Autonomy Positioning Manager

Career Area:

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 Manager of Robotics Planning and Data Pipeline is responsible for leading two separate technical domains: the Robotics Planning team and the Data Pipeline team. The Robotics Planning team focuses on advanced autonomy planning technologies, including reusable planning platforms, algorithms, APIs, validation frameworks, and capabilities that enable autonomous machines to navigate, manipulate tools, and execute complex operational missions. The Data Pipeline team focuses on the data infrastructure that supports autonomy and robotics programs, including scalable storage and compute platforms, data management services, annotation workflows, MLOps capabilities, automation tools, and efficient use of robotics data throughout its lifecycle. This manager develops talent, aligns roadmaps, manages execution, and ensures both teams deliver reliable, scalable, high-quality solutions. Success in the role requires strong leadership across multiple domains, people development, experience with product development life cycle, and customer focus while fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, quality, safety, collaboration, continuous learning, and continuous improvement.

What You Will Do:

• Strategic owner for robotics planning and data pipeline system and software development, from conception to lifecycle management.
• Managing the engineering staff and activities with an emphasis on organizational goals achievement, professional development and continuous improvement.
• Empower & enable engineers to achieve enterprise objectives while also fostering & developing them to be successful toward their individual career aspirations
• Monitoring and continuously improving product and process performance, quality and cost-effectiveness for all engineering activities and deliverables.
• Providing leadership to create and maintain processes used to design and develop software, systems, and new technologies.
• Outline the strategy/roadmap to achieve these goals, and lead its execution to completion by driving alignment across teams
• Communicate roadmaps and priorities clearly to a variety of stakeholders across the entire company, including close collaboration with engineering managers, senior leadership, and other stakeholders.

What You Have:

• Communicating for Impact: Knowledge of concepts, tools and techniques for effective listening and communicating; ability to apply these theories to receive, transmit and accurately interpret information and ideas to influence others in various situations.
• Managing People: Knowledge of processes involved in managing people; ability to lead successful teams and diligently address issues related to performance and conflicts at the workplace.
• Collaborating Globally: Knowledge of effective collaboration techniques and ability to build networks with people from different countries and cultures, think and work with them to bring positive impact and flourishing business results.
• Influencing Through Expertise: Knowledge of effective influencing tactics and strategies; ability to use these to deepen own expertise and impact or challenge decisions within and outside own organization.

Consideration for Top Candidates:

• Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, or PhD in an accredited Robotics, Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer engineering or Computer Science degree
• Extensive experience leading technical engineering teams
• Proven experience with Product Development Lifecycle projects; understanding constraints and how to meet strategic goals through leadership and execution.
• Leadership experience of teams in the Autonomous or Robotics i