Purchasing Intern

About STIHL Inc:

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.

Internship Summary:

Be a part of an innovative team and culture....

Imagine working side-by-side with industry leaders in your field of study. Imagine building upon the skills you've learned in the classroom through real-world hands-on experience. 

The internship will be focused on general and specific projects such as: 

General Projects:

• the Localization Research online for specific commodities/processes that our buyers can vet for farther inquiries. 
• Research summaries showing potential vendor locations, capabilities, certifications that can be used by buyers as a way to narrow down what is available within a commodity in North America.

Specific Projects:

• NTB (Part Analysis/Qualification) Management: Overall project management of NTBs and SETAs in relation to resins and STIHL Inc. plant usage.  Coordination with plant/buyer/R&D to make sure data gets to the appropriate team for each analysis step.
• STIHL Inc. Analysis (SAP/Excel) Research:
• Look into part history for pricing and usage to add a secondary set of eyes to the buyers for potential areas of negotiation and supplier adjustments.
• STIHL Costing Tool Models:
• Add known tool models into the STIHL Costing Tool (Kerkoff) for STIHL Inc. Parts.

Internship Goals:

• Company Research:
  • Understanding of manufacturing capabilities and qualifications of a manufacturing plant by viewing their data on-line. Look into their risk (financial) and area costs based on location and surrounding environment.
• Project Management:
  • Gain an understanding of workflow and part flow through the manufacturing system.  Understand how material gets qualified and how each department relates to the transition of raw material to a finished part.
• Purchasing Cost Analysis:
  • Research the breakdown of a total part cost into its driving elements.  Gain an understanding of how the material, overhead, processes, labor, and profit combine into the final cost of the good.  Look into outside factors that influence each of these areas (labor, utility costs, competition, market indexes on material, types of machines used) that can drive the part cost beyond what is a benchmark.
• Professional Communication:
  • In purchasing, we hold a relationship with nearly every aspect of the business along with upper-level management of outside companies.  Working in our department will require and help to cultivate the language and demeanor that is necessary to work with various levels of employees, from hourly workers to CEOs.  The understanding of when and how to communicate is a critical step for anyone looking to enter the corporate side of America.

Internship Requirements:

Academic Year: Junior or above

Area of Study: Engineering, Supply Chain, Law, or Business Admin

Preferred GPA: 3.0+

Software Experience: SAP (preferred), Microsoft Office Suite

Internship Information:

Work Hours: 8:30am-5:00pm

Department: Purchasing

Compensation: $20/hour