Senior Autonomy Systems Engineer — Onsite Role

Caterpillar Inc.; East Peoria (IL); On-site; USD 128,000 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Paid time off

401(k) savings plans

Relocation assistance

Career development

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. seeks a Senior Autonomy Systems Engineering Specialist for the Surface Loading Autonomy team. You will provide technical leadership for integrating autonomy solutions with base machines, coordinating hardware, requirements, architecture, and testing.

The role emphasizes independence, architectural influence, and hands-on engineering at proving grounds and lab environments, with relocation considerations between Peoria and Dallas as needed.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of AI concepts and methods.
• Experience with robotics including planning, perception, positioning, and controls.
• Experience with field testing, HIL, and Proving Ground support.
• Experience with autonomy platforms and site autonomy capabilities.
• Familiarity with construction equipment such as wheel loaders, excavators, and articulated trucks.
• Ability to provide technical leadership across integration, testing, and design reviews.

Responsibilities

• Apply autonomous system solutions to construction machines (excavators, wheel loaders, articulated trucks).
• Lead design, architecture, implementation, testing, and release of autonomy/robotics systems.
• Influence requirements generation and architectural trade‑offs.
• Provide technical leadership across testing, verification, validation, and certification activities.
• Integrate new technologies to improve autonomy capabilities.
• Troubleshoot complex system issues across development and production environments.
• Lead design reviews and technical discussions; communicate risks and trade-offs clearly.
• Manage projects balancing time, cost, quality, and risk; mentor engineers.

Skills

AI concepts

Robotics

Field testing

Autonomy platforms

Construction equipment

System integration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Tools

LIDAR sensors

Radar sensors

Job description

Caterpillar Inc. seeks a Senior Autonomy Systems Engineering Specialist for the Surface Loading Autonomy team. You will provide technical leadership for integrating autonomy solutions with base machines, coordinating hardware, requirements, architecture, and testing.

The role emphasizes independence, architectural influence, and hands-on engineering at proving grounds and lab environments, with relocation considerations between Peoria and Dallas as needed.