C

Caterpillar

Makes heavy machinery, engines and gas turbines

Autonomy Application Architect

Full-TimeDeadline 10/16/26
$128.5k - $208.8k+ Incentive bonus
Mid
Bachelor's
Irving, TX, USA
In PersonFive days on-site per week; domestic relocation assistance is available. Travel up to 10% required.
AI & Machine LearningRobotics & Autonomous Systems
No H1B Sponsorship

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in an accredited Engineering or Computer Science curriculum.
  • Ability to communicate complex concepts to a global team, document system details, and explain designs and tradeoffs to stakeholders at multiple levels.
  • Proven ability to work on production products through design, implementation, customer rollout, and support.
  • Ability to decompose complex customer requirements into achievable technical requirements for product systems.
  • Knowledge and experience with autonomous systems, preferably a Caterpillar Command system such as Command for Hauling or Dozing.
  • Strong working knowledge of the Caterpillar Command ecosystem in mining or construction, or of other centralized control system architectures.
  • Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools, and techniques to accurately convey and interpret ideas, information, and needs.
  • Ability to document designs, requirements, and success criteria to ensure team alignment.
  • Ability to explain project goals to team members, keep leadership informed of progress, and share relevant updates with external partners.
  • Ability to use data-driven arguments, active listening, and tailored messaging to persuade stakeholders and achieve consensus.
Responsibilities
  • Design and implement autonomous machine systems and capabilities from requirements through production.
  • Identify state-of-the-art technology solutions to meet customer needs, and evaluate, select, and deliver solutions.
  • Collaborate with software, hardware, and platform teams to break down solutions into actionable delivery activities.
  • Estimate project time and cost to support prioritization and project management.
  • Perform risk and benefit analyses on proposed solutions and execute phased delivery plans from simulation through proof of concept to production release.
  • Collaborate with global engineering and cross-functional teams to deliver new products within the scalable technology portfolio.
  • Triage and resolve system-level issues found during development, validation, or production.
  • Communicate agreed feature rationale and develop implementation approaches with a global team.
  • Provide evidentiary support for opinions and recommendations to influence decision-making.
  • Stay current with advancements in the autonomy and mining industries.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with Caterpillar technology products.
  • Experience with mining, construction, or agricultural machines and methods.
  • Experience with product lifecycle and multigenerational technology products.
  • Data analysis and issue investigation using custom scripts and tools.
  • Experience with safety frameworks such as functional safety or SOTIF, and simulation tools for development and validation.
  • Familiarity with SiL and HiL test methods.
  • Familiarity with C++ and Python.
  • Development experience in a Linux environment.

About the company

Caterpillar makes construction and mining machines, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and locomotives for contractors, mines, energy companies and data center builders. It is the world's largest maker of construction and mining equipment, and its yellow Cat bulldozers and excavators work in nearly every country. Customers buy or rent machines through independent Cat dealers, while its engines and turbines generate electricity and push natural gas through pipelines. Caterpillar earns money from equipment sales and from the parts and repairs that dealers supply over a machine's working life. It was formed in 1925 when California's Holt and Best tractor companies merged, and it is based in Irving, Texas.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Irving, Texas

Founded

1925

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Data centers drive growth: power generation sales jumped 72% in the June 2026 quarter on demand for generators and turbines.
  • Factory hiring is growing: a $1 billion North Carolina plant, announced September 2026, is expected to create 1,950 jobs.
  • Recurring service work adds stability: parts and service brought in $24 billion in 2025, over a third of sales.

What critics are saying

  • Tariffs keep getting costlier: in August 2026, Caterpillar forecast $2.2 billion of 2026 tariff costs, up from 2025's $1.8 billion.
  • Patent fight threatens imports: in December 2025, rival Bobcat asked US trade regulators to ban some Cat loaders and excavators.
  • Expect five office days a week: since June 2025, US office staff must come in daily, and attendance affects reviews.

What makes Caterpillar unique

  • Power, not bulldozers, is its biggest business: engines and turbines brought in $28.6 billion in 2025, topping construction's $25.1 billion.
  • It runs its own lender: Cat Financial's overdue loans fell to 1.31% in June 2026, the lowest since 1998.
  • It also makes gas turbines: San Diego-based Solar Turbines builds 1 to 39 megawatt units for pipelines and power.

