Principal Architect - eComm & Payments

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
Participates in defining functional design and systems architecture for Caterpillar's Enterprise Payments and Commerce capabilities. This role defines and evolves the enterprise payment strategy and architecture supporting B2B, B2C, and B2B2C business models across a global commerce ecosystem. It serves as the enterprise payment architecture leader, modernizing payment capabilities with deep expertise across authentication, authorization, fraud prevention, tokenization, orchestration, settlement, reconciliation, and dispute management to deliver secure, scalable, and commercially effective payment experiences.
What You Will Do:

• Define and maintain the enterprise payment architecture roadmap supporting B2B, B2C, and B2B2C customer journeys.
• Establish strategic payment capabilities that enable global commerce initiatives, subscription models, marketplace transactions, dealer ecosystems, financing solutions, installment programs, and emerging digital payment experiences.
• Partner with business and technology leaders to align payment investments with enterprise growth, customer experience, revenue expansion, and digital transformation objectives.
• Evaluate industry trends, emerging technologies, and evolving payment regulations to inform long-term payment strategy.
• Own end-to-end payment architecture across the full transaction lifecycle, including checkout, authentication, authorization, routing, fraud screening, capture, clearing, settlement, reconciliation, chargebacks, refunds, and reporting.
• Design highly scalable, secure, and resilient payment platforms that support multiple payment methods, including credit and debit cards, ACH and bank transfers, real-time payments, digital wallets, stored value and prepaid solutions, Buy Now Pay Later, financing and lending integrations, alternative payment methods, and marketplace or split-payment models.
• Author and own payment orchestration strategies that support multi-provider routing, intelligent failover, transaction optimization, cost management, and regional processing requirements.
• Ensure the architecture complies with PCI DSS, card network regulations, NACHA requirements, regional banking regulations, GDPR and privacy requirements, and payment security and fraud prevention standards.

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.
• Data Architecture: Knowledge of processes, techniques, and factors that affect data architecture; ability to design blueprints for integrating data resources to support business processes and functional needs.
• 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.
• Requirements Analysis: Knowledge of tools, methods, and techniques for requirements analysis; ability to elicit, analyze, and document required business functionality and non-functional requirements to support successful system or software development projects.

Consideration for top candidates:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field
• Strong experience designing and implementing enterprise payment solutions, payment platforms, or payment-intensive commerce ecosystems.
• Demonstrated expertise across end-to-end payment transaction processing, including authorization, authentication, settlement, reconciliation, chargebacks, disputes, refunds, and fraud prevention.
• Experience supporting B2B, B2C, and marketplace or B2B2C commerce models.
• Deep understanding of payment gateways, processors, acquiring banks, card networks, token service providers, fraud platforms, and digital wallet ecosystems.
• Strong knowledge of payment regulations, PCI DSS, payment security controls, encryption, tokenization, privacy requirements, and financial compliance standards.
• Experience evaluating and managing payment technology vendors, processors, gateways, and fintech service providers.

Additional Details:

• This position requires the candidate to be in Chicago, IL or Peoria, IL
• Relocation assistance is NOT available for this position
• Visa sponsorship is NOT available with this position.
• This position will require up to 10% travel

Summary Pay Range:
$159,120.00 - $258,570.00
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
This position requires working onsite five days a week.
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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