Senior / Lead Software Engineer (Embedded C++)

Career Area:

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.

About Us:

At CTCT (a joint venture between Trimble and Caterpillar), we build the brains behind heavy machinery. As a joint venture between Trimble and Caterpillar, we develop high-precision positioning, guidance, and autonomous machine control systems for earthmoving and paving equipment across the global construction and mining industries.

Using technologies such as GPS, optical total stations, lasers, and sonics, our software directly impacts how physical operators and autonomous machines shape the world around us.

About the Opportunity:

We are seeking a Senior or Lead Software Engineer with strong product instinct and deep expertise in embedded C++. You care as much about solving real-world problems as you do about the code itself.

Key Accountabilities and Key Outcomes:

Technical Ownership & Architecture

• Own end-to-end implementation of key product initiatives, collaborating with Technical Stewards to architect robust solutions for complex, high-impact problems.
• Contribute to core system decisions and architectural direction, balancing immediate customer value with long-term maintainability, reliability, and code quality.

Process & Organisational Leadership

• Drive continuous process improvements, quality standards, and engineering best practices across multi-disciplinary, global cross-site teams.
• Interpret internal and external business challenges to recommend innovative solutions and methods on complex assignments.
• Communicate complex technical concepts effectively and negotiate cross-functional consensus across various organisational levels.

Engineering Excellence & Practice

• Conduct thorough code reviews and elevate our testing, deployment workflows, and engineering standards across the team.
• Lead root-cause investigations for complex production issues, engineering durable fixes rather than quick patches.

Technical Leadership & Mentorship

• Serve as a domain subject matter expert, guiding project resource requirements and risk assessments while coaching and mentoring junior-to-mid-level engineers.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Product, Technical Stewards, Design, and Customer Interface teams to navigate technical trade-offs with full business context.

What You'll Bring:

Essential Experience

• Core Technical Expertise: 3+ years of recent experience developing embedded C++ applications in Linux or Windows environments for electronic control units or constrained hardware.
• Real-World Engineering: Proven experience working against memory/performance constraints, flaky connectivity, and physical-world sensor/actuator dynamics.
• Communication Protocols: Hands-on exposure to CAN bus, Ethernet, or related automotive/industrial networking protocols.
• Technical Leadership: Demonstrated track record of leading technical initiatives, architecting complex engineering solutions, and driving process improvements across cross-site teams.
• Problem-Solving Mindset: A deep curiosity to understand the "why" behind system behaviour, with the persistence to solve complex problems at their root.

Desirable Skills

• Qualification: Tertiary qualification in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mechatronics, or equivalent experience.
• Experience with IoT, robotics, or autonomous machine control systems.
• Practical experience integrating mechatronic systems (combining mechanical, electronic, sensor, and embedded software components).
• Familiarity with Python, Golang, Angular and/or Android development.
• Knowledge of civil engineering or the construction/mining industry.
• Active interest in leveraging modern AI tooling within your everyday software development workflow.

About Your Location:

Based at Trimble’s NZ headquarters in Christchurch, enjoy free parking, an onsite gym, an active social club, and a great team environment where people love working with leading technology solutions.

Must have full working rights for New Zealand

Posting Dates:

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

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