Principal Edge Architect - Platform

Caterpillar Brazil; Irving, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 159,000 - 259,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) savings plans

Career development programs

Paid time off

Job summary

Caterpillar is seeking an Edge Platform Architect to define the architecture and roadmap for the edge platform powering machine autonomy applications. You will align perception, robotics, simulation, safety, and product teams to deliver scalable, secure, and reliable edge solutions across diverse environments.

This role requires deep expertise in edge compute platforms, GPU/CPU tradeoffs, and data handling, with a focus on real-world, industrial deployments at scale.

Qualifications

• Experience designing edge compute platforms for autonomy or real-time embedded systems.
• Ability to define scalable platform configurations across machine types and deployment environments.
• Strong communication and collaboration across perception, robotics, simulation, safety, and product teams.

Responsibilities

• Own the edge platform architecture and roadmap for machine autonomy applications.
• Define standard configurations and platform expansion strategy for different machines and sensors.
• Lead cross-functional alignment to ensure end-to-end autonomy needs are met.

Skills

Edge platform architecture

GPU/CPU/memory tradeoffs

Data logging & transmission

Cross-functional leadership

System integration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in CS/EE

Tools

NVIDIA Thor

CUDA

TensorRT

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.

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.

What You Will Have

Analytical Thinking: Expert 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.

Platform Architecture: Expert knowledge of technologies and methods to design processing mechanisms and roadmaps to execute business application systems; ability to design these roadmaps and deploy supportive interfaces for end‑users to access related systems, in accordance with standards and processes.

Data Architecture: Expert 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. Ability to utilize design methodologies, tools and techniques to convert business requirements and logical models into a technical design.

Effective Communications: Expert understanding 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.

Organizational Leadership: Expert knowledge of leadership concepts and ability to use strategies and skills to enlist others in setting, embracing and achieving objectives.

Considerations for Top Candidates

• Strong experience designing edge compute platforms for autonomy, robotics, vehicle systems, industrial machines, or other real‑time embedded applications.
• Deep understanding of GPU, CPU, memory, storage, networking, input/output interfaces, sensor data bandwidth, latency, power, thermal, reliability, and serviceability tradeoffs.
• Experience with NVIDIA edge AI platforms and software ecosystem, preferably including NVIDIA Thor, CUDA, TensorRT, GPU-accelerated inference, and hardware/software optimization.
• Strong system architecture judgment, with the ability to define scalable platform configurations across different machine types, sensor packages, autonomy functions, and deployment environments.
• Ability to work cross‑functionally with perception, robotics, machine platform, simulation, validation, safety, cybersecurity, operations, suppliers, and product teams to align edge platform capability with real machine autonomy needs.

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 for this position. This position will require up to 25% domestic travel.

Summary Pay Range: $159,120.00 - $258,570.00. 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

• 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.

There’s more to work at Caterpillar than just the work itself. We hire smart, friendly people and it shows in our culture. We hold ourselves to high standards and make sure our values of integrity, excellence, teamwork, commitment and sustainability come to life in the way we work. We make sure our employees feel continuously challenged while also supported. We provide professional growth opportunities, including leadership programs. We celebrate the diversity of our team, while also working together as one Caterpillar. Our culture, like everything at our company, is made possible by each employee’s contribution. Person by person, we create the environment we work in, and we are proud of the Caterpillar we’ve built.