Principal Edge Architect - Platform

Caterpillar Inc.; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 170,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. in Irving, TX invites experienced architects to own the edge platform architecture for machine autonomy.

You will lead the Physical AI – Edge Platform Architecture Team and design how NVIDIA Thor-based compute, I/O, networking, storage, and runtime come together to support perception, robotics, data logging, and safety services. You will ensure the edge platform is scalable, secure, and ready for real-world deployment across various autonomy applications and environments,

Responsibilities

• Define the overall edge platform architecture and roadmap for machine autonomy applications, including compute, input/output interfaces, networking, memory, storage, runtime environment, diagnostics, monitoring, data logging, and data transmission.
• Own key platform architecture decisions and tradeoffs across GPU, CPU, memory, storage, sensor bandwidth, network bandwidth, latency, power, thermal limits, reliability, serviceability, scalability, and cost.
• Lead architecture alignment across perception, robotics, machine platform, simulation, validation, safety, cybersecurity, operations, and product teams to ensure the edge platform supports end‑to‑end autonomy needs.
• Define standard edge platform configurations for different machine types, sensor packages, autonomy feature levels, and deployment environments, including platform expansion strategy.
• Identify platform capability gaps, technical risks, and future hardware or software needs, and drive recommendations for platform improvements, supplier engagement, upgrade paths, and long‑term edge compute strategy

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

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.

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

Own the overall architecture strategy for the edge platform that runs machine autonomy applications. This role leads the Physical AI – Edge Platform Architecture Team and defines how the NVIDIA Thor-based compute platform, input/output interfaces, networking, runtime environment, storage, monitoring, diagnostics, and system resources come together to support perception, robotics, machine interface, data logging and transmission, and safety‑related autonomy services.

This architect ensures the edge platform is scalable, reliable, serviceable, secure, and ready for real machine deployment across different autonomy applications, sensor configurations, machine platforms, and operating environments.

What You Will Do

• Define the overall edge platform architecture and roadmap for machine autonomy applications, including compute, input/output interfaces, networking, memory, storage, runtime environment, diagnostics, monitoring, data logging, and data transmission.
• Own key platform architecture decisions and tradeoffs across GPU, CPU, memory, storage, sensor bandwidth, network bandwidth, latency, power, thermal limits, reliability, serviceability, scalability, and cost.
• Lead architecture alignment across perception, robotics, machine platform, simulation, validation, safety, cybersecurity, operations, and product teams to ensure the edge platform supports end‑to‑end autonomy needs.
• Define standard edge platform configurations for different machine types, sensor packages, autonomy feature levels, and deployment environments, including platform expansion strategy.
• Identify platform capability gaps, technical risks, and future hardware or software needs, and drive recommendations for platform improvements, supplier engagement, upgrade paths, and long‑term edge compute strategy