Digital Architect - HR Technology

Career Area:

Technology, Digital and Data

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.

Digital Architect - HR Technology

Participates in defining functional designs and application systems architecture across various digital platforms.

What You Will Do:

• Partner closely with Caterpillar IT to maintain an end-to-end view of the HR tech stack, including current-state architecture and target state development.

• Drive architectural and data integration capability, defining patterns that enable reuse, scalability, and clean integrations across tools.

• Developing detailed architecture deliverables to solve business problems.

• Designing an application's technical infrastructure, such as specific databases, programming languages, utilities, and testing approaches.

• Leading the evaluation and deployment of innovative technologies to add or enhance existing digital technical capabilities.

• Participating in addressing business requirements for applications and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver digital solutions that meet business results.

What You Have:

• The ability to objectively evaluate tools, platforms, and vendors - balancing factors such as cost, complexity, and long-term maintainability.

• The ability to clearly explain why a choice was made, not just what was chosen.

• Technical architects bridge the gap between business and technology.

• The ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, influence technology teams without formal authority, and create clear diagrams and documentation that align everyone around a shared solution.

• HR technology architects excel at translating HR strategy (talent, workforce planning, skills, AI-enabled insights) into technical solutions.

• Partner closely with HR, Legal, Finance, and IT to align architecture decisions with operating models, change management, and long-term transformation goals.

Top Candidates Will Have:

• An understanding of major HR platforms (e.g., Workday) and their native capabilities, data schemas, and limitations. This includes knowing when to configure vs. customize or when to “make” vs. “buy” a technology solution.

• A blend of HR and technology skills.

• Ability to foster relationships between different business functions, such as IT and Legal.

Skills Descriptors:

• Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.

  • Seeks discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information; explains variances.
    • Organizes and prioritizes the sequence of steps to be taken to remedy the situation.
    • Identifies many possible causes for a problem based on prior experience and current research.
    • Quantifies the costs, benefits, risks and chances for success before recommending a course of action.
    • Approaches a complex problem by breaking it down into its component parts.
    • Chooses among a diverse set of analytical tools according to the nature of the situation.

• Effective Communications: Understanding effective communication concepts, tools, and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.

  • Delivers helpful feedback that focuses on behaviors without offending the recipient.
    • Listens to feedback without defensiveness and uses it for own communication effectiveness.
    • Makes oral presentations and drafts reports needed for own work.
    • Avoids technical jargon when inappropriate.
    • Looks for and considers non-verbal cues from individuals and groups.

• Application Design, Architecture: Knowledge of basic activities and deliverabl