Procurement Intern

Job Description

About Company

Lensa:
Lensa is a career site designed to help job seekers find employment opportunities in the US. It explicitly states it is not a staffing firm or agency and does not hire directly for the jobs it promotes. Instead, Lensa advertises jobs on LinkedIn on behalf of its direct clients, recruitment ad agencies, and marketing partners. For this specific job, Lensa has partnered with DirectEmployers to promote the position for Caterpillar. When users click “Apply Now” or “Read more” on Lensa, they are redirected to the actual job board or employer site, and any information collected there is subject to that site’s terms and privacy notice.

Caterpillar Inc.:
Caterpillar Inc. is described as a global team focused on creating stronger, more sustainable communities. It highlights its employees as “makers, problem solvers, and future world builders” who are committed to progress and innovation, working with customers where they work and live to build a better world.

Job Description

This job is for a Procurement Intern within Caterpillar Inc.’s Procurement team.

About The Role:
Caterpillar’s Procurement team is responsible for managing the purchasing of materials for over 300 product lines, which include construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial turbines. The team also procures materials and services essential for business operations, such as office supplies, perishable tooling, and IT hardware and software.

As a Procurement intern, you will have the opportunity to lead and work on exciting projects including:
• Developing and implementing global sourcing strategies.
• Interfacing with product supply and category teams to achieve cost savings.
• Gathering and analyzing data for supplier negotiations.
Procurement professionals at Caterpillar work closely with internal customers worldwide to ensure quality, cost, and delivery objectives are met.

What You Will Do:
You will join a team with diverse project responsibilities and gain valuable networking opportunities with employees at all levels within Caterpillar. The internship is a 40-hour-per-week assignment lasting 12 weeks. You can focus on building professional abilities in various roles, which include, but are not limited to:
• Category Buyer: Responsible for directing the development, communication, and implementation of site, regional, or worldwide sourcing strategies. Manages policies, agreements, source catalogs, special purchasing programs, and supports specific Product line(s) NPI (New Product Introduction) programs.
• Facility Procurement Professional: Manages supply network procurement activities for a specific facility, ensuring procurement excellence and integration between the Procurement organization and the team supporting Facility / Divisional Leaders.
• Supplier Development Engineer: Collaborates with and advises the assigned supply base, providing technical expertise and leadership in executing a robust quality plan within the supplier network.
• Procurement Professional: Analyzes and maintains assigned processes to achieve output excellence, builds expertise in the assigned process area, and contributes to continuous improvement efforts. Leads project management for process improvement, process development, and process execution within the Procurement team.

What You Have – Skills And Experiences:
Critical skills and experiences for this role include:
• Analytical skills, initiating ideas, troubleshooting, problem-solving, and critical thinking capabilities.
• Ability to work constructively and collaboratively with others of diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, and abilities.
• Fundamental understanding of business process designs, engineering for a manufacturing environment, supplier relationship management concepts, and logistics and supply chain management.
• Ability to organize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, and quickly gain and effectively apply new skills and knowledge.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to participate in and build an inclusive, constructive, and productive work environment.
• Commitment to ensuring all team member’s contributions are recognized and valued.

Internship Program Qualifications:
To qualify for this internship, candidates must meet the following criteria:
• Must be enrolled full-time at a 4-year accredited university/college in one of the following fields of study: Business, Industrial/Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Operations, or Supply Chain Management at the time of application and throughout the program.
• Must have 30 completed semester hours before the start of the internship. (For transfer students, 12 semester hours must be completed at a 4-year university).
• Maintain a minimum 2.8/4.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (no rounding) at the current institution.
• Must be able to relocate to the Peoria, IL area or indicated work location for the duration of the internship and have reliable transportation for daily commute.

Top Candidates Will Also Have (Preferred Qualifications):
• Involvement with an academic campus team or related experience.
• Project or Team Leadership experience.
• Previous business or technical internship/co-op or relevant experience.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Additional Information:
• Applicants are required to attach their resume and an unofficial copy of their transcript to their application.
• While applicants will be considered for positions throughout the United States, Procurement internship positions will specifically be in the Peoria, Illinois area.
• This position requires working onsite five days a week.
• Sponsorship is NOT available for this position. Caterpillar is not currently hiring foreign national applicants that require or will require sponsorship tied to a specific employer (e.g., H, L, TN, F, J, E, O visas).
• For international job opportunities, candidates are directed to www.caterpillar.com/careers.

Compensation and Benefits:
• Summary Pay Range: The hourly rate for interns is $22.50 – $39.00.
• Intern Hour Rate Basis: An intern’s hourly rate is determined by the major/degree being pursued and the number of completed academic hours achieved before the start of the internship.
• Intern Benefits (if eligible):
• Accrued Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Volunteer Day
• Housing Stipend
• Relocation Assistance
• Medical coverage
• Voluntary benefits
• Relocation is available for this position.

Posting Dates:
• This job was posted from July 7, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

Final Details:
• Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen.
• Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply.
• Candidates are advised to frequently check the email associated with their application (including junk/spam folders) for primary correspondence. Application status updates can be found by logging into the candidate portal on Caterpillar’s career website.