Autonomy Validation Specialist

Caterpillar Inc.•Green Valley, AZ

4d•Onsite

About The Position

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. The Autonomy Validation Specialist supports the successful test and validation of Command for Hauling by ensuring the validation team has the plans, configurations, information, and coordination needed to execute effectively. Working closely with the L8 Validation Lead, this role focuses on validation readiness, issue management, test planning coordination, and release alignment. This position plays a critical role in maintaining validation rigor by owning key processes, plans, and documentation that enable consistent, high‑quality validation outcomes. Through strong organization, attention to detail, and cross‑functional coordination, the Autonomy Validation Specialist helps ensure validation activities are well‑planned, properly configured, and aligned with quality and delivery expectations.

Requirements

Effective Communications Delivers helpful feedback that focuses on behaviors without offending the recipient. Listens to feedback without defensiveness and uses it for own communication effectiveness. Makes oral presentations and writes reports needed for own work. Avoids technical jargon when inappropriate. Looks for and considers non-verbal cues from individuals and groups.
Managing Multiple Priorities Recognizes changing demands and priorities; validates changes with management. Obtains information about how current assignments contribute to organizational goals. Completes current work according to assigned priorities. Responds to day-to-day operational priorities while still making progress on project work. Performs at least 2-3 concurrent activities without reducing productivity.
Technical Excellence Provides effective technical solutions to routine functional challenges via sound technical competence, effectively examining implications of events and issues. Effectively performs the technical job aspects, continuously building knowledge and keeping up-to-date on technical and procedural job components. Applies technical operating and project standards based on achieving excellence in delivered products, technologies and services. Applies current procedures and technologies to help resolve technical issues in one's general area of technical competence. Helps others solve technical or procedural problems or issues.
Strategic Thinking Implements the group's go-to-market strategy. Raises awareness of potential strategic alliances and partnerships. Explains elements of the strategy to others and encourages questions. Monitors marketplace trends, opportunities, and vulnerabilities; reports findings. Makes sound recommendations when faced with complex and contradictory alternatives.
Influencing Through Expertise Acquires expertise through training and practical experience in the relevant field. Analyzes the needs, desires, and motivations of the other party to effectively understand a given scenario. Identifies who the decision makers are and how they receive information. Provides evidentiary support while giving opinions or recommendations to influence decision-making. Conducts tasks in such a way as to build a strong reputation and credibility as an expert in the field.

Nice To Haves

Proven experience managing multiple priorities for engineering project
Proven experience supporting technical projects in product development and validation
Experience with Autonomy Validation
Experience on Machine Product projects preferred
Prior experience as a Sr. Systems/Validation Engineer in the Mining/Construction industry preferred

Responsibilities

Support the Command for Hauling L8 Validation Lead by coordinating and maintaining validation processes, plans, and documentation that enable the validation team to execute effectively.
Own issue management activities, including ongoing tracking of issues, auditing escapes as they are entered, monitoring backlog health, and ensuring visibility of issue status.
Support software release management by maintaining software version matrices, auditing release content, and ensuring validation teams are aligned to the correct software configurations.
Create, maintain, and audit machine configuration matrices across validation environments (e.g., TPG, HIL, BBTT) to ensure accurate and consistent test setups.
Develop and maintain test plans, and provide oversight by auditing test coverage, reviewing test suite definitions, and evaluating proposed testing for completeness and alignment.
Lead or participate in test plan review meetings to ensure validation scope, readiness, and execution expectations are clearly defined and understood.
Help implement and sustain test planning and execution strategies that support consistent validation processes across the team.
Participate in and help host validation summits and other coordination forums to support alignment across validation stakeholders.