As an equal opportunity employer, we value diversity at Caterpillar and believe the more experience you can gain early in your career the further you can go. That’s why during our yearlong scheme we place an emphasis on multiple diverse projects. You will have the opportunity to work and collaborate with people in Caterpillar facilities worldwide and we are looking for you to bring fresh, innovative ideas to solve complex technical problems. You will be a fully involved team member with responsibility and accountability for key project deliverables. That said, you will be given all the support you require to be successful. 

Our placement roles have the additional benefit of a workplace mentor; this could be your manager or a technical expert who will support you throughout your time at Caterpillar and help you gain the professional development and skills you need to be set up for success!  Our placement students can expect to return to university with further developed technical skills and experience of how University learning is applied to the workplace. 

We also operate a conditional offer process; our highest performing placement students are fast tracked to our graduate development scheme. This includes a financial incentive and the potential of a summer work placement. Offers will be made based on the condition that a graduate role is available at the time of your graduation and that you achieve a min of 2:2. 

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

To work as part of the development team, accountable for the delivery of specific design and development projects, in one or more of the following areas: 

• New component and system design, such as structures, operator station, hydraulics, engine systems, electrical systems, drivetrain (transmissions). 

• Validation and test, including computer simulation and predictive techniques, rig testing or overall machine testing 

• Refinement of designs based on test failures or prototype build difficulties 

• Shop-floor support for prototype and production machine build activities 

• Existing component design improvements to resolve quality issues or save cost 

• Requirements definition, including critical customer requirements, application profiles, competitive machine positioning 

• Collaboration with suppliers to ensure designs produced are suitable for manufacture using the most suitable materials and processes, and to an acceptable quality level 

You will be given the support and coaching required to develop your technical capability and business understanding. We promote a hands-on approach, encouraging you to spend time operating Backhoe Loader or Compact Wheel Loader machines. 

We hold a Meet and Greet day for all new UK placement students to provide you with an opportunity to meet fellow new starters across the UK before you start your placement. 

Who are we looking for? 

• It is essential that applicants should have achieved or be on track to achieve a minimum of a 2:2 in one of the following engineering disciplines: Agricultural, Automotive, Design, or Mechanical Engineering. 

Skills/Experience/Key competencies desired: 

• Possess at least a basic knowledge of construction equipment operation and design. 

• Highly self-motivated. 

• Desire to challenge both yourself and the organisation on delivery of technically superior, cost-effective designs and solutions. 

• Good communication skills both written and verbal, a foreign language would be an asset. 

• Strong planning, organising and problem-solving skills. 

• Willingness to travel and engage different cultures. 

• A Full UK driving licence. 

We are looking for talented, ambitious people from various backgrounds who are interested in setting out on the road to success. 

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 either Tuesday 18th or Wednesday 19th March onsite at our Desford facility so please try to keep those dates free. We would also recommend that you check your spam emails and your Workday account for updates.