Supply Chain - 12 Month Industrial Placement Scheme

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, and at the heart of our business, participating on strategic projects.

Please note that to be eligible to complete a 12-Month Industrial Placement commencing July 2027, you must be in your penultimate year of study unless enrolled in an integrated Master’s programme.

What do we do?

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.

The Advanced Components (ACM) division spans seven countries and has 5,000+ employees. We deliver operational excellence in manufacturing drivetrain, hydraulic components, and operator stations, producing components valued greater than $3B.

The ACM team includes Supply Chain, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality Engineering, Environmental Health and Safety, and Operations Managers who align to deliver superior safety, quality, velocity, and cost to our business partners. The supply chain function covers many areas including Order to Delivery, Demand Management, Material Supply. Transportation and Compliance and Supplier Quality.   

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

The Manufacturing Engineering Team are responsible for leading production employees to execute the assembly, test and paint processes within the manufacturing facility, to deliver a world-class product to our customers. This role utilises the Caterpillar Production System (Lean Manufacturing) Principles to deliver People, Quality, Velocity and Cost (PQVC) improvements and results. 

During the industrial placement, you will be based within the Manufacturing Engineering team working on real projects, alongside experienced manufacturing engineers gaining first-hand experience of Lean Manufacturing, supporting efficiency improvement initiatives at the facility and updating production standard work documentation.  

What experiences can we offer you?

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. 

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Supply Chain team based in Springvale. The focus of this department is to operate on a tactical / strategic basis to ensure our supply chain drives towards excellence in efficiency, reliability, and flexibility. As a Supply Chain Planner, you will collaborate with global suppliers to ensure execution to planned orders and schedules and resolves issues with suppliers to ensure material availability for the facility production.   

There will also be an opportunity for you to collaborate with the purchasing, quality, and manufacturing operations teams. Along with getting involved in exciting projects including New Product Introduction. Working as part of this small team you will really get to make a positive impact during your placement.   

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

• Manage 3rd party contractor on site and ensure timely material delivery to Point of Use (POU).  
• Utilise root cause corrective actions to resolve quality and supplier performance issues.  
• Deliver improvements in point of use material availability.  
• Involvement in cross functional projects when opportunities arise to improve efficiency.   
• Ensure timely delivery of materials to the facility.   
• Supplier collaboration to meet facility production plans.   
• Requisition materials and ensure inventory levels maintained.   
• Manage and perform supplier scheduling and implementation of engineering changes for the efficient manufacture of products and components.   

Projects will include full integration into Caterpillar Supply Chain planning systems through the onboarding of all aspects of the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) system.   

Working with experienced team members you will receive all the coaching, guidance, and support for your work and personal development. It is our intention that you will be given opportunities to develop your knowledge and experience within a real-world setting. Our aim is that these industrial placement opportunities provide the firm foundations necessary for a long and successful future career.   

Who are we looking for?

We’re looking for people who can show us a highly participative working style, and who thrive in a team of committed professionals. And at the same time, we need people who can think independently and drive change through persuasion and influence. Strong analytical, communication and presentational skills are a must as you’d need to package clear strategic recommendations based on data and sell them confidently to production and management employees.   

• 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 disciplines: Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, Business Management, Economics.  

We will provide you the training and support you need to be successful at Caterpillar.   

Recruitment Process Guidelines:

We’re excited that you’re considering a career with Caterpillar. Below is an overview of our Early Careers recruitment process and what you can expect at each stage.

• Step 1 – Online Application: To apply, simply complete our online application form and upload your CV before the advertised closing date. Our team will review all submissions, and we’ll keep you updated and let you know as soon as possible if you’ve been selected to progress to the next stage.
• Step 2 – Online Assessments & Video Interview: If you are selected to move forward in the process, you’ll be invited to complete some online assessments, followed by a user-friendly video interview. Your responses will be reviewed by the hiring team, and successful candidates will then be invited to attend an in-person Assessment Centre, which we anticipate will take place at our Springvale facility. 
• Step 3 – In Person Assessment Centre: Our Assessment Centre is designed to help you showcase your potential through a range of interactive activities focused on competencies such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and decision-making. We aim to make the experience engaging, inclusive, and relaxed, giving you the best opportunity to demonstrate your strengths and learn more about Caterpillar.
• Step 4 – Offer: Following the Assessment Centre, the Caterpillar team will review all feedback to make hiring decisions. We aim to communicate outcomes and extend offers to successful candidates as quickly as possible.

Notes

• 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.  
• Please note that this role requires being based on-site full time.

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