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.

Role Definition

We are looking for a Test Lead with deep experience in testing both embedded systems and front-end applications. This role is ideal for a technical leader who thrives in a dual role—guiding a small team of engineers while remaining hands-on with test strategy, automation, and execution.

You will be responsible for the end-to-end validation of our products, from low-level C/C++ software to the user-facing GUIs. This is not a purely managerial role; approximately 50% of your time will be spent on direct technical contribution, including test design, embedded test execution (HIL/SIL), front-end testing, and defect analysis.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Responsibilities

Lead a team of 5–6 embedded test engineers at CTCT.

Provide technical mentorship, career guidance, and performance feedback.

Align test team activities with cross-functional engineering and product stakeholders.

Drive a culture of quality, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Identify and adopt new technology trends to enhance software testing.

Hands-on Test Engineering Responsibilities

Own and execute test plans for embedded software running on different platforms.

Define, review, and execute integration, system, and regression test suites.

Work with C/C++ based codebases and front-end codebases/workflows, analyzing system behavior, logs, and debugging failures.

Set up and maintain SIL (Software-in-the-Loop) and HIL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) testing environments.

Develop automation frameworks where feasible to support repeatable validation.

Collaborate with developers, systems engineers, and product managers to ensure end-to-end validation of requirements.

Requirements

8–10 years of experience in embedded software testing, with hands-on experience in C/C++-based systems.

Strong experience with testing on embedded targets, including SIL/HIL environments.

At least 2–3 years of experience in a people leadership/mentorship capacity.

Excellent understanding of embedded debugging, software/system validation, and test automation.

Ability to work with multidisciplinary teams (Product, hardware, software).
Clear communication, strong documentation, and team coordination skills.

Familiarity with testing for RTOS, microcontrollers, or safety-critical applications.

Knowledge of CAN, UART, SPI, and other embedded communication protocols

Experience with test automation tools for front-end applications.

Machine validation experience. 

Knowledge of Integrating systems on machines and performing software validation.

Skill Descriptors

Products and Services: Knowledge of major products and services and product and service groups; ability to apply knowledge of product and service appropriately to diverse situations.
 Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Obtains information about product and service linkages with other products and services elsewhere in organization.
•    Researches the target market and how the product and services are sold and delivered.
•    Explains current status, delivery alternatives and announced updates to products and services.
•    Summarizes key features of major products or services in own unit.
•    Assesses own unit's product alternatives, costs, and pricing.

Standard Operating Procedures: Knowledge of established standard operating procedures (SOP); ability to design, implement and evaluate standard operating procedures affecting daily and strategic business operations in order to increase operational efficiency.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Designs a standard operating procedure, detailing steps and activities, within a department; develops procedures, processes, and controls to implement and execute policy requirements.
•    Optimizes complex SOPs according to changes in organizational procedures.
•    Monitors the relationship between SOPs and performance improvement (e.g. quality improvement).
•    Evaluates the benefits and drawbacks of industry-specific SOPs.
•    Integrates best practices into the design, implementation and evaluation of organizational SOPs.
•    Evaluates the causes behind deviations from and modifications to existing SOPs.

Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.
 Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Accurately gauges the impact and cost of errors, omissions, and oversights.
•    Utilizes specific approaches and tools for checking and cross-checking outputs.
•    Processes limited amounts of detailed information with good accuracy.
•    Learns from mistakes and applies lessons learned.
•    Develops and uses checklists to ensure that information goes out error-free.

Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Seeks discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information; explains variances.
•    Organizes and prioritizes the sequence of steps to be taken to remedy the situation.
•    Identifies many possible causes for a problem based on prior experience and current research.
•    Quantifies the costs, benefits, risks and chances for success before recommending a course of action.
•    Approaches a complex problem by breaking it down into its component parts.
•    Chooses among a diverse set of analytical tools according to the nature of the situation.

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Reviews others' writing or presentations and provides feedback and coaching.
•    Adapts documents and presentations for the intended audience.
•    Demonstrates both empathy and assertiveness when communicating a need or defending a position.
•    Communicates well downward, upward, and outward.
•    Employs appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement.
•    Maintains focus on the topic at hand.

Technical Excellence: Knowledge of a given technology and various application methods; ability to develop and provide solutions to significant technical challenges.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Advises others on the assessment and provision of all technical solutions.
•    Engages appropriate subject matter resources to effectively resolve technical issues.
•    Mentors others to enhance their technical competence and its application to achieve more effective technical solutions.
•    Coaches others in promoting, defining, analyzing, and providing superior technical solutions to business problems.
•    Provides effective solutions to moderate technical challenges through strong technical competence, effectively examining implications of events and issues.
•    Assumes accountability for personal technical performance and holds others responsible for theirs.

Electronics Engineering - HTH: Knowledge of electronics engineering; ability to design, test and manufacture electronic circuits, components and devices.
 Level Working Knowledge: 
•    Researches considerations and tools used for converting schematics to layouts.
•    Works with engineering electronic components or devices.
•    Constructs circuit schematics; explains the interconnections between all electrical components.
•    Addresses common issues and considerations in manufacturing electronic products.
•    Implements processes and activities associated with the design and testing of electronic circuits.

Product Testing: Knowledge of product testing approaches, techniques and tools; ability to design, plan and execute testing strategies and tactics to ensure product quality at all stages of manufacturing.
 Level Extensive Experience: 
•    Coordinates execution of test plans, including resources, strategy, schedules, processes and tools.
•    Collaborates with design team to ensure testing considerations are incorporated into system design.
•    Recommends tools and techniques for automating, simplifying and enhancing product testing.
•    Compares and contrasts alternative testing methodologies and tools.
•    Matches testing methodology and tools to product being tested; develops test scenarios and scripts.
•    Estimates time, effort and resources required for thorough testing.

Relocation is available for this position.

Posting Dates:

August 7, 2025 - August 20, 2025

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

Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community.