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Senior Software Engineer

Caterpillar · Chicago, IL · $112,710–$183,140 a year · Full time

Posted Oct 2, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you worked through a large transformation on an Agile team. What made it hard?

What they are checking: Whether they can stay productive and steady through long programs with shifting requirements.

Tell me about a code review where you pushed back on something. How did it go?

What they are checking: Whether they give useful feedback respectfully and raise team standards as a senior engineer.

How would you help a newer engineer ramp up on a large, unfamiliar codebase?

What they are checking: Whether they invest in others and share knowledge instead of keeping it to themselves.

Tell me about a production issue you debugged that was hard to reproduce.

What they are checking: Whether they troubleshoot methodically using logs and data rather than guessing.

What would you do

A product owner wants a feature fast, but you see it creating technical debt. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can explain tradeoffs clearly and negotiate a path that serves both speed and quality.

About the work

You'd help build a cloud-based Global Warranty Management solution replacing legacy systems. How would you approach migrating data and logic from an old system you didn't write?

What they are checking: Whether they plan for hidden business rules and data quality issues in legacy migrations.

Walk me through how you'd design an API that dealers use to submit warranty claims.

What they are checking: Whether they think about validation, idempotency, versioning and partner usability in a real integration.

How do you make sure a cloud service stays reliable when dealers around the world depend on it?

What they are checking: Whether they think about monitoring, failover and graceful failure, not only features.

The business wants warranty data to drive product quality insights. How would you design the system so that data is usable for analytics?

What they are checking: Whether they design data models with downstream reporting and quality analysis in mind.

How do you test a system that has a lot of complex business rules, like warranty eligibility?

What they are checking: Whether they use thoughtful automated testing so rule changes do not break existing behavior.

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Caterpillar.

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. JOB PURPOSE: Join Cat Digital Platform and help build the technology that powers Caterpillar’s digital future. Our platform fuels the secure flow of data, insights, and services connecting customers, dealers, machines, and applications worldwide. As a Senior Software Engineer, you will design, develop, and deliver scalable, secure, and customer-focused cloud solutions while contributing to technical excellence across the team. JOB DUTIES: • Design, develop, test, and maintain backend RESTful APIs and microservices using Java, Spring Boot, and AWS cloud services. • Collaborate with product owners, UI application teams, architects, and partner engineering teams to deliver secure, scalable, and customer-focused solutions. • Participate in solution design, API contract definition, payload schema design, and OpenAPI/Swagger development. • Implement secure service integrations using OAuth 2.0, JWT, and enterprise authentication and authorization services. • Lead implementation of features and drive delivery of valuable business capabilities. • Mentor software engineers through technical guidance, code reviews, and sharing of engineering best practices. • Work directly on application, integration, performance, and production support issues, driving resolution to completion. • Maintain high standards of software quality through automated testing, performance testing, code reviews, and engineering best practices. • Contribute to CI/CD pipeline automation, deployment processes, observability, and operational excellence. • Own software delivery throughout the development lifecycle, including documentation, deployment, monitoring, and production support. What you will have: • Software Development: Knowledge of software development tools and activities; ability to produce software products or systems in line with product requirements. • Software Product Design/Architecture: Knowledge of software product design; ability to convert market requirements into the software product design. • Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques; ability to accurately analyze situations and reach productive decisions based on informed judgment. • 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. Top candidates will also have: • Strong experience developing RESTful APIs and microservices using Java 21+, Spring Boot, API Gateway such as Apigee, and cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP. • Experience implementing secure service integrations using OAuth 2.0 and JWT. • Experience with event-driven architectures and messaging technologies such as Kafka, AWS SQS, AWS SNS, AWS Kinesis, or RabbitMQ. • Experience with relational and NoSQL databases such as Aurora, DynamoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB, Redis, or Elasticsearch. • Experience developing automated unit, integration, and performance tests, and deploying applications using CI/CD tools such as Azure DevOps, Jenkins, GoCD, GitHub Actions, or similar platforms. • Experience working in Agile/Scrum teams and collaborating effectively across engineering, product, and business stakeholders. Additional Details: • This position requires the candidate to be based in Chicago, IL • Relocation assistance is not available for this position • Visa sponsorship is not available for this position Summary Pay Range: $112,710.00 - $183,140.00 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 Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. Posting Dates: October 2, 2026 - October 11, 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. Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community .

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