Senior Principal Architect, Applied AI Enterprise

About the Role

Join the AI Acceleration team and help shape how Caterpillar builds and deploys AI-powered solutions across the enterprise. As a Senior AI Architect/Engineer, you'll serve as a technical leader and trusted advisor on AI solution design—with a focus on agentic systems that can reason, plan, and take action. You'll partner with IT, business functions, and product teams to ensure AI solutions are architecturally sound, scalable, and aligned with industry advancements. This high-visibility role offers direct impact on Caterpillar's AI strategy and hands-on experience with emerging technologies.

This position will be based out of either our Irving, TX; Peoria, IL; or Broomfield, CO office and requires working onsite five days a week. Relocation is available for this position. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Responsibilities

• Develop detailed architecture deliverables to solve business problems through agentic AI systems and patterns.
• Design an AI application's technical infrastructure, including orchestration layers, tool integrations, data retrieval patterns, and testing approaches.
• Lead the evaluation and deployment of emerging AI technologies and frameworks to enhance Caterpillar's agentic capabilities.
• Translate business requirements into AI solution designs and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver results.

Requirements

• Effective Communications: Expert understanding of communication concepts, tools, and techniques to transmit, receive, and interpret ideas, information, and needs.
• AI/ML Architecture: Deep understanding of modern AI/ML architectures, including transformer models, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), agent frameworks, and model orchestration patterns.
• Analytical Thinking: Expert knowledge of techniques and tools for effective analysis, including root-cause problem-solving and alternative solutions.
• Cloud AI Platforms: Hands-on experience with major cloud AI platforms (Azure OpenAI Service, AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI) and ability to architect multi-cloud or hybrid solutions.
• Requirements Analysis: Expert knowledge of tools and methods for eliciting, analyzing, and recording business and technical requirements.
• Data Architecture: Expert knowledge of processes and techniques for designing data integration blueprints to support business processes.
• Target Architecture: Expert knowledge of developing IT blueprints and roadmaps aligned with business strategies and objectives.
• MLOps: Strong knowledge of MLOps practices, including model versioning, deployment pipelines, monitoring, and governance frameworks.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep experience designing and building agentic AI systems, including multi-agent architectures, tool use, and orchestration patterns.
• Experience designing and implementing production AI agent systems using frameworks like LangChain, LangGraph, Semantic Kernel, or similar orchestration tools.
• Strong understanding of LLM capabilities, limitations, and deployment patterns (prompt engineering, RAG, function calling, context engineering).
• Experience evaluating and integrating AI/ML infrastructure components (vector databases, embedding models, orchestration layers, observability tools).
• Broad software engineering background, including API design, authentication/authorization patterns, and enterprise integration.
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders and influence architecture decisions across teams.
• Track record of staying current with the rapidly evolving AI landscape and providing practical recommendations.
• Experience with MLOps/LLMOps practices, model monitoring, or production AI systems at scale.

Pay

Pay Range: $172,630.00 - $258,950.00. Compensation and benefits may vary depending on job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance, and experience.

Benefits

Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. Benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid time off (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.