This role pays more than
51%
of similar roles. Most pay
$155,000–$237,850
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$194k
versus about
$196k
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
135 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$117,049–$183,140
across 128 roles with salary data.
Principal Perception Architect - System Integration joins the team to own the front-end perception sensor system architecture for autonomous machine platforms. The role involves selecting, evaluating, integrating, and validating various sensing technologies including cameras, lidar, radar, IMU, GNSS, and ultrasonic sensors to ensure reliable data streams for downstream services. Responsibilities include defining integration architectures, managing driver software requirements, monitoring system health, and resolving coverage gaps such as blind spots or range limitations. The candidate will also define mounting, electrical, networking, cabling, and environmental protection requirements. Key skills include expertise in platform architecture, data architecture, and analytical thinking to translate business requirements into technical designs. This role addresses the complex challenge of construction site autonomy by building intelligent systems that enable machines to perceive their environment and make informed decisions within a large-scale connected ecosystem.
Define selection and evaluation strategies for cameras, lidar, radar, IMU, GNSS, and ultrasonic sensors.
Own the perception sensor integration architecture including interfaces, driver software requirements, and data stream readiness.
Monitor sensor health, diagnostics, status reporting, and startup behavior across autonomous machine platforms.
Evaluate existing Data Collection Kits to identify coverage gaps, quality issues, and integration limitations.
Resolve sensing coverage gaps by analyzing blind spots, field-of-view, range limitations, and data reliability risks.
Define physical requirements for sensor mounting, cabling, packaging, and environmental protection on machine platforms.
Collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to integrate sensors into edge platforms and hardware systems.
What we're looking for
Expert knowledge of techniques to perform root cause analysis and develop alternative solutions for organizational problems.
Expert knowledge of technologies and methods to design processing mechanisms and roadmaps for business application systems.
Expert knowledge of processes and factors affecting data architecture to integrate resources for business processes.
Ability to use design methodologies, tools, and techniques to convert business requirements into technical designs.
Expert understanding of communication concepts to effectively transmit and interpret information across teams.
Expert knowledge of leadership concepts to enlist others in achieving organizational objectives.
Strong experience with perception sensor systems including cameras, lidar, radar, IMU, GNSS, and ultrasonic technologies (preferred).
Experience evaluating, selecting, and integrating sensors for autonomous vehicles or robotics; familiarity with construction machines is a plus (preferred).
Autonomous Systems
ROS2
CAN
Ethernet
Lidar
Radar
GNSS
IMU
System Architecture
Systems Integration
Vision Systems
Edge Computing
Electrical Systems
Validation
Data Architecture
AI
Machine Learning
Physical AI
Edge Computing
Digital Twin
Synthetic Data
Data Engineering
Simulation
Robotics
Telemetry
Sensor Data
Cloud Architecture
Data Pipelines
Requirement Analysis