Principal Architect It – Product Engineering

Caterpillar Caterpillar · Industrial · Irving, TX +1

This role is for a Principal IT Enterprise Architect focused on Product Engineering at Caterpillar. The primary responsibility is to shape the strategic direction of global Engineering platforms and systems, driving digital Engineering initiatives and technology modernization. The role involves influencing enterprise technology decisions, guiding the digital thread transformation, enabling AI-driven engineering, and ensuring alignment with business objectives. Key areas include defining future-state architecture for modern engineering platforms with an AI-first approach, leading integration strategies, and evaluating emerging technologies.

What you'd actually do

  1. Serve as the senior architecture leader for Engineering technology domains
  2. Partners with executive leadership, enterprise process owners, engineering operations, manufacturing, supply chain, and digital teams to influence and align technology strategy with business priorities
  3. Drive enterprise-wide engineering technology vision and roadmap development
  4. Lead strategic decision-making for modernization and transformation initiatives across global engineering, including supporting business case creation
  5. Influence organizational standards, governance models, and enterprise architecture direction

Skills

Required

  • 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

Nice to 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 within large global industrial manufacturing organizations
  • Experience with Product and Project led organizations
  • Prior experience leading enterprise architecture teams or technical organizations
  • Strong understanding of modern cloud, integration, and data platform strategies

What the JD emphasized

  • AI Driven Engineering
  • AI enablement
  • AI first thinking