Business Innovation Intern

About Us:

We are more than just chainsaws, blowers, and trimmers. We have a long-standing tradition of hiring diverse, talented people who help make STIHL a successful, world-class brand. Since revolutionizing the forestry industry in Germany with the first electric chainsaw in 1926, the STIHL name has remained synonymous with outstanding innovation, high-quality products, and comprehensive services.

As part of our internship program, students will have the opportunity to:

• Gain hands-on, real-world experience within a leading industry, working on meaningful projects that contribute to day-to-day operations and long-term initiatives
• Volunteer to assist with company events such as the Family Picnic, Employee Summit, Manufacturing Technology Summer Camp, and other events as needed.
• Complete a final presentation outlining their internship experience, which may be presented to their direct supervisor and colleagues.
• Gain hands-on exposure to projects, team collaboration, and professional development opportunities designed to prepare them for future careers.
• Participate in learning sessions, networking opportunities, and community-building activities across the organization.

Job Duties & Responsibilities:

Join us for an exciting summer!  We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Operational Technology team as a Business Innovation intern.

As a Business Innovation intern, you will gain hands-on experience supporting STIHL’s internal Venture Partnering program, which identifies emerging startups and technologies that can improve efficiency and reduce costs across the organization. This role offers exposure to innovation scouting, technology evaluation, and cross-functional collaboration while working closely with the STIHL Ventures Client Manager.

In this role, you will help connect business challenges with external startup solutions by gathering requirements, researching innovative technologies, and supporting proof-of-concept (POC) initiatives that evaluate new opportunities for scalable impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Engage with business unit leaders to understand operational challenges and define solution requirements
• Use specialized research tools to identify startups whose technologies align with business needs
• Analyze potential startup solutions and present findings to internal stakeholders
• Support the coordination and tracking of proof-of-concept (POC) projects
• Help evaluate the feasibility and scalability of emerging technologies for long-term implementation
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support innovation and venture partnering initiatives

Internship Goals:

• Develop stakeholder discovery and requirements definition skills
• Build practical startup evaluation and opportunity screening skills
• Gain experience in proof-of-concept (POC) planning and execution

Specifications:

Candidate Perferences

Academic Year: Junior

Area of Study: Computer Science, Software Engineering

Software Experience: MS Office, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Jira, and familiarity with APIs or integration concepts.

Additional Information:

Work Hours: 8:00AM-4:30PM

Department: Operational Technology
Compensation: $20/hr