Autonomy Development Engineer

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.

The Autonomy Development Engineer develops and delivers production-quality software that enables autonomous and semi-autonomous functionality for heavy equipment in mining and construction environments.

This role operates with moderate independence, owning features or subsystems while contributing to system-level design decisions. The engineer applies strong software engineering practices to solve real-world problems and supports development across the full lifecycle, from concept through validation and release. The role collaborates closely with cross-functional teams and begins to influence technical direction while supporting the advancement of autonomy technologies into production environments.

Our CAT Technology Automation and Autonomy teams are focused on evolving the state of the art and bringing emerging automation & autonomy technology into the harsh production environments found on typical mining and construction jobsites. This team is supporting projects in our Mining Productivity & Detect Systems.

What You Will Do:

• Develop production-quality C/C++ software for autonomy and automation systems
• Own feature or subsystem development across the full software lifecycle (design, implementation, validation, release)
• Machine Learning Model development and training; developing CNN Models, Python scripting
• Contribute to requirements definition, architecture discussions, and technical trade-offs
• Troubleshoot and resolve moderately complex software and system issues
• Support verification, validation, and functional safety activities
• Collaborate with software, systems, hardware, and validation teams
• Communicate technical approaches, risks, and status to stakeholders
• Provide peer support and informal mentorship to junior engineers

What You Have:

• Programming: 
  • Strong proficiency in C/C++
  • ML Engineering and Model development; AWS, Python, MLOps
  • Ability to interpret system designs and implement scalable solutions
  • Solid debugging, profiling, and performance optimization skills
• Software Development Life Cycle: 
  • Experience contributing to all phases of development lifecycle
  • Ability to independently execute development plans and adapt to changes
• Problem Solving: 
  • Solves complex but well-defined technical problems
  • Evaluates trade-offs and recommends solutions
  • Uses structured methodologies and data-driven analysis

• Technical Troubleshooting: 
  • Discovers, analyzes, and resolves software or application problems. 
  • Analyzes code, logs, and current systems as part of advanced troubleshooting. 
  • Records and reports specific technical problems, solving processes and tools that have been used. 
• Education Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field – or commensurate industry experience.

Consideration for Top Candidates:

• Autonomy Feature Development
  • Experience developing autonomy domains such as planning, positioning, perception, or controls
  • Robotics frameworks (e.g., ROS)
  • Translating prototypes or research into production autonomy software
  • Experience with autonomous or semi‑autonomous machine behavior
• Autonomy Platform & Framework Development
  • Experience building autonomy frameworks, middleware, or shared libraries
  • Linux‑based development environments
  • CI/CD pipelines, Git, and modern DevOps practices
  • Hardware/software integration at the platform level
  • Enabling multiple teams through reusable software foundations
• Experience in Construction or Mining Industries preferred

Additional Information:

• This position is to work onsite at our Mossville, IL office.
• Relocation assistance may be available for this position.
• Visa sponsorship is NOT available for this position
• This position may require travel up to 15%
• #LI

 

 

Summary Pay Range:

$97,530.00 - $158,480.00

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.

 

 

Relocation is available for this position.

 

 

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

 

 

Posting Dates:

July 22, 2026 - August 4, 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.

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