Design Engineering Graduate in Stafford

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.

Graduate Scheme Discipline: Design Engineering

Location: Stafford, UK

Salary: £35,000, £1,500 Sign on Bonus, 10% Annual Bonus, Share Scheme, Pension and 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)

We currently have lots of exciting opportunities for Graduates to join Caterpillar across the UK! New graduates are critical to the success of our business. You power our success, and we are committed to empowering yours. After all, when your work can impact the entire world, it’s important to do work that matters. We are looking for talented, ambitious people from various backgrounds who are interested in setting out on the road to success and in return, we will provide you the training, mentoring, and support you need to have a successful career at Caterpillar.

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. Throughout the product life cycle, we offer services built on cutting-edge technology and decades of product expertise. These products and services, backed by our global dealer network, provide exceptional value to help our customers succeed. We have a clear vision to be the global leader in providing customer value in the markets in which we operate. Our core values (Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork, Commitment and Sustainability) are key to our success.

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). We also have numerous well supported employee resource groups. Caterpillar is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds.

What experiences can we offer you? From day one, you’re set up to thrive at Caterpillar: helpful training, relatable mentors, global experience, competitive salary package, work-life balance, and the growth opportunities you expect with global business. Your two-year Graduate Development Programme will be tailored to ensure you gain a broad understanding of your chosen field and build the foundations of a successful career. You will get the support, guidance and training you need to be successful at Caterpillar. You will also have opportunity to gain experience working with our global Caterpillar customers. You will have the opportunity to work with other facilities across our global organisation, and you will be directly involved, and at the heart of our business, participating on strategic projects.

Job duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Product Design & Development: Assist in designing components and systems using CAD tools (e.g., Creo). Support the creation of engineering drawings and specifications. Participate in design reviews and concept validation.
• Prototyping & Testing: Help build and test prototypes to validate design intent. Document build observations/results and recommend design improvements.
• Manufacturing Support: Collaborate with manufacturing teams to ensure designs are producible. Support troubleshooting “Built In Quality” (BIQ) Issue during production.
• Quality & Compliance: Ensure designs meet Caterpillar’s quality standards and regulatory requirements. Participate in root cause analysis and corrective actions for product issues.
• Project & Documentation Management: Maintain engineering documentation in systems like TeamCenter and SAP. Track progress of assigned tasks and report to project leads.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with teams across design, Manufacturing engineering, Operations, Purchase and supply chain etc. Attend meetings and contribute to discussions on product strategy and improvements.
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Contribute ideas for product enhancements and cost reduction. Support Six Sigma or Lean initiatives where applicable.

This role is a 2 Year Graduate Scheme within the Product Engineering department at Stafford Engine Centre. SEC develops and manufactures the Perkins 4000 and 5000 Series. The Job Role will focus on Diesel and Gas Internal Combustion Engines and offer opportunities to work on a variety of projects across multiple systems and disciplines. Rotation through business sectors is an option to give an understanding of wider business functions and experiences to help you in your future career. The 2-year scheme leads into a role within the Product engineering.

Who are we looking for? 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. Open to all candidates studying a relevant Engineering based degree including: Mechanical Engineering, Motorsport Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering.

Candidates must have developed skills or have gained experiences in the following areas:

• Data analysis and reporting
• Initiating Action Planning and organising
• Presentation and Communication Skills
• Experience with a CAD Programme
• Experience with GD&T
• Basic understanding of Internal Combustion Engines (Compression and Spark Ignited)

It is desirable for Candidates to demonstrate the following skills also:

• Focus on Quality
• Decision Making
• Innovation
• Project Leadership
• Effective Teamwork
• Experience working with Creo
• Experience working/leading a Root Cause Analysis project

Recruitment Process Guidelines: Here is a brief overview of what you can expect when applying to our Early Career roles… Online Application: The first stage of the process is to complete the online application and attach your CV, this must be done before the closing date of the role that you’re applying for. Once we reach the close date, we will begin reviewing all our applications, this may take a little while and we will contact you as soon as possible to let you know if you have been successful in moving forward to the next stage. 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. At this stage, if you are successful, you will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre which we anticipate will be held on 25th March onsite at our Stafford facility so please try to keep that date free. We would also recommend that you check your spam emails and your Workday account for updates. Stage two - Assessment Centre: The Assessment Centre Day will look at a range of behaviours such as teamwork, decision-making, communication, and problem-solving. We aim to make these days fun, inclusive and as relaxed as possible. Stage three – Offer: After the Assessment Centre, the Caterpillar team will review the feedback and extend offers to our preferred candidates, we aim to do this as quickly as possible. Graduates will start on 7th September 2026. We look forward to receiving your application to join Caterpillar!

Note: Only one application is required, please do not apply for multiple roles. You may be given the opportunity of being considered for other roles/locations at a later stage. The panel cannot make assumptions when shortlisting therefore please demonstrate your qualifications and experience on your CV relevant to the criteria outlined. Pending the number of applications, the criteria for the position may be enhanced to facilitate shortlisting. This may also include an adjustment to the application deadline date. This role is based from the office in Stafford and will require working from the site all week.

Posting Dates: January 7, 2026 - February 4, 2026

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