Principal Application Architect

Career Area:
Technology, Digital and Data
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.
Cat Digital is the digital and technology arm of Caterpillar Inc., leveraging the latest technologies to build industry leading digital solutions for our customers and dealers. With over 1.5 million connected assets worldwide, our teams use data, technology, advanced analytics, telematics, and AI capabilities to help our customers build a better, more sustainable world.
Job Summary
We are seeking a Principal Application Architect to help shape the future of Caterpillar's state-of-the-art digital applications, including the Service Information System (SIS), which enables the dealer service business and supports enterprise goals for parts sales. This role is ideal for someone with a passion for designing modern, scalable, and secure solutions for large enterprise environments. The successful candidate will bring strong technical leadership, an interest in emerging technologies, and the ability to translate complex business needs into practical architecture strategies that deliver reliable, high-value digital solutions. If this aligns with your goals, then we are interested in talking to you!
What You Will Do:

• Developing detailed architecture deliverables to solve business problems
• Designing an application's technical infrastructure, such as specific databases, programming languages, utilities, and testing approaches.
• Leading the evaluation and deployment of new technologies to add or enhance existing digital technical capabilities.
• Participating in addressing business requirements for applications and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver digital solutions that meets business results

What you will have:

• 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.
• 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.
• Application Design, Architecture: Knowledge of application design and architecture principles and practices; ability to utilize application design methodologies, tools, and techniques to convert business requirements and logical models into a technical application design.
• Data Architecture: Knowledge of processes, techniques and factors that affect data architecture; ability to design blueprints on how to integrate data resources for business processes and functional support.
• IT Architecture: Knowledge of Information Technology (IT) architecture; ability to design and improve organizational IT structures, supporting business operations.
• Platform Architecture: Knowledge of technologies and methods to design processing mechanisms and roadmaps to execute business application systems; ability to design these roadmaps and deploy supportive interfaces for end-users to access related systems, in accordance with standards and processes.
• Requirements Analysis: Knowledge of tools, methods, and techniques of requirement analysis; ability to elicit, analyze and record required business functionality and non-functionality requirements to ensure the success of a system or software development project.
• Target Architecture: Knowledge of target architecture; ability to develop the IT blueprint and roadmap while aligning the architecture and processes with business strategies and objectives.

Consideration for top candidates:

• Experience designing and delivering scalable, secure, and maintainable application architectures for large enterprise solutions.
• Extensive knowledge and hands-on experience with enterprise-level technologies and applications, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure DevOps, Java, React, APIs, integrations, and cloud-native application patterns.
• Strong understanding of enterprise security tools, secure application design practices, identity and access management, vulnerability management, and security controls required to protect large-scale digital platforms.
• Strong technical leadership with the ability to guide engineering teams, influence architecture decisions, and align technical direction with business priorities.
• Experience modernizing complex digital platforms, including cloud-native architectures, APIs, integrations, data platforms, and enterprise application patterns.
• Ability to collaborate across product, engineering, architecture, business, and support teams to translate SIS business needs into practical technical roadmaps and solution designs.
• Passion for learning, innovation, and applying emerging technologies to improve customer and dealer experiences through reliable, high-value digital solutions.

Additional Details:

• This position requires the candidate to be in Chicago, IL, Peoria, IL, Denver, CO or Dallas, TX
• Relocation assistance is NOT available for this position
• Visa sponsorship is NOT available with this position
• This position will require up to 5% travel

Summary Pay Range:
$147,760.00 - $240,110.00
Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar.
Benefits:
Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. This is a summary list of 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

* These benefits also apply to part-time employees
Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.
Posting Dates:
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.
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