Senior Statistician – AI Product Assurance

Caterpillar Inc.

Senior Statistician focusing on statistical validation for AI safety claims at Caterpillar Inc. Collaborating with engineering teams to integrate statistical evidence into safety cases.

Posted 5/1/2026full-timeMossville • Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $112,710 - $183,140 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead the development and execution of statistical validation plans that support AI product safety claims for release and in-service operation.
Define quantitative safety metrics, acceptance criteria, and confidence levels aligned with internal governance and external standards.
Design and analyze experiments, simulations, and operational data sets to assess risk, uncertainty, and residual hazards, including rare-event and edge-case behavior.
Apply advanced statistical techniques such as Bayesian inference, reliability analysis, survival analysis, uncertainty quantification, and causal methods to complex systems.
Evaluate system performance under uncertainty, distributional shift, and changing operational conditions.
Collaborate with the engineering teams to integrate statistical evidence into safety cases and assurance artifacts.
Review and interpret large-scale test, simulation, and field data to identify safety-relevant trends, failure modes, and emergent behaviors in agentic systems.
Clearly document assumptions, limitations, and conclusions to support internal decision-making and external review.
Provide technical guidance and mentoring to engineers and analysts on sound statistical practices for safety-critical applications.
Support post-deployment monitoring, re-validation, and change impact assessment as AI systems evolve.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Business Statistics: Knowledge of the statistical tools, processes, and practices to describe business results in measurable scales; ability to use statistical tools and processes to assist in making business decisions.
Significant experience applying statistical methods to complex, real-world systems where safety, risk, or reliability are critical.
Strong foundation in statistical inference, experimental design, and uncertainty analysis.
Experience with Bayesian methods, reliability engineering, rare-event estimation, and analysis of non-stationary data.
Programming Languages: Knowledge of basic concepts and capabilities of programming; ability to use tools, techniques and platforms in order to write and modify programming languages.
Query and Database Access Tools: Knowledge of data management systems; ability to use, support and access facilities for searching, extracting and formatting data for further use.
Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.
Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Data Science or related quantitate discipline.
Consideration for Top Candidates: Advanced Degree in Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Data Science or related quantitate discipline.
Experience working with AI, machine learning, autonomous, or agentic systems.
Familiarity with functional safety standards and/or SOTIF concepts.
Experience with Earth-Moving Machinery Products.
Experience contributing statistical evidence to safety cases, assurance cases, or regulatory submissions.
Background in safety-critical industries such as autonomy, robotics, automotive, aerospace, industrial systems, or medical devices.
Demonstrated ability to communicate complex statistical concepts to non-statistical stakeholders.

Benefits

Comp & perks

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

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Bayesian inferencereliability analysissurvival analysisuncertainty quantificationcausal methodsstatistical inferenceexperimental designrare-event estimationdata management systemsprogramming languages

Soft Skills

accuracy and attention to detailtechnical guidancementoringcommunication of complex concepts

Certifications

Bachelor’s Degree in StatisticsBachelor’s Degree in Applied MathematicsBachelor’s Degree in Data ScienceAdvanced Degree in StatisticsAdvanced Degree in Applied MathematicsAdvanced Degree in Data Science