Procurement & Supply Chain (12 Month Placement Scheme)

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. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

12 Month Industrial Placement Scheme

Discipline: Procurement

Location: Birchwood, UK

Salary: £26,000, Share Scheme, Pension and 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays).

We currently have some exciting opportunities for industrial placement students to join Caterpillar across several of our sites. You will have the opportunity to work with others across our organisation and you will be directly involved, participating on strategic projects.

Please note that in order to be eligible to complete a 12 Month Industrial Placement commencing July 2026, you must be in your penultimate year of study unless enrolled in an integrated master’s program.

Caterpillar Inc. is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and diesel-electric locomotives. Since 1925, we’ve been driving sustainable progress and helping customers build a better world through innovative products and services.

Diversity at Caterpillar

When we leverage our people’s experiences, backgrounds, and cultures in an inclusive environment, we enable every individual to achieve their full potential, which drives business success. We are proud to be active partners with both the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) & Women’s Engineering Society (WES). Caterpillar is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds.

During this 12-month placement, you will have the opportunity to experience different aspects of procurement within the Aftermarket sector giving you an excellent insight into the requirements of working as part of a successful team:

• You will gain valuable exposure to our supply chain, sending out Requests for Quotations (RFQs) and obtaining the engineering drawing and specifications to enable you to liaise with internal departments and suppliers.
• You will be asked to take an analytical approach to the data you have gathered and present your findings to our buyer to ensure the best sourcing decisions are made.
• Opportunity to support buyers on supplier audits, supplier visits and supplier reviews.
• Investigating demand to identify the next step of activities to resolve supply. Presenting back your ideas for improvements and sharing the solutions that you have found.

To gain maximum exposure over the 12-month placement duration, you will be communicating and interacting with all disciplines of the business, including Suppliers, Commercial, Finance, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality and Operations, giving you a true understanding of our business.

As the type of roles within our business are becoming more diverse, we are looking for people who are open minded, excellent problem solvers and who have an ability to learn quickly. You will be motivated, hard-working, and will embrace change. In return for your dedication and hard work, you will be provided with excellent career opportunities and strong support for your personal and career development to pursue a career within Caterpillar.

Applicants will be on target to achieve a minimum of 2:2 honours degree level in a relevant discipline – Supply Chain, Logistics, Business and Economics, Business Management.

Recruitment Process Guidelines:

Here is a brief overview of what you can expect when applying to our Early Career roles:

• Online Application: Complete the online application and attach your CV before the closing date of the role.
• Stage one – Video Interview: If selected, you will be invited to complete a user-friendly video interview which will then be reviewed by the Hiring Team.
• Stage two – Virtual Microsoft Teams interview: The interview will look at a range of behaviours such as teamwork, decision-making, communication, and problem-solving.
• Stage three – Offer: After the Microsoft Teams interview, the Caterpillar team will review the feedback and extend offers to our preferred candidates.