Supplier Relations Intern

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

Why Join Us?

At Thermo Fisher Scientific, our internship program is designed to be a strategic pipeline for future leadership talent. Interns who demonstrate exceptional performance, leadership potential, and alignment with our values will be considered for full-time opportunities during their internship with us to begin post-graduation. These opportunities include potential placement into one of our Leadership Development Programs (LDPs) or other early career roles across the organization.

As a global company with opportunities spanning multiple businesses, functions, and locations, applicants are required to be geographically flexible and mobile for both their internship assignment and potential future employment opportunities. Potential placement into internship, LDP, or full-time roles is based on business needs and organizational priorities at the time of selection. Onsite and in-office work is an essential function of this role and a requirement of the position.

Strategic Business Impact

Our internships are 10-week positions and students have the option to join us on either May 24, 2027 or June 14, 2027. All projects will have significant strategic and/or operating importance to the business to which they are assigned.

The Supplier Relations Specialist will provide support to the Third-Party supplier category team to drive our program’s value across the supplier community, and to achieve revenue and margin targets while improving the supplier and customer experience.

The position will require daily interaction with external Third-Party suppliers to establish, maintain, improve supplier relationships, negotiate favorable pricing, drive profitability, and support operational projects, including but not limited to enhanced electronic transactions, backlog reduction, order fulfilment improvements, etc.

Key Responsibilities:
• Demonstrate relationship management and negotiation skills
• Assist Category Manager in prospecting and researching suppliers and their competitors’ products to understand the market, their market share and evaluate the opportunity to make the best decision for our customers and our company
• Assist in preparing, organizing, and analyzing supplier information to aid in supplier discussions, negotiations, and business reviews
• Present our value proposition to suppliers
• Negotiate new or improved discounted pricing or rebates with the category suppliers to achieve margin and sales improvement targets
• Support the category with compiling and sending 3P centric Supplier Scorecards on a quarterly basis. Assist with analyzing the data for areas of improvement
• Assist with collaborating with suppliers on use of the Supplier Portal utilizing new product additions, lead time updates and promise date uploads
• Submit substitutions and cross references on items to more profitable Encompass suppliers or from items that have been discontinued
• Assist suppliers in resolving issues or concerns
• Act as a liaison between the Category Manager and 3P Purchasing and Open Order Specialists with daily Supplier related issues
• Collaborate with internal groups such as Portfolio Management, Supply Chain, Transportation, Cross Referencing, Regulatory, Product Administration, Finance, IT, etc. as needed
• Assist the Encompass Customer Team on customer specific requests/needs
• Perform other duties as assigned

Compensation & Relocation

Our Undergraduate internships offer an hourly rate between $18.50 - $28.75 dependent upon the role type and location you are supporting (aligned to respective cost-of-living guidelines). If eligible, a relocation stipend is offered in the amount of $5,000. Students must be located 50+ miles away from the physical location of the internship to be eligible for the relocation stipend. Please note that interns are required to have a reliable mode of transportation to and from their assigned work location for the duration of their internship.

What We Look For

Academic Background & Work Experience:

• Undergraduate student completing a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Business Management, Finance or related field between December 2027 – June 2028.
• A background in Chemistry, Biology or related field is a plus, however, not required
• Previous related internships and / or work experience totaling 1+ years experience required.

Leadership Profile:

• Proven leadership experience through student organizations, athletics, Greek life, community service, volunteer organizations, campus programs, military service, or other leadership roles.
• A track record of influencing others, leading initiatives, driving results, and creating positive impact within teams and organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, adapt to changing priorities, and solve complex problems.
• Evidence of grit, resilience, and perseverance when facing challenges, setbacks, or competing priorities.
• Strong learning agility, intellectual curiosity, and an innovative mindset.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and emotional intelligence, with the ability to build relationships across diverse teams.
• Geographic mobility and flexibility required to pursue internship and future career opportunities in locations aligned with business needs.
• Onsite and in-office work is an essential function of this role and is required throughout the program and in future placements to support collaboration across businesses, functions, and locations.

If this sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you!

To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require sponsorship (current or future) for employment visa status. Thermo Fisher does not offer employment in this position to holders of F-1, J-1, H-1, OPT, and CPT Visas for the purpose of obtaining practical experience.