Senior Robotics Planning Engineer

Career Area:
Engineering

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 Robotics Planning Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and validating planning software that enables autonomous machines to safely and efficiently navigate, perform work tasks, and execute complex operations in dynamic environments. This role develops planning algorithms, APIs, software frameworks, and reusable components that support navigation planning, motion planning, path planning, terrain planning, and autonomous work execution across a variety of machine platforms and applications.

The engineer collaborates closely with autonomy, perception, controls, simulation, and software platform teams to define requirements, develop robust planning solutions, create test scenarios, and evaluate system performance. Responsibilities include implementing and optimizing planning algorithms, developing C++ software libraries and interfaces, supporting simulation and validation activities, analyzing field and test data, and contributing to scalable planning architectures that can accommodate different machine types, operating environments, objectives, and constraints.

The ideal candidate combines strong software engineering skills with expertise in robotics, motion planning, optimization, controls, or autonomous systems and demonstrates a passion for solving challenging real-world robotics problems.

Collaborate with autonomy, perception, controls, simulation, and software platform teams to define requirements, develop robust planning solutions, create test scenarios, and evaluate system performance.

Design, implement, and optimize motion planning algorithms that enable autonomous systems to operate safely and efficiently in complex real‑world environments.

Develop and maintain high‑quality C++ software libraries, interfaces, and planning frameworks to support autonomous machine capabilities.

Support simulation, testing, and validation activities by analyzing field and test data to identify performance improvements and ensure system reliability.

Contribute to scalable planning architectures that can be adapted across different machine types, operating environments, objectives, and operational constraints.

Apply expertise in robotics, motion planning, optimization, controls, and autonomous systems to solve challenging engineering problems and advance autonomy technology.

Problem Solving:
Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.

Software Development Life Cycle:
Knowledge of software development life cycle; ability to use a structured methodology for delivering and managing new or enhanced software products to the marketplace.

Programming:
Knowledge of relevant programming languages and tools; ability to test, write, design, debug, troubleshoot and maintain source codes and computer programs.

Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Robotics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.

4+ years of experience developing robotics or autonomous solutions with demonstrated technical expertise in complex software systems.

Strong C++ development skills with proficiency in Python for algorithm development, testing, and automation.

Experience interpreting system architectures, application designs, and technical specifications to deliver robust software solutions.

Knowledge of robotics frameworks and middleware technologies, including Robot Operating System (ROS).

Demonstrated…