Job Summary
The Purchasing Intern supports the Purchasing team through supplier communications, purchase order management, material availability reviews, and data analysis activities. This position provides exposure to purchasing, supply chain operations, supplier management, and manufacturing support while assisting with initiatives that improve material availability and plant delivery performance.
The intern will work closely with Buyers and cross-functional teams including Planning, Production, Engineering, Quality, Receiving, Finance, and other Supply Chain functions to support daily operations and continuous improvement initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Support Buyers with daily purchase order management and supplier follow-up activities.
- Review open purchase orders to identify past-due deliveries and upcoming material requirements.
- Follow up with suppliers regarding purchase order acknowledgments, order confirmations, shipment dates, and recovery plans.
- Assist with managing and reducing past-due purchase orders.
- Support the review and resolution of planned purchase orders generated through Material Requirements Planning (MRP).
- Identify released but unconfirmed purchase orders and assist with obtaining supplier confirmations.
- Support Buyers in identifying material shortages and supply risks that may impact production schedules.
- Assist with Clear-to-Build activities by reviewing material availability, supplier commitments, and potential shortages.
- Support purchasing initiatives that improve plant delivery performance and on-time material availability.
- Analyze purchasing and supply chain data using Microsoft Excel and other reporting tools.
- Assist in preparing reports, dashboards, presentations, and purchasing metrics.
- Participate in Purchasing Tier meetings and other operational meetings as appropriate.
- Collaborate with Planning, Production, Engineering, Quality, Receiving, Finance, and other Supply Chain teams to resolve material and supplier-related issues.
- Support continuous improvement projects within the Purchasing organization.
- Assist with special Purchasing and Supply Chain projects as assigned.
Minimum Requirements
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Logistics, Engineering, or a related field.
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Microsoft Excel.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
- Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented manufacturing environment.
- Ability to learn new systems, processes, and supply chain concepts.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior internship, co-op, project, or coursework experience related to Supply Chain, Purchasing, Operations, Logistics, or Manufacturing.
- Experience using Microsoft Excel for data analysis, including PivotTables, charts, and formulas.
- Familiarity with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
- Basic understanding of Purchasing, Supply Chain, Material Requirements Planning (MRP), or Inventory Management concepts.
- Interest in pursuing a career in Supply Chain, Purchasing, Procurement, or Operations.
Travel Requirements
- No travel required; limited travel may be required for business meetings, training, or special projects.
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