Senior Autonomy Validation Engineer

Location: Mossville

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.

This Senior Autonomy Validation Engineer position will support Caterpillar’s Command for Hauling (CfH) Autonomous program with a strong focus on lab-based system integration, validation, simulation, and machine performance analysis. The role will primarily support validation activities in L8 Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) environments, with collaboration across simulation systems, Test Track, Proving Grounds, and field-support teams as needed.

This position requires strong technical ownership, practical troubleshooting skills, and the ability to connect validation results with machine behavior and product performance. The engineer will work closely with SI&V leads, development teams, product groups, test teams, proving grounds, and field-support partners to improve release quality, reduce risk, and support customer-ready CfH deployments. This role will also support development of simulation capabilities using real machine data, site data, logs, and test results to improve model fidelity, repeat field issues, and expand shift-left validation coverage.

What You Will Do:

Validate CfH autonomous workflows using L8 HIL benches, simulation environments, bench hardware, machine interface models, and supporting test assets.

Develop and maintain validation scenarios, test cases, regression tests, and evidence packages based on requirements, release content, field issues, machine data, and customer-use cases.

Analyze real machine data, site data, logs, communication captures, and test results to understand machine behavior, identify performance gaps, and support root-cause investigation.

Use machine performance analysis to improve validation coverage, confirm expected system behavior, and provide feedback to development and product teams.

Support development of simulation capabilities by using real machine data to improve model fidelity, reproduce field conditions, simulate operational scenarios, and strengthen CfH shift-left validation.

Develop and maintain MATLAB/Simulink real-time models for machine dynamics, actuator behavior, ECM I/O, signal simulation, and closed-loop validation.

Configure, operate, and troubleshoot dSPACE SCALEXIO benches using Configuration Desk and Control Desk, including deployment, parameter management, automated test execution, and bench bring-up.

Integrate and validate communications across CAN/J1939, Ethernet/TCP-IP, machine networks, and offboard connectivity, including timing, message integrity, and interoperability.

Integrate and validate sensor and positioning simulation for autonomous machines, including LiDAR, radar, camera, GPS, and IMU signals, with focus on interface accuracy, synchronization, calibration, and controllable fault modes.

Design, build, validate, and troubleshoot wiring harnesses and electrical interfaces supporting HIL benches and machine interface systems.

Troubleshoot complex CfH system-level issues involving autonomy software, bench configuration, machine interfaces, simulation fidelity, timing synchronization, network behavior, and end-to-end workflow execution.

Document defects with clear reproduction steps, supporting data, bench configuration details, risk context, and recommended next actions.

Maintain traceability…