Chicago, Illinois, United States

Caterpillar Inc. is hiring a Lead Software Engineer

Responsibilities

  • Define and implement a long-term technical vision for the search platform to ensure scalability and adaptability to growing data volumes and query complexity.
  • Mentor and guide a team of search engineers through technical reviews, best practices, and collaborative problem-solving.
  • Introduce advanced capabilities such as NLP, vector search, and personalization to enhance relevance and accuracy.
  • Build search capabilities with measurable KPIs (e.g., CTR, Query Distribution, Zero Search) and leverage analytics to continuously improve search performance.
  • Partner with product managers, data scientists, and engineering teams to align search initiatives with business objectives

Requirements

  • Progressively complex professional experience.
  • Experience as a lead software engineer, Architect , engineering manager.
  • Experience leading technical teams and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
  • Experience working within ITSM processes (incident, change, problem).
  • Strong communication, organization, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Ability to handle sensitive, complex, or high-visibility issues.
  • Experience in eCommerce Search deployments.
  • Previous experience with Search products such as OpenSearch, Elastic Search, SOLR, Lucene, Coveo, and LucidWorks Fusion.
  • Strong expertise in building head-less frameworks to integrate with ecommerce applications
  • Distributed Systems: Proven experience building large-scale, highly available systems.
  • Proficiency in Java, Python, or Scala, including source control tools and practices for managing code and changes to it.
  • Proficiency in software debugging and problem-solving techniques.
  • Proficiency in AI code generation tools such as Claude Code, ChatGPT, or GitHub Copilot.
  • Familiarity with DevOps tools and techniques for cloud deployment.
  • Producing and consuming APIs
  • Data Technologies: Familiarity with event streaming and cloud platforms.
  • Machine Learning: Practical experience applying ML to improve search relevance.

Nice to Have

  • Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science or related field.
  • Experience in search engineering.
  • Experience in a technical leadership role.
  • Strong understanding of modern search technologies and frameworks.
  • Working experience with heavy equipment engineering or data analysis.
  • Working experience with building Low-latency API in AWS using Memory-storage solutions.
  • Familiarity with A/B testing frameworks for evaluating and improving
  • Strong knowledge with cloud technologies (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, etc.)
  • Advanced experience with version control / repositories such as GitHub
  • Experience operating in an Agile / Global team environment
  • Must demonstrate strong initiative, interpersonal skills, and the ability to communicate effectively.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision benefits
  • Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)
  • 401(k) savings plans
  • Health Savings Account (HSA)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
  • Health Lifestyle Programs
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts
  • Career Development
  • Incentive bonus
  • Disability benefits
  • Life Insurance
  • Parental leave
  • Adoption benefits
  • Tuition Reimbursement

Additional Information

  • Relocation is available for this position.
  • Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. This employer is not currently hiring foreign national applicants that require or will require sponsorship tied to a specific employer, such as, H, L, TN, F, J, E, O. As a global company, Caterpillar offers many job opportunities outside of the U.S which can be found through our employment website at www.caterpillar.com/careers.
  • Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen.
  • Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply.
Required Skills
JavaPython
About company
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Cat Digital is the digital and technology arm of Caterpillar Inc., leveraging the latest technologies to build industry leading digital solutions for customers and dealers.
All jobs at Caterpillar Inc. Visit website
Job Details
Department Software Development
Category other
Posted 3 months ago