Supply Chain and Procurement – Summer Intern
At Hypertherm Associates, we design and build innovative industrial cutting solutions that help our customers succeed, and we believe resilient supply chains are created when data, supplier collaboration, technical understanding, and thoughtful sourcing decisions come together We are a 100% associate-owned company headquartered in Hanover, NH, with a global presence in 26 countries. For over 50 years, we’ve been recognized as a top employer and a leader in industrial cutting technology.
This summer internship at our Kent, Washington is designed for students who are curious about how procurement, inventory management, supplier risk, commodity markets, and emerging AI tools shape decisions in a real-world manufacturing environment.
The Supply Chain and Procurement intern will support Hypertherm Associates’ Waterjet business through two project-based assignments focused on inventory optimization and practical applications of agentic AI. The intern will work with Procurement, Planning, Engineering, Quality, Operations, Finance, and other stakeholders to analyze business data, improve decision-making, and develop repeatable tools.
Suggested Final Deliverables
1–2 page executive summary for each core project (see below)
Supporting Excel, Power BI, or other analytical tools
Inventory segmentation and replenishment recommendation
Two tested agentic AI prototypes with documented assumptions and limitations
Source appendices, test cases, output templates, and human-review requirements
6–8 slide final presentation to Supply Chain and Waterjet leadership
Recommended implementation actions, owners, and next steps
Who You Are and What You Bring:
Pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations, Business, Engineering, Analytics, Economics, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
Entering the third or fourth year of undergraduate study or currently pursuing graduate study.
Experience analyzing data and translating findings into recommendations.
Working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables, lookups, filtering, and basic data visualization.
Interest in procurement, inventory, commodity markets, supplier management, artificial intelligence, or business-process improvement.
Strong research, critical-thinking, source-validation, written, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to organize ambiguous information and distinguish evidence from assumptions.
Curiosity about technical products and industrial manufacturing.
Ability to collaborate across functions and appropriately handle business-confidential information.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience with Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Power Platform, Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Python, or another analytical or AI tool.
Coursework or experience in inventory management, sourcing, commodity economics, operations research, statistics, cost analysis, or responsible AI.
Familiarity with ERP or MRP systems such as Oracle or SAP.
Exposure to Lean, Six Sigma, root-cause analysis, or project-management methods.
Experience presenting analytical findings to a business or academic audience.
Location : Kent, Washington
Key Projects & Deliverables:
Project 1: Inventory and Replenishment Optimization
Analyze selected groups of purchased components and recommend inventory or replenishment policies that balance continuity of supply with working-capital efficiency.
Analyze historical usage, estimated annual usage, unit cost, supplier lead time, order frequency, minimum-order quantities, and existing inventory.
Segment inventory based on value, demand variability, supply risk, and purchasing frequency.
Compare Kanban, MIN/MAX, blanket-order, quarterly-buy, and supplier-stocking strategies.
Identify slow-moving, high-cost, long-lead-time, or excess inventory.
Assess and recommend replenishment methods and initial planning parameters for selected parts or supplier programs.
Evaluate the effects of demand changes, supplier lead…