Company: Caterpillar Inc.
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Programme Type: Graduate Development Programme
Start Date: 1 August 2026
Closing Date: 29 March 2026
Are you a recent graduate with a passion for engineering, business, or commerce — and a hunger to build a career with one of the world’s most iconic industrial brands? Caterpillar Inc. is inviting South African graduates to apply for its Field Representative Development Program, a structured 1 to 2-year graduate development journey based in Johannesburg that launches participants into high-impact, customer-facing careers across the global Caterpillar business.
About the Programme
The Field Representative Development Program is Caterpillar’s gateway for exceptional graduates to gain hands-on experience, world-class training, and meaningful exposure to how the company partners with its Cat Dealers to serve customers across the Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia region and beyond.
The programme unfolds across three distinct phases:
Phase 1 — Cohort Training (First 3 Months): Participants begin with an immersive, collaborative learning experience designed to build a strong foundation. You will explore Caterpillar’s products, services, and industry strategies; develop leadership and communication skills; connect with a global network of peers and mentors; and visit Cat Dealers across the EAME and Central Asia region to develop a firsthand understanding of the business.
Phase 2 — Rotational Assignments (12 to 24 Months): Participants rotate through meaningful roles across the organisation, developing a broad technical and commercial skill set, contributing to strategic projects, and gaining the perspective needed to excel in a field-facing role. International exposure is a feature of this phase, with the opportunity to live abroad for a rotation period.
Phase 3 — Field Representative Placement: Upon completing the programme, graduates step into field-based roles supporting Cat Dealers and customers — roles with real accountability and global reach.
What Caterpillar Offers
- A personalised development plan tailored to your strengths and ambitions
- A dedicated coach throughout the programme journey
- Hands-on technical, commercial, and soft-skills training
- International exposure and the opportunity to live abroad for up to three months
- A clear career pathway into impactful roles across the Caterpillar business
Who Should Apply
Caterpillar is looking for graduates who hold a degree in Engineering, Business, or a related field. Business-related qualifications include — but are not limited to — BCom, Business Management, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Economics, Data Analytics, Human Resource Management, Project Management, and many others.
Additional requirements include fluency in English, a valid passport through at least May 2027, willingness to travel between 30% and 70% of the time depending on assignment, and willingness to live abroad for up to three months during training or rotation.
Caterpillar values graduates who demonstrate critical thinking, strong communication, learning agility, digital and data literacy, and the ability to collaborate across diverse teams and functions.
How to Apply
This is a full-time, onsite programme running five days per week, 40 hours per week, based in Johannesburg, Gauteng. The programme starts 1 August 2026.
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