Principle Software Engineer - Java

Career Area:

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.

Principal Software Engineer – Java

Seeking an experienced Principal Software Engineer to be part of an expert group of senior software engineers within the Autonomy and Automation Product Group, driving technical modernization and innovation of MineStar software systems.

This role is accountable for leading high-impact technical initiatives, including modernization of legacy Java-based systems, evaluation of emerging technologies, and execution of experiments and proof-of-concepts (POCs) that shape future product architecture and engineering direction. The position builds on strong technical leadership foundations, evolving beyond team-level ownership to influence engineering practices, architecture, and delivery across the broader development community.

The Principal Software Engineer works closely with product, platform, and engineering teams to translate strategic technology direction into scalable, production-ready software solutions, while mentoring engineers and enabling adoption of modern development and AI-driven engineering practices. This role operates with minimal day-to-day direction and is expected to thrive in ambiguity, independently shaping future-focused designs that bridge legacy constraints while enabling modernization progress. Success requires strong engineering judgment, a bias for action, and the ability to navigate cross-organization dependencies to drive outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to strategic modernization initiatives across MineStar platforms, including transformation of legacy Java/J2EE applications to cloud-native and scalable architectures
• Guide implementation approach for modernization initiatives, ensuring alignment between architecture intent and delivery execution
• Define and guide target architecture patterns and design principles for modernization efforts
• Drive experiments and proof-of-concepts (POCs) to evaluate new technologies, frameworks, and architectural patterns, enabling data-driven technology decisions
• Translate successful POCs into scalable, production-ready solutions and drive adoption across teams
• Influence engineering practices, standards, and architectural decisions across the broader MineStar development community
• Lead architecture and design reviews, and code reviews, enforcing coding standards, best practices, and maintainable design patterns
• Mentor and coach engineers on low-level design, object-oriented design, and modern software engineering practices, elevating overall engineering capability
• Deep-dive into complex legacy modules, identifying constraints, and proposing optimal modernization or refactoring strategies
• Partner with DevOps and platform teams to ensure build, release, deployment readiness, and adoption of modern CI/CD and containerization practices
• Identify and drive opportunities to embed AI and automation into engineering workflows, improving developer productivity, quality, and delivery speed

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, including strong hands-on development and technical leadership experience
• Proven experience in Java/J2EE-based application development, including leading design and delivery of scalable services
• Strong expertise in software architecture, design patterns, object-oriented design, and low-level design principles
• Experience modernizing legacy enterprise applications and transitioning to microservices-based architectures
• Hands-on experience with Spring frameworks, REST/JSON APIs, and distributed system design

• Comprehensive knowledge of database technologies, including Postgres, SQL, and NoSQL, with proven ability to design, optimize, and troubleshoot data solutions.

• Strong experience with data access technologies (JPA/Hibernate/JDBC)
• Experience with testing frameworks (e.g., JUnit) and building high-quality, testable software
• Proficiency with Git (branching, merging, tagging), Maven or equivalent build tools, and strong debugging skills
• Experience leading or contributing to POCs, innovation initiatives, or modernization programs
• Strong experience working with cross-functional and global teams, influencing without direct authority
• Excellent technical communication, mentoring, and stakeholder engagement skills

• Experience with containerization technologies (e.g., Docker) and working with DevOps/CI-CD pipelines
• Solid understanding of Kubernetes for orchestration of containerized applications
• Experience working with software systems in autonomous vehicles, mining, construction, or similar industrial domains
• Understanding of onboard (machine) and offboard (cloud/office) system architectures and their integration in distributed autonomy platforms
• Familiarity with communication protocols and networking concepts used in distributed systems (e.g., TCP/IP, messaging systems, telemetry pipelines)
• Experience designing or integrating systems involving machine-to-cloud or edge-to-cloud communication 

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field
• Experience contributing to enterprise-wide engineering standards or modernization strategies

Posting Dates:

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply

Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community.