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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Operations Intern

💰 $15/hr - $30/hr

OperationsInternshipLogisticsSupply ChainData Analysis

🎯 Role Definition

The Operations Intern supports day-to-day operational activities across supply chain, logistics, and business operations. This role is designed for proactive, detail-oriented students or recent graduates who want practical exposure to process improvement, inventory management, vendor coordination, and operational analytics. The intern will work cross-functionally with operations managers, logistics, procurement, finance, and customer support to optimize workflows, produce actionable reports, and help scale repeatable operational processes.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Current undergraduate or graduate students in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or Analytics.
  • Recent graduates seeking hands-on operational experience.
  • Candidates from other internships (customer support, logistics, procurement).

Advancement To:

  • Operations Coordinator / Operations Analyst
  • Supply Chain Analyst / Logistics Coordinator
  • Process Improvement Specialist or Continuous Improvement Analyst
  • Operations Manager or Program Manager (mid-term)

Lateral Moves:

  • Project Coordinator
  • Procurement / Buyer Assistant
  • Customer Success or Account Operations Analyst
  • Inventory Analyst or Warehouse Associate

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Assist with day-to-day operations tasks including order processing, shipment scheduling, and coordination with carriers to ensure on-time delivery and accurate documentation across domestic and international lanes.
  • Support inventory management through cycle counts, discrepancy investigation, inventory reconciliation, and maintenance of accurate stock records in ERP/WMS systems.
  • Prepare and analyze weekly operational KPI dashboards (OTD, fill rate, lead time, backlog) using Excel, Google Sheets, and visualization tools to surface trends and recommend corrective actions to operations managers.
  • Work with procurement and vendor management teams to coordinate purchase orders, track supplier lead times, follow up on outstanding deliveries, and escalate supply risks to stakeholders.
  • Execute root cause analysis for recurring operational issues (returns, damages, delays) and propose process improvements or SOP updates to reduce frequency and cost.
  • Maintain and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), runbooks, and knowledge base articles to ensure consistent execution of routine operations tasks.
  • Participate in cross-functional meetings with finance, customer support, and product teams to clarify operational requirements and support successful product launches or promotions.
  • Support the onboarding of seasonal staff or temporary warehouse associates by preparing training materials, checklists, and shadow sessions to accelerate productivity.
  • Assist in scheduling and tracking corrective maintenance or quality inspections in warehouse and fulfillment centers to minimize downtime and ensure compliance with safety standards.
  • Audit transactional data (invoices, receipts, shipping manifests) for errors and correct data entry issues in ERP/CRM systems to maintain accurate financial and operational records.
  • Perform ad-hoc cost analysis and reporting for shipping rates, vendor fees, and fulfillment costs to support negotiations and cost-saving initiatives.
  • Coordinate returns and reverse logistics processes, including return authorizations, routing instructions, and restocking or disposal procedures according to company policy.
  • Support implementation of process automation initiatives such as template creation, macros, and lightweight scripts to reduce manual work and speed up repetitive tasks.
  • Monitor supplier performance metrics and help compile scorecards used in vendor review meetings; assist in developing action plans for underperforming suppliers.
  • Collaborate with warehouse leads on layout optimization, slotting, and pick-path improvements to increase picking speed and reduce fulfillment errors.
  • Assist in preparing materials for operational readiness reviews prior to new product launches, including capacity modeling and contingency plans.
  • Manage routine communications with external partners (3PLs, carriers, vendors) and internal stakeholders to ensure transparency on order status and escalation pathways.
  • Support compliance and audit readiness by collecting required documentation, maintaining traceability records, and assisting during internal or external audits.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to answer business questions quickly and accurately.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by identifying repeatable analytics needs and documentation gaps.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering or analytics requirements for dashboards and automated reports.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering or operations improvement team as needed.
  • Assist marketing or sales operations with fulfillment reporting and promotional logistics coordination during campaign periods.
  • Help maintain and optimize the CRM and ERP data hygiene by deduplication, data validation, and coordinating with IT for system updates.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced Excel and Google Sheets skills including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, conditional formatting, and macros to produce repeatable operational reports.
  • Basic SQL proficiency for extracting, joining, and aggregating operational datasets from relational databases to support reporting and analysis.
  • Familiarity with business intelligence and visualization tools such as Tableau, Looker, Power BI, or Google Data Studio to create clear, actionable dashboards.
  • Experience with ERP/WMS/3PL systems (examples: NetSuite, SAP Business One, Oracle NetSuite, Manhattan, ShipStation) or quick adaptability to similar platforms.
  • Exposure to CRM tools (Salesforce, HubSpot) for operations-related data tracking and coordination with sales/customer success teams.
  • Comfortable with basic scripting or automation tools (Google Apps Script, Python basics, Excel VBA) to accelerate repetitive tasks and data pipelines.
  • Knowledge of inventory control concepts: cycle counting, FIFO/LIFO, safety stock, reorder points, and basic demand planning terminology.
  • Understanding of logistics and shipping fundamentals including carrier rate structures, incoterms, freight class, and international shipping documentation.
  • Ability to use ticketing and project management tools (Jira, Asana, Trello) to manage tasks, track issues, and document resolutions.
  • Competency in preparing and presenting operational summaries and recommendations for stakeholders using clear visuals and storytelling.
  • Basic familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement terminology and methods (Kaizen, 5S) is a plus.
  • Data hygiene and data entry accuracy — strong emphasis on minimizing errors and maintaining audit-ready records.

Soft Skills

  • Strong verbal and written communication: able to summarize complex operational topics clearly for non-technical stakeholders.
  • Analytical mindset with problem-solving orientation: able to break down processes, identify bottlenecks, and recommend data-driven solutions.
  • Attention to detail and strong organizational skills to manage multiple concurrent tasks and maintain accurate documentation.
  • Team player who can collaborate across functions (procurement, finance, customer success, logistics) and escalate issues appropriately.
  • Time management and prioritization skills: able to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment while balancing ad-hoc requests.
  • Adaptability and a willingness to learn: comfortable in an ambiguous environment and able to pick up new systems quickly.
  • Customer-centric focus: understands the impact of operations on customer experience and works to reduce friction.
  • Initiative and ownership: proactively identifies opportunities for improvement and follows through to implementation with support.
  • Professionalism and confidentiality: handles sensitive operational and financial data responsibly.
  • Resilience and stress tolerance: effective under pressure during peak periods or unexpected disruptions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Currently enrolled in or recently completed a Bachelor's degree or Associate degree program.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree (or progress toward) in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Economics, Data Analytics, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Industrial or Systems Engineering
  • Business Administration / Management
  • Operations Research / Analytics
  • Finance / Economics
  • Information Systems / Data Analytics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 0–2 years (internships, co-ops, relevant part-time work, university projects)

Preferred:

  • Prior internship or coursework in operations, logistics, supply chain, retail operations, or data analysis.
  • Hands-on experience with Excel-based analysis, exposure to ERP/WMS or BI tools, and demonstrated project or process work (academic or professional).

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