2026 Engineering Internship Program- Materials Engineering

Caterpillar•Mossville, IL

18d•$25 - $43•Onsite

About The Position

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. About the Role Caterpillar's Corporate Engineering Intern program seeks students currently enrolled in a four-year university to work alongside engineering professionals to learn and apply themselves to project work within their teams. Interns will have assignments that provide them with experience and significant learning opportunities. In addition to this work, Interns can network with management throughout the company to learn about Caterpillar areas outside their assigned team. Students can deepen their business skills in their assignments through team and business partner interactions, develop their skills, conduct presentations, and measure their success through the performance and evaluation process.

Requirements

Analytical skills, initiating ideas, troubleshooting, root cause analysis, problem-solving, and critical thinking capabilities.
Knowledge of engineering principles, theory, and engineering experience gained through projects, internships, and/or relevant work experiences.
Fundamental understanding of engineering for a manufacturing environment, ability to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that safely realize a desired objective or invention.
Organize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, ability to quickly gain, and effectively apply new skills & knowledge.
Success in collaborating with others of diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, and abilities.
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Participate in, and build on our inclusive, constructive, and productive work environment.
Ensure all team members’ contributions are recognized and valued.
Must be enrolled full-time in a 4-year university/college pursuing an ABET accredited degree in in a Materials Engineering discipline (e.g. Metallurgical Eng, Ceramic Eng, 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 30 semester hours before the start of the internship. If a transfer student must have 12 semester hours completed at a 4-year university
Minimum 3.0/4.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (no rounding) at current institution
Must be able to relocate to Peoria, IL area or indicated work location for the duration of the internship and complete daily work commute using reliable transportation.

Nice To Haves

Previous technical internship, co-op, or research/relevant experience
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Responsibilities

Ferrous Metallurgy: Deepen your understanding of wrought steels and ferrous castings through hands-on assignments in the foundry, traveling to our extensive supply base, or using advanced equipment in a lab setting
Failure Analysis: Tackle urgent issues impacting our customers by developing your metallography, fractography, and microscopy skills under the guidance and mentoring of veteran experts
Quality Engineering: Work in a Caterpillar factory environment where you will learn to apply materials engineering inspection methods and problem-solving techniques to deliver our products to customers at the quality levels they expect
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 our next generation of products while you develop a broader knowledge of Caterpillar’s applications and markets