2026 Field Development Program - South Africa at Caterpillar Inc.

About the Program

• The Field Representative Development Program is your launchpad into a high‑impact career at Caterpillar. Over 1 to 2 years, you’ll get hands‑on experience, world‑class training, and a front‑row seat to how we partner with our Cat® Dealers to serve customers worldwide.

Program Details:

• Start Date: August 1st, 2026
• Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
• Work Format: Full time (40 hrs / week), onsite 5 days per week

What to Expect / Structure of the Program:

Training in a cohort — Your First 3 Months: You will kick off your career in an immersive learning experience where you will:

• Dive into Caterpillar products, services, and industry strategies
• Build influential communication and leadership skills
• Connect with a global network of peers + mentors
• Visit dealers across the Europe, Africa Middle-East and Central Asia region
• Gain a deep understanding of what makes Caterpillar… Caterpillar

Rotational Assignments (12-24 months): Jump into meaningful roles across the organization to:

• Learn how our business operates from different angles
• Develop a broad technical and commercial skillset
• Work on strategic projects that go beyond the classroom
• Prepare for a customer‑facing field role

Your Next Step — Field Rep Opportunities: Once you graduate from the program, you’re ready to step into a field‑based role supporting Cat Dealers and customers.

Opportunities at the end of the Program:

• Industry Sales Representative: As an Industry Sales rep you will have responsibility for the support, marketing, and sales of machines or engines throughout the machine/engine sales cycle as well as driving revenue and growth for the aftermarket solutions business in line with industry strategy in the assigned territory. You will counsel dealers to develop and increase their performance, provide guidance on existing and potential customer service issues and improvement measures within an industry as well as assist dealers on forecast, sales strategy planning and sales techniques. You will also support the rollout of new products, analyze and communicate marketplace and competitive activity and analyze product application, configuration and utilization.

Division:

Customer Solutions Growth Regions

Why You’ll Love This Program:

• A personalized development plan tailored to your strengths & ambitions
• A dedicated coach guiding you throughout your journey
• Hands‑on technical, commercial, and soft‑skill training
• International exposure + opportunity to live abroad for a rotation
• A clear path to impactful roles across the business
• A chance to shape the customer experience for one of the world’s most iconic brands

Who We’re Looking For:

Program Qualifications:

• A degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field — or equivalent experience
• Fluent in English
• Ability to travel up to 30–70% depending on assignments
• Willingness to live abroad for up to 3 months for training/rotation
• Valid passport through May 2027

Skills That Make You Stand Out

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving – Ability to analyze complex situations, identify root causes, and develop effective, actionable solutions.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management – Skilled at conveying information clearly and building strong relationships with diverse stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to ensure alignment and engagement.
• Learning Agility & Adaptability – Quick to learn, open to feedback, and able to adapt effectively to changing priorities, environments, and technologies.
• Digital & Data Literacy – Ability to leverage digital tools and interpreting data to support decision‑making and drive efficiency. Proficiency in MS Office / O365: Ability to build simple dashboards or visualizations (e.g., Power BI, Excel advanced features) and comfort cleaning, interpreting, or summarizing data sets.
• Teamwork & Collaboration – Strong collaborator who fosters trust, contributes to shared goals, and works effectively across diverse teams and functions.

What you might have:

• Ideal for those building foundational skills in business, marketing, engineering or digital, generally within the first 3 years of their career - 0-3 years of relevant experience related to this field (internships or academic projects are a plus.
• Experience supporting or leading small projects (university, internship, or extracurricular).
• Participation in tech communities, hackathons, case competitions, innovation lab or student innovation challenges.
• Experience studying, working, or volunteering in a multicultural environment or abroad.
• Leadership roles in student organizations, tech clubs, community groups, or volunteering.