Summer 2026

Engineering Corporate Program Materials Intern

Updated on 7/22/2026

Deadline 8/21/26
Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Inc.

10,001+ employees

Manufactures heavy machinery for construction

No salary listed

No H1B Sponsorship

Peoria, IL, USA

In Person

Most positions based in Mossville, Illinois; on-site five days per week. Relocation available to Peoria, Illinois area or indicated work location.

Category
Mechanical Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Metallurgy

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Requirements
  • Must be enrolled full-time in a four-year university pursuing an ABET-accredited degree in a Materials Engineering discipline (e.g., Metallurgical Engineering, Ceramic Engineering, Materials Science, etc.) at the time of application and throughout the program
  • A Mechanical Engineering degree with a minor in Materials Engineering may be considered
  • Must have completed at least 24 semester hours from the current institution before the start of the internship (transfer students must have 12 semester hours completed at a four-year university)
  • Must have a minimum 3.0/4.0 cumulative grade point average (no rounding) at the time of application from the current institution; must maintain 3.0/4.0 cumulative GPA prior to the start of the internship
  • Must be able to relocate to Peoria, Illinois area or another indicated work location for the duration of the internship and complete daily work commute using reliable transportation
  • This pipeline posting is limited to candidates who have completed a Caterpillar Students & Graduates assignment within the previous 24 months
  • Must attach resume and an unofficial copy of transcript to the application
  • Applicants will be considered for positions throughout the United States; most positions based in Mossville, Illinois; sponsorship is not available; positions require working onsite five days a week
Responsibilities
  • Join a team with diverse project responsibilities and participate in a 40-hour-per-week, 12-week internship
  • Ferrous Metallurgy: Deepen understanding of wrought steels and ferrous castings through hands-on assignments in the foundry, traveling to the supply base, or using lab equipment
  • Failure Analysis: Develop metallography, fractography, and microscopy skills under guidance of experts to tackle urgent issues impacting customers
  • Quality Engineering: Learn materials engineering inspection methods and problem-solving techniques in a Caterpillar factory environment to deliver products at required quality levels
  • Heat Treat Engineering: Gain hands-on experience with heat treat production operations, including recipe development, quality control, efficiency improvements, and capital projects
  • Product Development: Provide materials engineering support to design engineers developing next-generation products while broadening knowledge of Caterpillar’s applications and markets
  • Offer opportunities for networking with employees at all levels; participate in presentations and performance evaluation processes
Desired Qualifications
  • Previous technical internship, co-op, or research/relevant experience
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Caterpillar designs and manufactures heavy machinery and engines for the construction, mining, energy, and rail industries, selling equipment, parts, services, and financing. Its products are large diesel machines with hydraulic systems and attachments, using data-driven features and remote diagnostics to improve uptime, along with extensive aftermarket maintenance and repair. It differentiates itself through its global scale, integrated product-and-service ecosystem, and large dealer and financing networks, plus ongoing use of data analytics and AI to optimize performance. Its goal is to help customers complete large-scale projects safely and efficiently while supporting sustainable development through community initiatives and durable equipment.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Irving, Texas

Founded

1925

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Power Generation revenue jumped 41% to $2.82B in Q1 2026 from AI data center engines.
  • Record backlog surged 79% year-over-year to $63B fueled by data center equipment demand.
  • Caterpillar targets $30B in high-margin service revenue by 2030 via telematics and digital solutions.

What critics are saying

  • $2.6B tariff headwind directly compresses margins in construction and mining with 70–85% probability in 6–12 months.
  • Resource Industries profit plunged 39% to $378M in Q1 2026 as margins contracted to 10%.
  • Hyperscaler CapEx slowdown could reverse the 41% power generation revenue jump within 12–18 months.

What makes Caterpillar Inc. unique

  • Caterpillar dominates global construction and mining equipment with $67.6B revenue in FY 2025.
  • Its Power & Energy segment became the largest revenue contributor, surpassing Construction and Resources.
  • Caterpillar acquired Skycatch to integrate near-real-time spatial data and AI for mining digital twins.

