Lead Software Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Paid time off

401(k) plan

HSA

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. in Chicago, IL is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to build secure, scalable cloud solutions powering Caterpillar’s digital future.

You will lead the design and delivery of enterprise REST APIs and microservices, guiding engineers and collaborating with product owners to translate requirements into technical outcomes. You will own the end-to-end software lifecycle, implement automated tests, drive reliability and observability, and help shape engineering best practices across

Qualifications

• Experience in building REST APIs and microservices.
• Cloud deployment on AWS/Azure/GCP.
• Own end-to-end software lifecycle with automated tests.
• Event-Driven Architecture design using messaging systems.
• Strong DB knowledge: PostgreSQL/MySQL/MongoDB/Redis.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of enterprise REST APIs and microservices.
• Define service contracts and OpenAPI specs.
• Guide secure, scalable integrations with OAuth2/JWT.
• Translate business needs into technical designs and plans.
• Provide technical leadership through reviews and best practices.
• Drive reliable, scalable, observable solutions and monitoring.
• Own end-to-end software lifecycle including deployment and runbooks.

Skills

REST APIs

Cloud platforms

Lifecycle ownership

Event-driven

Databases

CI/CD pipelines

AI coding aids

Agile/Scrum

Tools

Apigee

Azure DevOps

Jenkins

GoCD

GitHub Copilot

Cursor

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

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.

Job Purpose

Join Cat Digital Platform and help build the technology that powers Caterpillar’s digital future. Our platform fuels the secure flow of data, insights, and services connecting customers, dealers, machines, and applications worldwide. As a Lead Software Engineer, you will provide technical leadership and drive the delivery of scalable, secure, and customer-focused cloud solutions.

Job Duties

• Lead the design and development of enterprise-scale REST APIs and microservices using Java, Spring Boot, and AWS cloud services.
• Build API-first solutions, define service contracts, payload schemas, and OpenAPI/Swagger specifications.
• Guide engineers in building secure and scalable service integrations using OAuth 2.0, JWT, and enterprise authorization models.
• Translate business requirements into scalable technical designs, user stories, and implementation plans.
• Provide technical leadership for the initiatives by driving design reviews, design decisions, code reviews, and engineering best practices.
• Collaborate with product owners, UI development teams, architects, and partner teams to ensure successful delivery of customer-focused solutions.
• Lead the adoption and continuous improvement of engineering best practices for reliability, scalability, observability, security, and maintainability.
• Drive quality engineering through automated testing, performance testing, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex production issues.
• Own the end-to-end software lifecycle, including deployment, monitoring, support, documentation, and operational runbooks.

What You Will Have

• Software Development: Knowledge of software development tools and activities; ability to produce software products or systems in line with product requirements.
• Software Product Design/Architecture: Knowledge of software product design; ability to convert market requirements into the software product design.
• 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.
• Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.

Top Candidates Will Also Have

• Extensive experience developing RESTful APIs and microservices using Java 21+ and Spring Boot, including API management platforms such as Apigee.
• Experience designing, deploying, and operating applications in public cloud environments such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Proven ability to own the end-to-end software lifecycle, including writing comprehensive automated tests (unit, integration, and end-to-end) using frameworks like JUnit and Mockito.
• Experience designing and implementing Event-Driven Architectures using message streaming solutions (eg: AWS Kinesis, AWS SQS, AWS SNS, Apache Kafka, RabbitMQ, Apache ActiveMQ, Azure Event Hub)
• Strong knowledge of relational, NoSQL, caching, search, and vector database technologies, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, Aurora, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Cassandra, Elasticsearch, and Redis.
• Hands-on experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GoCD, or similar tools.
• Familiarity with leveraging AI-assisted coding companions, such as GitHub Copilot or Cursor, to accelerate the software development lifecycle.
• Demonstrated success working within an Agile development framework, ideally Scrum.

Additional Details

• This position requires the candidate to be based in Chicago, IL
• Relocation assistance is not available for this position
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position

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

August 12, 2026 - August 23, 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.