Principal Architect IT - Product Engineering

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.

The Principal IT Enterprise Architect for Product Engineering is a senior technology and enterprise leadership role responsible for shaping the strategic direction of global Engineering platforms and systems across the organization. This position serves as a key advisor to senior business and technology leaders, driving enterprise-wide digital Engineering initiatives and long-term technology modernization strategies, enabling AI Driven Engineering and the next generation of innovation.

This role provides influential leadership across Engineering architecture, digital thread transformation, AI enablement, digital twin / advanced simulation environments, enterprise integration, advanced analytics, whilst ensuring alignment with overall business objectives, operational excellence, scalability, and future engineering innovation.

The Principal Architect will influence enterprise technology decisions across global engineering partnering closely with manufacturing and supply chain for end-to-end value enablement. They will play a critical role in advancing connected, intelligent, and data-driven capabilities

What You Will Do:

Enterprise & Strategic Leadership

* Serve as the senior architecture leader for Engineering technology domains

* Partners with executive leadership, enterprise process owners, engineering operations, manufacturing, supply chain, and digital teams to influence and align technology strategy with business priorities

* Drive enterprise-wide engineering technology vision and roadmap development

* Lead strategic decision-making for modernization and transformation initiatives across global engineering, including supporting business case creation

* Influence organizational standards, governance models, and enterprise architecture direction

Global Engineering Transformation

* Lead architecture strategy for end-to-end digital thread from product design through manufacturing and lifecycle management

* Guide modernization of engineering systems, platforms, and integration strategies

* Enable scalable digital capabilities to enable seamless integration between PLM, ERP, MES, Quality and digital platforms

* Promote simplification, standardization, and interoperability across engineering technology ecosystems

Technology Architecture & Integration

* Define future-state architecture and capabilities for modern engineering platforms, including AI first thinking, advanced analytics, product design, product requirements development, product strategy and new technology development

* Lead Engineering integration architecture and scalable platform strategies

* Ensure alignment between engineering systems, enterprise platforms, and business processes

* Drive adoption of modern architecture practices including composable and event-driven architecture, through appropriately hosted solutions (edge, cloud, hybrid)

Technical Leadership & Governance

* Provide technical leadership and mentorship across architecture and engineering teams

* Establish enterprise reference architecture, standards and patterns for accelerated value

* Evaluate emerging technologies and provide strategic recommendations to senior leadership

* Lead cross-functional collaboration across global business and technology organizations

What You Have:

* Extensive experience as an Enterprise Architect

* Extensive experience in engineering systems architecture, or digital engineering leadership roles

* Strong Product Engineering process knowledge

* Demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership, financial acumen and drive enterprise-wide strategic initiatives

* Strong communication, stakeholder management, and organizational leadership skills

* Proven experience leading large-scale enterprise technology transformation initiatives

* Strong background supporting global engineering operations

* Expertise in PLM, integration, digital thread, digital twin, simulation, engineering analytics, and enterprise integration architecture

Top Candidates Will Also Have:

* TOGAF or comparable enterprise architecture certification

* Experience leading engineering PLM platforms including Siemens, PTC, Dassault

* Experience integrating PLM with ERP, MES, Digital Manufacturing solutions

* Enabled Digital twin and simulation environments

* Experience with AI Enablement in engineering platforms or generative design

* Experience with in large global industrial manufacturing organizations

* Experience with Product and Project led organizations

* Prior experience leading enterprise…