Marketing - Sales Support Specialist (12 Month Placement Scheme)

Marketing (Sales Support Specialist)

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.

12 Month Industrial Placement Scheme

Location: Desford, UK

Salary: £26,000, Share Scheme, Pension, and 27 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 organization and you will be directly involved, and at the heart of our business, 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.

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.

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.

Caterpillar's Desford facility is part of the Building Construction Products (BCP) division, manufacturing a range of world class Backhoe Loaders, Compact Wheel Loaders and Telehandlers as part of the wider BCP range of products. Desford is more than just a production facility – it is home to a range of functions with global scope, including HR, Finance, Engineering, Purchasing, Manufacturing, and Marketing.

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?

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/responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

Provide Sales support to the global field sales rep teams and dealers to support prime product and work tool sales execution. Will also provide significant sales support to the Wheel Loader/Backhoe Loader Product Group and New Product Introduction Managers during various NPI phases in terms of voice of the customer collection/communication, and documentation to obtain critical customer requirements. Competitor analysis is a key segment of sales support. As such, the role will encompass competitive analysis, followed up by sales support material creation being uploaded to catdealer.cat.com. In doing so, the candidate will work with the marketing communications team.

• Support Sales Execution: Support the Product & Application Specialists with industry queries and application expertise to the global field sales rep teams and dealers to support prime product and work tool sales execution, price realization, and improved value proposition
• Support Marketing Communication Campaign creation, strategy, and execution, working closely with our creative agency network
• Increase product application knowledge base for the family of Wheel Loader/Backhoe Loader models and will be considered as a product group resource by the sales team
• Support product and application training to field reps, dealers & customers
• Identify, manage, and provide reports on competitive performance studies, feature/benefit comparisons, and maintenance and repair cost analysis
• Assist in defining and placing value on new product features, functional and technical specifications, and general product requirements
• Will deliver presentations to Cat and dealer personnel
• Be heavily involved in the sales support material creation for social media platforms and go to market activities, especially within the aftermarket framework
• Film, create, edit, and produce sales support videos to assist the global dealer and dealer sales force including managing logistics related to international machine shipments
• Support customer field follow visits, trade shows, and corporate events. Some travel both national and international may be required

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?

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 one of the following disciplines: Marketing, Business Management, Product Design, Engineering

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 interview which may be held face to face or virtually. We would also recommend that you check your spam emails and your Workday account for updates.

Stage two - Interview: The interview process will look at a range of behaviors such as teamwork, decision-making, communication, and problem-solving.

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. Placement students will start on 6th July 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. Please note that this position requires being onsite five days a week.