Onsite Autonomy Validation Engineer – HIL & Simulation

NCSL International; Illinois; On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) savings plans

Relocation assistance

Visa sponsorship available

Paid time off

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. in Mossville, IL seeks a Senior Autonomy Validation Engineer to lead lab-based validation for the Command for Hauling autonomous program.

You will validate workflows in L8 HIL environments, develop test scenarios, analyze machine data, and drive model fidelity improvements using MATLAB/Simulink and real-time platforms. This onsite role offers performance-driven validation across multiple teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, CS, or related field.
• Experience validating autonomous systems and HIL environments.
• Strong problem solving and fault-tracing skills.
• Experience with MATLAB/Simulink and real-time validation.
• Knowledge of CAN/J1939, Ethernet/TCP-IP, and sensor interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Validate CfH autonomous workflows using L8 HIL benches, simulation environments, bench hardware, machine interface models, and supporting test assets.
• Develop validation scenarios, test cases, regression tests, and evidence packages based on requirements, release content, field issues, machine data, and customer-use cases.
• Analyze real machine data, site data, logs, communication captures, and test results to understand machine behavior, identify performance gaps, and support root-cause investigation.
• Use machine performance analysis to improve validation coverage, confirm expected system behavior, and provide feedback to development and product teams.
• Support development of simulation capabilities by using real machine data to improve model fidelity, reproduce field conditions, simulate operational scenarios, and strengthen CfH shift-left validation.
• Develop and maintain MATLAB/Simulink real-time models for machine dynamics, actuator behavior, ECM I/O, signal simulation, and closed-loop validation.
• Configure, operate, and troubleshoot dSPACE SCALEXIO benches using ConfigurationDesk and ControlDesk, including deployment, parameter management, automated test execution, and bench bring-up.
• Integrate and validate communications across CAN/J1939, Ethernet/TCP-IP, machine networks, and offboard connectivity, including timing, message integrity, and interoperability.
• Integrate and validate sensor and positioning simulation for autonomous machines, including LiDAR, radar, camera, GPS, and IMU signals, with focus on interface accuracy, synchronization, calibration, and controllable fault modes.
• Design, build, validate, and troubleshoot wiring harnesses and electrical interfaces supporting HIL benches and machine interface systems.
• Troubleshoot complex CfH system-level issues involving autonomy software, bench configuration, machine interfaces, simulation fidelity, timing synchronization, network behavior, and end-to-end workflow execution.
• Document defects with clear reproduction steps, supporting data, bench configuration details, risk context, and recommended next actions.
• Maintain traceability between requirements, scenarios, test cases, results, defects, and validation evidence to support release readiness.
• Communicate validation progress, open issues, risks, mitigation plans, and release recommendations in a clear and data-driven manner.
• Identify opportunities to improve validation methods, automation, regression efficiency, simulation reuse, bench capability, and evidence generation.

Skills

Industry knowledge

Software product testing

Systems integration

Problem solving

Programming

Technical troubleshooting

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

JIRA

Azure DevOps

MATLAB/Simulink

dSPACE SCALEXIO

ConfigurationDesk

ControlDesk

Job description

Caterpillar Inc. in Mossville, IL seeks a Senior Autonomy Validation Engineer to lead lab-based validation for the Command for Hauling autonomous program.

You will validate workflows in L8 HIL environments, develop test scenarios, analyze machine data, and drive model fidelity improvements using MATLAB/Simulink and real-time platforms. This onsite role offers performance-driven validation across multiple teams.