Lead Software Engineer (Autonomy Services)

Caterpillar; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Caterpillar, a global leader in technology and data for industrial applications, seeks an experienced backend engineer in Irving, TX. You will design and deploy RESTful services with Java 17+ and Spring Boot, using microservices and cloud-native patterns to support our AI-infused platforms.

You will mentor engineers, set technical direction, and champion scalable, secure software. This role focuses on delivering high-value features with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, global context.

Qualifications

• Strong backend development experience in Java 17+ and Spring Boot.
• Experience building secure, scalable cloud-native services.
• Proficiency with RESTful APIs and microservices design.
• Ability to lead technical direction and mentor engineers.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, testing, and deployment of backend RESTful API services using Java, Spring Boot, and microservices.
• Provide architectural guidance and hands-on problem solving for development and support groups.
• Own complex application challenges from discovery through delivery with a balance of speed, quality and security.
• Set high standards for software quality via reviews, testing, and operational readiness.
• Mentor engineers and raise technical capability across the team.
• Promote AI-assisted and agentic development practices to improve delivery speed while preserving quality.
• Influence full-stack architecture patterns across UI, API, and services; focus on scalable backend.
• Drive delivery of business-value features with cross-functional Agile teams.
• Guide the team in structured code and documentation and reusable patterns.

Skills

Java 17+

Spring Boot

Microservices

RESTful APIs

Cloud (AWS/Azure)

Backend architecture

Mentoring

AI-assisted development

Job description

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.

You'll build and deploy against one of the most unique data foundations - over 1.6 million connected assets generating real-world data daily. These data and platform capabilities are enabling the development of AI models, edge computing architectures, and software systems that scale across fleets, products, and industries. The result will be a new generation of machines that continuously learn, improve, and deliver performance at scale.

What You Will Do

• Lead design, development, testing, and deployment of backend RESTful API services using Java, Spring Boot, and microservices architecture.
• Act as a technical leader for development and support groups by providing architectural guidance, engineering direction, and hands-on problem solving.
• Own complex application and platform challenges from discovery through delivery, balancing speed, quality, security, and long-term maintainability.
• Set and reinforce high standards for software quality through design reviews, code reviews, testing strategy, operational readiness, and best practices.
• Mentor and develop engineers across the team, helping raise technical capability and consistency in execution.
• Lead adoption of AI-assisted and agentic software development practices across the team by defining effective repository guidance, approval workflows, validation standards, and secure development guardrails that improve delivery speed while preserving quality, architecture integrity, and human accountability.
• Influence full-stack architecture patterns across UI, API, and service layers while maintaining primary ownership of scalable backend microservice and platform architecture.
• Drive delivery of business-value features with cross-functional Agile teams while aligning implementation choices to product, platform, and enterprise needs.
• Guide the team in building structured application and interface code, technical documentation, and reusable patterns that improve scalability and developer productivity.

WHAT YOU WILL HAVE

• Software Product Design/Architecture: Knowledge of software product design; ability to convert market requirements into software product design and strategic technical direction.
• Software Product Technical Knowledge: Knowledge of technical aspects of software products; ability to design, configure, and integrate technical aspects of software products.
• 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.
• 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 appropriate communication behaviors.

TOP CANDIDATES WILL HAVE

• Strong backend engineering capability with Java 17+ and Spring Boot to design and deliver RESTful APIs using microservices principles.
• Proven ability to build secure, scalable platform services in a cloud environment such as AWS or Azure.
• Experience deploying backend services in cloud-native environments.
• Knowledge of AI-assis