Senior Manager, Applied AI R&D & Analytics

Caterpillar Inc.

Chicago (IL)

On-site

USD 159,000 - 259,000

Full time

2 days ago

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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.