platforms such as Helios Data Platform
• Strong foundation developing and deploying Python solutions to a production environment
• Experience leading teams to build high-throughput, scalable data pipelines
• Strong hands‑on experience with AWS data services (Kinesis, S3, DynamoDB, EventBridge, etc.) at scale
• Strong in SQL, including data quality and validation practices
• Experience in deploying software using CI/CD tools such as Azure DevOps, Jira, Jenkins, etc.
• Experience developing microservices that support real-time data ingestion
• Experience developing software applications using relational and noSQL databases
• Ability to ensure data integrity across distributed and streaming systems
• Experience with monitoring, testing, and automation in large-scale data environments

Additional Details

• This position requires the candidate to work full-time in the Chicago, IL office.
• Domestic relocation assistance is available for this position.
• LI#

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

This position requires working onsite five days a week.

Relocation is available for this position.

Visa sponsorship is available for eligible applicants.

Posting Dates

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.