Senior Autonomy Engineer (Product Owner)

Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 113,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) savings plans

Paid time off

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. in Irving, TX is seeking a Senior Autonomy Designer (Product Owner) to lead the team backlog, translate strategy into clear Features and Stories, and own acceptance criteria within MineStar Solutions.

You will collaborate with delivery engineers, QA, design, and stakeholders, drive refinement, sprint planning, and ensure delivery aligns with objectives and Definition of Done. This onsite role requires a Bachelor's in Engineering, fluency in English (French preferred), and travel

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Fluency in English; French preferred to communicate with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience applying Agile/backlog management in delivery teams.
• Knowledge of software development lifecycle and testing strategies.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain the team backlog with clear priorities and ready-for-work items.
• Drive backlog refinement and help the team plan sprints with realistic commitments.
• Coordinate with stakeholders and peer teams to manage dependencies and delivery flow.
• Ensure stories meet acceptance criteria and Definition of Done.
• Provide ongoing clarification during execution to unblock delivery.
• Maintain visibility of planned work and delivery status.

Skills

Backlog ownership

Agile methodologies

Stakeholder alignment

Story refinement

Azure DevOps

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Azure DevOps

Job description

Career Area: Engineering

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.

Cat Technology collaborates with partners across the Caterpillar enterprise to advance technologies including autonomy and automation, which helps enhance site safety, productivity and efficiency across customer operations worldwide. Cat Technology also owns enterprise-wide initiatives in innovation, research and development, manufacturing automation and advanced materials, ensuring Caterpillar continues to lead the industry in technological excellence and engineering innovation.

The Senior Autonomy Designer (Product Owner) within the Cat® MineStar™ Solutions group, is the tactical product leader embedded with an Agile delivery team, accountable for maximizing the value delivered by ensuring the team backlog is clear, prioritized and execution ready. This individual translates strategy and stakeholder intent well into well-defined Features and Stories, drives backlog refinement, provides day-to-day decisions and clarifications, and formally accepts completed work against agreed acceptance criteria and Definition of Done.

Cat® MineStar™ Solutions is Caterpillar’s flagship mining technology platform. It is a comprehensive and highly integrated suite of systems used to manage, automate, and optimize mining operations. MineStar™ supports asset tracking, fleet management, operational visibility, safety systems, equipment health and automation capabilities across surface and underground environments and can be deployed in modular capacity sets including Fleet, Terrain, Detect, Health and Command.

This is a delivery-aligned role focusing on enabling effective team execution and predictable outcomes, not portfolio strategy.

Additional Information:

• Location: Irving, TX (United States)
• Required Travel: Up to 10% (Domestic/International)
• Relocation Assistance Offered: None
• Canada Work Authorization Sponsorship Offered: None

What You Will Do:

• Team Backlog Ownership and Readiness:
  • Own and maintain the team backlog, ensuring work items are structured, prioritized, and continuously refined.
  • Ensure Features and Stories have sufficient clarity for implementation (problem/context, acceptance criteria, dependencies, constraints).
  • Drive backlog hygiene and traceability so work remains visible, current, and actionable in the team’s tooling (ex: Azure DevOps).
• Refinement, Spring Planning & Execution Support:
  • Lead and/or coordinate backlog refinement to prepare work for upcoming sprints.
  • During sprint planning, present the highest-priority work and facilitate the conversation so the team can make realistic commitments based on capacity.
  • Provide ongoing clarification during execution to keep delivery unblocked and aligned to intended outcomes.
• Stakeholder Alignment & Cross-Team Coordination:
  • Act as the team’s primary day-to-day interface for stakeholders, ensuring the team plan remains aligned to stakeholder needs and inter-team dependencies.
  • Coordinate priority conflicts and dependency impacts with peer teams (and elevate where needed) to preserve flow and delivery confidence.
• Story Acceptance & Quality Accountability:
  • Be accountable for Story acceptance, confirming work meets acceptance criteria, aligns to Definition of Done, and is suitable for release/use.
  • Ensure validation evidence is captured appropriately (tests, demos, notes, acceptance outcome) to avoid “nearly done” carryover.
• Delivery Planning Visibility (Optional/Where Used):
  • Maintain delivery visibility by keeping planned work accurately represented (ex: sprint-level view, start/target dates where your process uses them).
• Key Working Relationships:
  • Delivery Team (engineers, QA, design as applicable) – shared understanding of what “done” means and delivery sequencing.
  • Scrum Master/Team Coach – facilitation and flow; supports refinement and planning mechanics.
  • Product/Program Leadership (PM, TPM, solution roles where applicable) – priorities, outcomes, trade offs, and dependency alignment.
  • Stakeholders/SME’s – requirements clarity, feedback loops, and acceptance inputs.
• Other duties as assigned by Caterpillar management from time-to-time.

What You Have (Basic Requirements):

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (electrical, software, computer) or equivalent experience in lieu of degree.
• Fluency in English and French (both written and spoken) is preferred to effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders and ensure accurate interpretation of information.
• Industry Knowledge: Knowledge of the organization's industry group, trends, directions, major issues, regulatory considerations, and trendsetters; ability to apply industry knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
• Problem Solving: Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.
• Software Development Lifecycle: Knowledge of software development life cycle; ability to use a structured methodology for delivering and managing new or enhanced software products to the marketplace.
• Software Product Testing: Knowledge of software product testing; ability to design, plan, and execute testing strategies and tactics to ensure software product quality and adherence to stated requirements.
• Application Development Tools: Knowledge of application and system development; ability to utilize a variety of specific tools and toolkits for developing applications.
• Artificial Intelligence: Knowledge of the concepts, technologies and methodologies of artificial intelligence (AI); ability to develop, implement and/or apply artificial intelligence products and services in specific industry domain to achieve business goals.
• Programming: Knowledge of relevant programming languages and tools; ability to test, write, design, debug, troubleshoot and maintain source codes and computer programs.
• Technical Troubleshooting: Knowledge of technical troubleshooting approaches, tools and techniques; ability to anticipate, recognize, and resolve technical issues on hardware, software, application or operation.

What Will Set You Apart (Preferred Qualifications):

• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage and optimize a product backlog, including backlog refinement, prioritization aligned to business value, breaking down complex work in deliverable increments (slicing), and ensuring items meet a clear “definition of ready.”
• Strong track record of operating within Agile frameworks, actively contributing to key ceremonies such as backlog refinement, spring planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and acceptance activities, with a focus on continuous delivery and improvement.
• Confident in managing and maintaining work items within delivery tools (ex: Azure DevOps), including creating, updating, organizing, and tracking work items; ensuring data integrity, traceability, and alignment across teams.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, facilitate discussions, remove ambiguity, and make timely, informed decisions to maintain delivery momentum.
• Experience within mining operations and/or familiarity with the MineStar™ product suite is advantageous, with an understanding of operational workflows, constraints, and domain-specific challenges considered a strong plus (but not essential).

What You Will Get:

Through it all, we are one team – creating and delivering world-class components and solutions superior to the competition. Learn more about the Caterpillar Experience and why It’s More Than a Job, it’s a Career at Caterpillar.

About Caterpillar:

Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. For nearly 100 years, we’ve been helping customers build a better, more sustainable world and are committed and contributing to a reduced-carbon future. Our innovative products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value that helps customers succeed.

Summary Pay Range:

$112,710.00 - $183,140.00

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.Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Posting Dates:

September 2, 2026 - September 15, 2026

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.