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Benefits

Annual incentive bonus plan

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holiday, Volunteer, Etc.)

401k savings plan

Health savings account (HSA)

Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)

Disability benefits

Life Insurance

Parental leave

Healthy Lifestyle Programs

Employee Assistance Programs

Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts

Tuition Reimbursement

Career Development

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

4%

1 year growth

4%

2 year growth

4%
Yahoo Finance
Apr 11th, 2026
Applied Materials and Caterpillar outperform as UPS faces labour costs and declining revenue

Applied Materials reported first-quarter revenue of $7.01 billion, down 2% due to falling China sales, but earnings per share surged 75% to $2.54 on improved margins. The semiconductor equipment maker expects industry sales to grow more than 20% this year, driven by AI computing demand. The company holds leading market positions in deposition and etching tools used for chip manufacturing. Its shares have risen over 175% in the past year and more than 35% year-to-date. Meanwhile, Caterpillar is benefiting from data centre growth through its dominance in backup generators. The industrial firm is experiencing strong sales growth and a large backlog for diesel and natural gas engines that provide emergency power for hyperscale data centres.

PR Newswire
Apr 8th, 2026
Caterpillar appoints Kyle Epley as CFO after record $67.6B year

Caterpillar has appointed Kyle Epley as chief financial officer, effective 1 May 2026, replacing Andrew Bonfield, who will retire on 1 October after eight years with the company. Bonfield will serve in an advisory role during the transition period. Epley brings nearly three decades of Caterpillar experience to the role and currently serves as senior vice president of Global Finance Services. He has held several senior finance leadership positions, including division CFO and corporate controller. During Bonfield's tenure, Caterpillar achieved record financial performance, including the highest full-year sales and revenues in company history and a single-quarter record of $19.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025. The company reported 2025 sales and revenues of $67.6 billion.

PR Newswire
Apr 8th, 2026
Caterpillar maintains $1.51 quarterly dividend, extends 32-year streak of annual increases

Caterpillar has maintained its quarterly dividend at $1.51 per share of common stock, payable on 19 May 2026 to shareholders of record as of 20 April 2026. The construction and mining equipment manufacturer has paid a cash dividend every year since its formation and quarterly dividends since 1933. Caterpillar has increased annual dividends for 32 consecutive years and is a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index. The company reported sales and revenues of $67.6 billion in 2025. Its primary business segments include Power & Energy, Construction Industries and Resource Industries.

Yahoo Finance
Apr 1st, 2026
Caterpillar becomes AI powerhouse with $51B backlog from data centre power solutions

Caterpillar, the industrial equipment manufacturer known for construction machinery, has emerged as an unexpected AI beneficiary through its power and energy segment. The company is capitalising on surging demand for data centre power infrastructure, selling industrial-scale generators, battery systems and switchgear whilst electrical grids expand to meet capacity needs. The power and energy division grew revenue 23% year-over-year in Q4 2025, becoming Caterpillar's largest business. The company ended 2025 with a $51 billion order backlog, up 71% from the previous year. Management estimates data centre electricity requirements will rise 200% by 2035. Caterpillar shares have more than doubled over the past year and trade at 31 times forward earnings. Wall Street analysts forecast 18% annual earnings growth over the next three to five years.

Yahoo Finance
Mar 23rd, 2026
Caterpillar stock doubles in a year on AI data centre power demand

Caterpillar has surged roughly 100% over the past year, making it one of the best performers in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The dividend stock's gains have been driven largely by surging demand for power generation equipment needed to support AI data centres. In the fourth quarter of 2025, Caterpillar's power generation sales jumped 44%, fueled by demand for generators and turbines supporting AI infrastructure. The company secured one of its largest single power contracts to supply generators for a data centre project in West Virginia. Power and energy sales have become Caterpillar's largest revenue contributor. Caterpillar is investing $725 million to expand production capacity and plans to more than double turbine engine capacity by 2030. In June 2025, the company raised its quarterly dividend by 7% to $1.51 per share.