Strategic Sourcing Intern - Fall 2026

Work Location Type:Hybrid

Imperial Supplies, a Grainger Company, is a national distributor of quality maintenance products. Serving the fleet maintenance industry since 1958, Imperial has formed lasting relationships with customers by tailoring our services to meet their changing needs.

Our welcoming workplace enables you to learn, grow and make a difference by keeping businesses running and their people safe. As a Great Place to Work-Certified company, we're looking for passionate people to join our team as we continue leading the industry.

We're seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Strategic Sourcing Intern to support our Strategic Sourcing and Procurement teams during Fall 2026. This internship offers hands-on exposure to supplier management, sourcing strategy, and data-driven decision-making within a fast-paced business environment.

As a Strategic Sourcing Intern, you'll gain real-world experience working with RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, supplier data, and continuous improvement initiatives while collaborating with experienced sourcing professionals.

Internship details

• Paid internship during Fall 2026
• Duration of 12 weeks, up to 20 hours per week depending on student interest and availability
• Willing to provide supporting documentation for students seeking school credit

What You'll Learn

• Supplier relationship management, including building, maintaining, and strengthening vendor partnerships
• How organizations analyze spend data, supplier performance metrics, and risk factors
• Cost reduction and risk mitigation strategies within procurement
• Participation in continuous improvement projects driven by cross-functional sourcing teams

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with projects focused on improving sourcing efficiency, cost effectiveness, and risk mitigation
• Support Sourcing Managers with new item requests and customer bid reviews
• Gather, review, and analyze supplier RFIs (Requests for Information) and RFQs (Requests for Quote)
• Participate in market research to identify sourcing opportunities and supplier alternatives
• Help organize sourcing data, maintain system updates, and support documentation efforts
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across procurement teams
• Perform other related duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Currently a Sophomore, Junior, or Senior pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business
• Preferred field of study: Supply Chain, Operations, or a related discipline (not required)
• Strong analytical and organizational skills
• Attention to detail and ability to manage data accurately
• Comfortable asking questions, collaborating with others, and working independently
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel; experience with procurement or ERP systems is a plus

Why Join Us?

• Hands-on experience with real sourcing and procurement initiatives
• Exposure to supplier negotiations, sourcing strategy, and business decision-making
• Opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects with visible business impact

• Mentorship from experienced sourcing and procurement professionals

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one's employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.