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Benefits

Annual incentive bonus plan

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holiday, Volunteer, Etc.)

401k savings plan

Health savings account (HSA)

Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)

Disability benefits

Life Insurance

Parental leave

Healthy Lifestyle Programs

Employee Assistance Programs

Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts

Tuition Reimbursement

Career Development

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

2%

1 year growth

2%

2 year growth

2%
PR Newswire
Oct 14th, 2026
Caterpillar maintains $1.63 quarterly dividend, with record date corrected to October 26

Caterpillar Inc. has kept its quarterly dividend at $1.63 per share of common stock. The board of directors voted to maintain the payout, which is due November 19 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 26. Caterpillar has paid a quarterly dividend since 1933. This payment will mark 33 consecutive years of higher annual dividends, and the company is a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index. The company reported 2025 sales and revenues of $67.6 billion.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 13th, 2026
Caterpillar's $72B backlog tests data centre power boom as stock trades at 33.9 times earnings

Caterpillar's shares trade at 33.9 times earnings, against 21.9 for the S&P 500. A concern raised on its August 4, 2026 earnings call is that data centres may slow their orders for its power equipment in a few years. Power generation sales to end users rose 72% in the second quarter, driven by demand for large gensets and turbines. Management said no customer is slowing down. Power & Energy, its largest segment, had $32.2 billion in revenue in fiscal 2025, up 11.6%, and $8.2 billion in the latest quarter, up 17%. Some customers are ordering as far out as 2030. Backlog stood at $72 billion, with 59% due for delivery within twelve months. The stock is down 24.8% from its 52-week high but returned 61% over the past year.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 13th, 2026
Analysts favour Caterpillar over Deere, seeing 20% upside versus 10%

Analysts see more upside in Caterpillar than in Deere, based on Wall Street price targets. The average target for Caterpillar is about $971, 20% above its $811 share price. Deere's average target is about $694, roughly 10% above its $633 price. Both stocks have had a strong 2026. Caterpillar is up 41% year to date and Deere about 36%, against 14% for the S&P 500. Caterpillar's second-quarter revenue rose 24% to $20.5 billion, and adjusted earnings per share jumped 73%. Power and energy sales surged 72% on data centre demand, and its order backlog hit $72 billion, up 92% in a year. Deere's third-quarter revenue rose 5% to $12.6 billion, with earnings per share up 7.3% to $5.10. It expects agricultural equipment demand to recover in 2027.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 10th, 2026
Caterpillar hits record $20B quarter while Corning targets $40B by 2030

Investors weighing Caterpillar against Corning are choosing between industrial infrastructure and technological innovation. Caterpillar, a construction and mining equipment manufacturer, generated $67.6 billion in revenue in FY 2025, up 4.3%, though net income fell to $8.9 billion from $10.8 billion the previous year. Corning, a materials science company supplying optical communications and display technologies, posted stronger growth. Its FY 2025 revenue reached $15.6 billion, up 19.1%, whilst net income surged to $1.6 billion from $506 million. The company secured a multi-billion-dollar supply agreement with AT&T extending through 2030. Caterpillar trades at a forward P/E of 30.0x versus Corning's 49.7x, reflecting Corning's faster growth trajectory. Corning's optical communications business grew over 30% year-over-year, driven by AI data centre demand, with ambitious revenue targets of $20 billion by end-2026 and $40 billion by 2030. Despite Caterpillar's record backlog and reliable dividend, Corning's AI infrastructure exposure offers more compelling growth potential for patient investors.

Yahoo Finance
Oct 6th, 2026
Cramer suggests Caterpillar buyback opportunity after 24% Q3 pullback on data center power demand

Jim Cramer identified Caterpillar as a potential buying opportunity after the stock fell 24% in the third quarter. He highlighted the company's growing role in supplying power for data centres as a key growth driver. Caterpillar secured a 2-gigawatt natural gas generator order from American Intelligence & Power in January for its Monarch Compute Campus, with deliveries scheduled from September 2026 through August 2027. Second-quarter sales rose 24% year-over-year to approximately $20.5 billion, whilst adjusted profit per share increased to $8.17 from $4.72. The company faces approximately $2.2 billion in full-year tariff costs. Caterpillar trades at roughly 29 times forward earnings, compared with 16 times for competitor Cummins. Hedge fund ownership declined slightly from 87 funds in Q1 to 84 in Q2.