This role pays less than
52%
of similar roles. Most pay
$169,550–$255,000
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$209k
versus about
$212k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc. is the world''s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Industry: Heavy Equipment & Manufacturing
Caterpillar currently has
62 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$131,789–$192,710
across 61 roles with salary data.
As the Principal Digital Architect - Robotics Platform, you will own the software foundation for robotics and autonomy teams, transforming intelligent capabilities into deployable machines. You will define and deliver end-to-end software architecture, including middleware, runtime, inter-process communication, platform services, and compute architecture across onboard, edge, and cloud environments. Your daily work involves designing technical infrastructure, evaluating new technologies, and establishing standards, APIs, and reference designs to enable teams in autonomy, machine learning, and simulation to build faster. You will leverage expertise in ROS 2, DDS, GPU accelerated compute, containerized deployment, and real-time execution models. This role solves the complex challenge of construction autonomy by building a scalable platform that allows machines to perceive environments and make informed decisions within a massive data foundation of connected assets.
Define and deliver the end-to-end software architecture for the robotics platform including middleware, runtime, and inter-process communication.
Design onboard, edge, and cloud compute architectures for real-time execution and resource management in autonomous machines.
Establish technical standards, APIs, and reference designs to enable multiple engineering teams to build and deploy shared infrastructure.
Develop detailed architectural roadmaps and blueprints that align technology investments with core business strategies.
Lead the evaluation and deployment of new technologies to enhance existing digital capabilities across robotics and machine learning.
Integrate perception, planning, and control systems at the software layer to ensure reliable autonomous behavior.
Provide technical leadership and governance over architecture decisions across multiple engineering organizations.
Translate complex business requirements into technical application designs using established methodologies and tools.
What we're looking for
Experience in architecting robot software platforms including middleware, runtime, inter-process communication, and platform services like ROS 2 or DDS.
Experience defining onboard, edge, and cloud compute architecture for production robotic systems using GPU/accelerated compute and containerized deployment.
Ability to define APIs, reference designs, and standards to enable autonomy, machine learning, controls, and simulation teams.
Deep understanding of integrating perception, planning, and controls at the software layer for reliable autonomous behavior.
Proven ability to provide strategic leadership by defining architectural roadmaps and governing technology decisions across multiple engineering organizations.
Progressive career in software engineering and architecture with a focus on robotics or platform software at a senior or principal level.
Strong understanding of Agile SDLC in public cloud ecosystems, including CI/CD, test automation, and resource optimization.
Excellent communication skills to mentor, coach, and persuade others regarding new technologies and technical solutions.
Edge Computing
NVIDIA Thor
CUDA
TensorRT
Robotics
AI
Data Architecture
System Architecture
Networking
Cybersecurity
Simulation
Hardware/Software Optimization