Senior Manager Analytics - Artificial Intelligence R&D

Caterpillar Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 159,000 - 259,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) savings plans

Tuition Reimbursement

Career Development

Incentive bonus

Job summary

Caterpillar Inc. is seeking a Senior Manager to lead the Advanced Technology Pod within Cat Digital.

This leader will set a bold technical vision for applied AI, shepherd production-intent prototypes, and align multidisciplinary teams across product, engineering, and external partners. The role focuses on turning research into practical architectures, driving responsible AI, and partnering with cloud/hardware providers to advance real-world operators and dealers.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or related field.
• Experience leading AI R&D teams delivering production-intent prototypes.
• Strong Python-based ML stack expertise and AI frameworks.
• Solid statistical foundation for AI experimentation and evaluation.
• Experience partnering with hyperscalers and hardware partners.
• Ability to translate research into production-ready prototypes and architectures.
• Experience with design thinking and user research for AI experiences.
• Commitment to responsible AI, data classification, and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Set and evangelize a bold technical vision for applied AI at Caterpillar, anticipating where the technology is heading and where it can create value.
• Define and shape a portfolio of advanced AI initiatives turning the vision into high-impact opportunities for the pod.
• Lead the design and delivery of production-intent prototypes and reference architectures ready for handoff to engineering and MLOps.
• Define technical standards, patterns, and evaluation criteria for downstream teams to productionize AI.
• Partner with Business POC Pod to advance use cases from experimentation to prototypes; collaborate with Long-Term Research Pod to mature methods.
• Lead a team of senior data scientists and AI engineers: hiring, performance management, coaching, career growth, and standards.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with product management, software engineering, dealers, customers, and external partners.
• Establish R&D evaluation practices for AI prototypes, covering offline/online testing, benchmarking, and responsible AI considerations.
• Represent the pod to AI R&D leadership and Caterpillar Digital executives with clear business outcomes.

Skills

Effective Communication

Statistical Rigor

Innovation & Vision

Organizational Leadership

System-level Thinking

Machine Learning & AI

Education

Master’s degree in Computer Science / Engineering / Applied Mathematics / Statistics

Tools

Python ML stacks

AI Frameworks

AWS

Azure

NVIDIA hardware

Simulation environments

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.

Cat Digital

Cat Digital is the digital and technology arm of Caterpillar Inc., leveraging the latest technologies to build industry leading digital solutions for our customers and dealers. With over 1.5 million connected assets worldwide, our teams use data, technology, advanced analytics, telematics and AI capabilities to help our customers build a better, more sustainable world.

Cat Digital is hiring a Senior Manager to lead the Advanced Technology Pod within the AI R&D organization. This leader shapes how artificial intelligence will transform the way Caterpillar designs, builds, operates, and services the machines that move the world. The role sets a bold technical vision for applied AI at Caterpillar, pushing the frontier of what is possible for our products, our dealers, our customers, and the operators in the cab. The pod turns that vision into production-intent prototypes and reference architectures, then hands them off to downstream engineering and platform teams who own productionization, MLOps, and ongoing support. The lead acts as the technical anchor between the Business POC Pod, the Long-Term Research Pod, product, engineering, and external partners.

What You Will Do

• Set and evangelize a bold technical vision for applied AI at Caterpillar, anticipating where the technology is heading and where it can create the most value for our products, dealers, customers, and operators.
• Define and shape a portfolio of advanced AI initiatives that turn the vision into a focused set of high-impact opportunities for the pod.
• Lead the design and delivery of production-intent prototypes and reference architectures that are robust, well documented, and ready for handoff to engineering and platform teams responsible for productionization and MLOps.
• Define technical standards, patterns, and evaluation criteria that downstream teams can adopt to take AI R&D work to production with high fidelity.
• Partner with the Business POC Pod to advance promising use cases from rapid experimentation to production-intent prototypes, and with the Long-Term Research Pod to mature novel methods into applicable techniques.
• Lead a team of senior data scientists and AI engineers: hiring, performance management, technical coaching, career growth, and setting modeling and engineering standards for R&D work.
• Drive cross-functional alignment with product management, software engineering, dealers, customers, and external partners such as Microsoft and Azure, NVIDIA, and Airwave.
• Establish R&D evaluation practices for AI prototypes, covering offline and online testing, benchmarking, model and system trade-off analysis, and responsible AI considerations.
• Represent the pod to AI R&D leadership and Cat Digital executives, translating ambitious AI work into clear business outcomes and a credible path forward.

What You Will Have

• Effective Communication: Effective communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex technical topics for executive audiences. Ability to define and communicate a clear technical vision for applied AI and align teams and stakeholders around it
• Business Statistics: Solid statistical and experimental rigor for evaluating AI systems and guiding decision making
• Innovation: Ability to identify high-value AI opportunities and shape them into focused, actionable initiatives
• Organizational Leadership: Experience leading senior technical teams and setting a high technical bar through coaching, feedback, and standards. Strong partnership skills to work across product, engineering, and external partners to influence direction and drive alignment. Prior experience replacing or scaling a senior technical leader's scope, including stabilizing delivery while raising the technical bar.
• Design Thinking: Strong system-level thinking across data, models, and integration, with the ability to make sound architectural trade-offs
• Emerging Technologies: Deep understanding of how to translate research and experimentation into structured, production-intent prototypes and reference architectures
• Machine Learning: Strong expertise in modern AI methods, including large language models, generative systems, and advanced machine learning techniques

Considerations For Top Candidates

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, or a related technical field; advanced degree preferred.
• Significant experience leading applied AI or AI R&D teams that deliver production-intent prototypes and reference architectures for downstream engineering teams.
• Strong command of Python-based ML stacks and modern AI frameworks, with a clear point of view on modeling standards, experimentation practices, and prototype quality.
• Solid statistical foundation applied to AI experimentation, including A/B testing, significance, and rigorous measurement of accuracy, latency, cost, and safety in prototype settings.
• Experience partnering with hyperscaler and hardware partners such as AWS, Microsoft and Azure, NVIDIA, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with simulation and synthetic environments used to accelerate AI development for physical, real-world systems.
• Track record of defining reference architectures, evaluation harnesses, and technical playbooks that downstream engineering and platform teams adopt to productionize AI.
• Experience leading or contributing to design thinking and user research for AI experiences serving operators, dealers, or field users. Background in operator-facing and field-deployed AI experiences.
• Strong focus on responsible AI, data classification, and PII handling in line with enterprise compliance expectations.
• Exposure to Caterpillar's products, dealer network, or comparable industrial and equipment ecosystems is a plus.

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

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

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.