Lead Software Engineer
Caterpillar, Inc. · Cary, NC
$128,470–$208,770from the description
Jul 20, 2026
Cary, NC
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A hands-on technical leadership role within an emerging technology group, focused on designing, building, and scaling software solutions that apply technologies such as generative AI, agentic workflows, and retrieval-augmented generation to business problems. The position spans the full development lifecycle — from prototyping and proof-of-concept through production hardening — while also mentoring engineers and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders. Best suited to experienced software engineers with strong architecture skills and an interest in applied AI.
Senior level · National · Full-time
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
Posted 2 times — it's one opening, so apply once.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $138,970 (middle half $107,524–$175,762). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (8)
No specific work location or metro area is stated in the posting; the CBSA is left blank. The role may be hybrid or on-site at a Caterpillar/Cat Digital facility, but the posting does not specify.
The title 'Lead Software Engineer' carries no standard seniority level word (Junior/Mid/Senior/Staff/Principal), so advertised seniority is set to Unspecified. The actual scope — leading architecture, mentoring engineers, driving technical direction across a full SDLC — supports a Senior classification.
The programming language requirement lists Python, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, C#, Go, or similar as interchangeable options; Python is used as the primary name with the others captured as alternatives.
A Bachelor's degree is listed under 'Considerations for Top Candidates' (not a hard-requirements section) and explicitly notes 'equivalent practical experience may be considered,' so no minimum degree is hard-required.
No overall years-of-experience figure is stated; the posting uses qualitative language ('progressive professional experience') without a numeric floor.
All AI/ML-related skills (generative AI, LLMs, RAG, vector databases, agentic workflows) appear under the 'Preferred Qualifications' section and are marked accordingly.
Cloud platforms, containerization, and infrastructure automation are listed under the required 'Considerations for Top Candidates' section but without naming specific products (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP, Docker, Terraform); they are captured at the capability level as stated. Kubernetes, serverless, and infrastructure-as-code appear only under Preferred Qualifications.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): API management.
Read the full posting
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