Supply Chain Operations Intern

Innovation Associates, Inc.•Village of Johnson City, NY

9d•$18 - $26•Onsite

About The Position

As a Materials/Supply Chain Intern, you’ll gain hands-on experience supporting the supply chain activities that keep iA’s products moving from suppliers through manufacturing and ultimately to our customers. You’ll work alongside experienced supply chain, materials, purchasing, operations, engineering, and manufacturing professionals to help ensure the right materials are available at the right time, in the right quantities, and at the right cost. This is an opportunity to learn how a technology and manufacturing organization manages purchasing, supplier relationships, inventory, material requirements, production needs, lead times, logistics, and supply chain risk. You’ll contribute to projects that have a direct impact on operational efficiency, inventory investment, production schedules, customer commitments, and overall business performance. You’ll be exposed to the full materials and supply chain lifecycle from identifying material requirements and placing orders, through supplier delivery and inventory management, to ensure materials are available for production. You’ll also have opportunities to identify process improvements, investigate supply chain issues, and use data to help the team make better business decisions. The iA Intern Program is a 10-week summer internship, running from, Tuesday June 1, 2027, through Friday, August 6, 2027.

Requirements

Currently pursuing a degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business, Manufacturing Engineering, Logistics, Materials Management, or a related field.
Interested in learning how materials, purchasing, suppliers, inventory, manufacturing, and logistics work together to support a business.
Organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and follow through on commitments.
Comfortable working with numbers and using data to understand problems and make informed decisions.
A strong communicator who is comfortable working with both internal teams and external suppliers.
A collaborative team member who is willing to ask questions, learn new processes, and take ownership of assigned work.
Able to work in a fast-paced environment where priorities may change based on production and customer needs.
Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. Employer will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Nice To Haves

Coursework or experience in supply chain management, procurement, purchasing, inventory management, operations, logistics, or manufacturing.
Familiarity with MRP or ERP systems and how they are used for purchasing, inventory, production planning, and materials management.
Experience with Microsoft Excel, including formulas, sorting/filtering, pivot tables, lookups, and basic data analysis.
Exposure to supplier management, sourcing, purchasing, or procurement processes.
Understanding of basic supply chain concepts such as lead time, safety stock, reorder points, ROP, ROQ, inventory turns, demand planning, material requirements planning, and supplier performance.
Understanding of manufacturing or engineering processes and how engineering decisions can affect materials, costs, suppliers, and production.
Experience working on process improvement or continuous improvement projects.
Knowledge of Smartsheet or other project and workflow management tools.
Familiarity with AI assistance tools, such as Claude or similar technologies, and an interest in using technology to improve supply chain processes.
Experience with data visualization, reporting, or supply chain analytics.
Healthcare and/or pharmacy experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Support day-to-day materials management by monitoring material requirements, inventory levels, open purchase orders, and production needs to help ensure materials are available when required.
Assist with purchasing activities by creating, reviewing, and tracking purchase orders and helping ensure orders are placed accurately and on time.
Monitor supplier performance by tracking supplier lead times, delivery dates, shortages, backorders, and other issues that may impact production or customer commitments.
Communicate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to obtain order status updates, resolve material availability issues, and communicate changes or potential risks.
Support inventory management by analyzing inventory levels, identifying excess and obsolete materials, investigating discrepancies, and helping maintain appropriate inventory levels.
Assist with MRP/ERP activities by reviewing system-generated material requirements, purchase recommendations, inventory data, item information, and other system outputs.
Help maintain accurate materials and item master data, including part numbers, descriptions, suppliers, lead times, order quantities, costs, and other information necessary for effective planning and purchasing.
Support production planning by helping identify material shortages and potential constraints that could affect manufacturing schedules.
Help identify and resolve material shortages by researching availability, supplier commitments, inventory locations, alternate sources, and other potential solutions.
Support new product introduction and engineering changes by helping assess material requirements, supplier availability, lead times, costs, and potential supply chain impacts.
Assist with supplier sourcing and procurement projects by researching suppliers, comparing pricing and lead times, gathering quotes, and organizing supplier information.
Analyze supply chain costs by reviewing material pricing, purchase quantities, freight, and other factors that may present opportunities for cost reduction.
Support cycle counts and inventory accuracy initiatives by helping investigate inventory discrepancies and identify opportunities to improve inventory accuracy and control.
Assist with logistics and material movement by helping coordinate inbound materials, shipments, deliveries, and the movement of materials between suppliers, warehouses, and production areas.
Document and improve supply chain processes by helping create work instructions, standard operating procedures, process maps, and other documentation.
Identify opportunities for continuous improvement by observing supply chain processes, identifying inefficiencies, and recommending improvements related to cost, quality, delivery, inventory, and productivity.
Develop and maintain supply chain reports and trackers using tools such as Microsoft Excel, ERP/MRP systems, and Smartsheet to provide visibility into purchasing, inventory, supplier performance, and material availability.
Participate in cross-functional projects with Purchasing, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Operations, and other teams to resolve issues and improve supply chain performance.
Learn and apply supply chain best practices related to purchasing, inventory management, demand and material planning, supplier management, logistics, and continuous improvement.
Contribute to meaningful business projects that help iA improve material availability, reduce inventory and operating costs, increase supplier performance, minimize supply chain risk, and support on-time delivery to customers.