Principal Software Engineer – Distributed Systems & Cloud-Native Platform (Java)

Caterpillar Inc. · Chennai

  • Experience12–13 yrs
  • SalaryNot disclosed
  • Work modeonsite
  • Levelexecutive
  • Posted11 Sept 2026
Apply for this job

About Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Inc. is hiring in Chennai in manufacturing industrial. This role looks for around 12+ years of experience.

Skills

  • Java
  • Spring Boot
  • Microservices
  • Distributed Systems
  • Kubernetes
  • Docker
  • PostgreSQL
  • System Design
  • Concurrency
  • Data Modeling
  • Performance Optimization

The role

A principal software engineer at a heavy-equipment manufacturing company architects and builds distributed systems with Java, Spring Boot, and Kubernetes for mission-critical platforms. The role drives microservices architecture, cloud-native platform engineering, and high-performance backend systems across teams.

Full job description

Career Area

Engineering

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.

Role Summary

We’re seeking a Principal Software Engineer to build and evolve large-scale, distributed systems that power mission-critical platforms. This is a senior technical leadership role for engineers who thrive on solving hard, ambiguous problems at scale, and who can influence architecture across teams.

You will drive system design, scalability, and engineering excellence, while remaining deeply hands-on in building high-performance backend systems on a modern cloud-native stack.

What You’ll Do

Architect and build high-throughput, low-latency distributed systems using Java and microservicesLead end-to-end system design across services, data, and platform layersDesign for scale, resilience, fault tolerance, and operability from first principlesBuild and operate containerized workloads on Kubernetes (multi-service, production scale)Define and raise the bar on architecture, APIs, and engineering quality standardsDrive cross-team technical decisions and resolve complex system bottlenecksMentor senior engineers and act as a technical multiplier across teamsInfluence platform roadmap, modernization, and developer productivity

Basic Qualifications

12+ years of experience building and operating backend systems at scaleStrong expertise in Java, Spring Boot, Microservices, Distributed SystemsProven experience designing highly available, large-scale systems (traffic, data, or compute)Hands-on with Kubernetes and Docker in production environmentsStrong fundamentals in system design, concurrency, data modeling, and performance optimizationDeep experience with PostgreSQL or similar databases

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with event-driven architectures (Kafka / streaming systems)Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS/Azure) and hybrid architecturesExperience with observability, reliability engineering, and production operationsContributions to platform engineering, frameworks, or internal developer platformsTrack record of influencing architecture across multiple teams or product

Tech Stack

Java | Spring Boot | Microservices | Kubernetes | Docker | PostgreSQL | CI/CD | Cloud (AWS/Azure)

Posting Dates

September 11, 2026 - September 24, 2026

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

Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community.