Senior Director Machine Systems

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.
Directs the strategies, activities and staff responsible for the vision, planning, and direction of major products and product groups.
Who is CTCT:
The CTCT division (a joint venture between Trimble and Caterpillar) exists to create the industry standard grade control platform, enabling the development of positioning and control products for earthmoving, paving and compaction machines in the construction, mining and landfill industries, using technologies such as GNSS, optical total stations, lasers and sonics. The products are used in a range of applications where the operator of the machine benefits from having accurate horizontal and vertical guidance (and awareness zones, and more)) and the office benefits from rich data collected on the machine and sent back via the internet.
What You Will Do:
You are responsible for the performance and outcomes of the CTCT's Machine System product organization. This role requires the development and execution of long-term strategies that align with the CTCT vision of "Transforming the way heavy equipment customers shape a better world."
This influential position encompasses several key areas of focus:

• Executive Leadership and Strategy Execution: You will lead a significant segment of the CTCT organization, driving the development of Installation and Hardware Solutions, Positioning and Controls, and Integration and Commissioning. You are expected to embody the "Empowered Leaders" culture principle, guiding the organization in achieving core strategic objectives that emphasize customer adoption, system -interoperability, and continuous innovation.
• Business Acumen and Competitive Differentiation: You will ensure our offerings are differentiated in the market and position both Cat and Trimble as the industry standard: "Better Together." Embrace the core principles of Customer-Centric, Cost-Effective, High-Quality, and Radically Simple in our product solutions as the foundation of our success.
• Problem Solving and Driving Innovation: Your role will require assessing intangible factors and evaluating fundamental market issues to guide the development of innovative solutions. You will spearhead the execution of major strategic initiatives, focusing on foundational field-to-cloud infrastructure and advancing next-generation hardware and software solutions.
• Executive Influence and Interpersonal Engagement: You will serve as a pivotal figure in fostering a "One Team Collaboration" culture. Your interactions with executive management across both Trimble and Caterpillar will be critical. You will be responsible for shaping senior leaders' perspectives, negotiating key matters, and influencing policymaking to ensure alignment among overall strategy, people, and execution.

What You Will Have:
Business Acumen: Knowledge of business concepts, tools, and processes that are needed for making sound decisions in the context of the
company's business; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
Level Extensive Experience:
• Designs the organization's planning processes and decision-making channels.
• Explains business issues and trends of own business unit as compared to other business units.
• Demonstrates a big picture understanding of the business, its interrelationships, and priorities.
• Demonstrates strong foundation of business fundamentals, measurement, and business finance.
• Develops business cases for own function; reviews and critiques cases for other functions.
• Explains advantages and risks of using business simulations for critical business decisions.
Products and Services: Knowledge of major products and services and product and service groups; ability to apply knowledge of productand service appropriately to diverse situations.
Level Expert:
• Mentors others on the architecture and integration of cross-functional products or services.
• Presents key products or services to stakeholders, promoting their linkages, strategies, and contributions to the bottom line.
• Designs organization's current or planned structure based on target markets and strategies.
• Predicts industry and regulatory trends and monitors key competitors' products and services.
• Consults on the full spectrum of product and service groups.
• Leads evaluations of the history, evolution, and future plans of product or service lines .
Value Realization: Knowledge of value realization methods; ability to plan, execute, monitor and manage business activities and resources to determine and achieve the actual value from a business initiative as estimated in an associated business case.
Level Extensive Experience:
• Quantifies value costs and benefits via high-level business cases and ROI analyses.
• Promotes improvements to existing processes through best practices previously unavailable or supported.
• Develops a KPI framework to relate the various value metrics and associated realization performance criteria for an initiative.
• Tracks realized initiative value through reported KPIÆs and actual performance.
• Ensures project team understanding of required process changes, to include how the changes support the business case.
• Updates business case values based on scope changes during a project and opportunistic findings during post-project value realization activities.
Business Data Analysis: Knowledge of business data analysis; ability to collect, identify, analyze and interpret business data using various
kinds of techniques to meet business needs and requirements.
Level Extensive Experience:
• Sets standards for business data analysis tools and techniques, advises on their application, and ensures compliance.
• Provides solutions to data requirements in the business data analysis process.
• Directs the implementation of business data collection processes and educates junior employees on new data sources.
• Evaluates the quality of business data collected and the effectiveness of data analysis methods.
• Oversees the use of business data analysis software and troubleshoots for common errors.
• Suggests conclusions with results drawn from business data analysis.
Product Business Knowledge: Knowledge of and experience with the business aspects and operation of a software product; ability
to manage install base, current uses, future plans, and product vision.
Level Expert:
• Drives functional enhancements and anticipates new opportunities and needs.
• Ensures feedback from current and potential users, analysts and users of competitive products.
• Plays a key role in analyzing and dealing with unusual and complex customization needs.
• Defines and communicates product strategy, vision and functional roadmap.
• Leads functional product planning effort; summarizes and communicates planned functionality.
• Is recognized as an expert on product functions, features and implementation issues.
Product Management: Knowledge of product management; ability to operate and manage product development projects at all stages of the product development lifecycle.
Level Extensive Experience:
• Has experience with multiple products or multiple releases of a critical product.
• Describes the purpose of and a methodology for a product usability analysis.
• Manages conflicts between business units, sales, marketing, and engineering teams.
• Participates in defining, estimating and pricing special enhancement requests.
• Monitors, assesses, and communicates opinions of external analysts and professional media.
• Gathers, summarizes and prioritizes ideas for new products, or new versions of existing products.
Business Development: Knowledge of business development tools, techniques and approaches; ability to explore and develop potential
areas of business growth for the organization.
Level Extensive Experience:
• Teaches others about a variety of tools and techniques for evaluating market potential.
• Develops standard processes to maximize business efficiency and effectiveness.
• Coaches others on the design and implementation of campaigns to present products to new markets.
• Develops strategies to present new business ideas to small and large prospective business partners.
• Analyzes alternative business development approaches and strategies.
• Designs common and industry-specific benchmarks for business development.
Top Candidates Will Have:
• Extensive experience in managing large scale programs that have a large strategic component.
• Solid experience of direct people management experience, responsible for performance and career planning.
• An understanding of the grade control industry and demonstrated ability to bring quality products to production.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver machine system or software projects that bring quality products to market.
• Proven hands-on technical product management experience with the ability to proactively identify & resolve issues early while maintaining relationships.
• Advanced Degree in Electrical, Electronics, or Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent industry experience.
Additional Information:

• This position requires the candidate to work full-time at the Mossville, IL, Dayton, OH or Westminster, CO office.
• Domestic relocation assistance is available for this position.
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• Travel is up to 10%

Summary Pay Range:
$172,630.00 - $258,950.00
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
Posting Dates:
July 15, 2026 - August 3, 2026
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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