Principal Digital Architect - Onboard & Site Data

Caterpillar Inc.; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 148,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) savings plans

Paid time off plan

Relocation assistance

Visa sponsorship

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Principal Digital Architect for Onboard & Site Data to define data architecture for Physical AI and autonomous systems at scale.

You will set data contracts, schemas, and metadata, and collaborate with perception, data engineering, and platform teams to enable enterprise ingestion and reliable data exchange. This role focuses on building a data foundation that allows AI innovation across fleets, products, and industries, driving edge-to-cloud architectures and

Qualifications

• Knowledge of data architecture processes and how to integrate data resources for business processes.
• Ability to develop IT blueprints and roadmaps aligned with business strategies.
• Experience with data foundations for AI model development and data pipelines.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and guide architecture across engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Developing detailed architecture deliverables to solve business problems.
• Designing an application's technical infrastructure, such as specific databases, programming languages, utilities, and testing approaches.
• Leading the evaluation and deployment of new technologies to add or enhance existing digital technical capabilities.
• Participating in addressing business requirements for applications and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver digital solutions that meets business results.
• Define contracts between sensor information and ingestion.
• Standardize schemas, semantics, timestamps, units, identity, and metadata.
• Specify quality, completeness, latency, and versioning expectations.

Skills

Data Architecture

Analytical Thinking

Requirements Analysis

Target Architecture

Communication

Job description

Job Description

The Principal Digital Architect for Onboard & Site Data is responsible for defining the data architecture that enables Physical AI and autonomous systems to learn, reason, and operate at scale. This role defines the data contracts that enable reliable information flow from machine and site systems into enterprise ingestion platforms. This role establishes standards for data exchange, schemas, naming conventions, metadata, and interface requirements. Working closely with perception architects, data engineering, and platform teams. Bottom line, you are creating the data foundation that enables AI innovation at scale.

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

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.

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

The Principal Digital Architect for Onboard & Site Data is responsible for defining the data architecture that enables Physical AI and autonomous systems to learn, reason, and operate at scale. This role defines the data contracts that enable reliable information flow from machine and site systems into enterprise ingestion platforms. This role establishes standards for data exchange, schemas, naming conventions, metadata, and interface requirements. Working closely with perception architects, data engineering, and platform teams. Bottom line, you are creating the data foundation that enables AI innovation at scale.

What You Will Do

• Developing detailed architecture deliverables to solve business problems.
• Designing an application's technical infrastructure, such as specific databases, programming languages, utilities, and testing approaches.
• Leading the evaluation and deployment of new technologies to add or enhance existing digital technical capabilities.
• Participating in addressing business requirements for applications and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver digital solutions that meets business results.
• Define contracts between sensor information and ingestion.
• Standardize schemas, semantics, timestamps, units, identity, and metadata.
• Specify quality, completeness, latency, and versioning expectations.

What You Will Have

• Data Architecture: Knowledge of processes, techniques and factors that affect data architecture; ability to design blueprints on how to integrate data resources for business processes and functional support.
• Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.
• Requirements Analysis: Knowledge of tools, methods, and techniques of requirement analysis; ability to elicit, analyze and record required business functionality and non-functionality requirements to ensure the success of a system or software development project.
• Target Architecture: Knowledge of target architecture; ability to develop the IT blueprint and roadmap while aligning the architecture and processes with business strategies and objectives roadmap while aligning the architecture and processes with business strategies and objectives

Top Candidates Will Have

• Data Architecture & Domain Modeling -- Demonstrated ability to define enterprise data domains, canonical data models, data contracts, metadata strategies, and scalable architectures that support complex AI and autonomy ecosystems.
• AI & Machine Learning Data Foundations -- Understanding of the data requirements for AI model development, including training data, fine-tuning datasets, feature engineering, vector data, model evaluation data, synthetic data, and data pipelines that support the AI lifecycle.
• Physical AI & Industrial Data Ecosystems -- Knowledge of machine telemetry, sensor data, digital twins, simulation data, edge-to-cloud architectures, and the unique challenges associated with autonomous systems and real-world operational data.
• Strategic Architecture Leadership -- Ability to influence senior leaders, define architectural roadmaps, establish standards and patterns, govern technology decisions, and provide technical direction across multiple engineering organizations without direct authority.
• Progressive career in software engineering and architecture with a focus on data (typically 10years+)
• Excellent communication skills and be able to deal with sensitive issues, mentor and coach and/or persuade others on new technologies, new applications, or potential solutions.

Additional Details

• This position requires the candidate to work full‑time at the Irving, TX office (Dallas)
• Domestic relocation assistance is available for this position.
• Visa sponsorship is available with this position.

Summary Pay Range

$147,760.00 - $240,110.00

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.