2026 Future Talent Program- Global Supplier Management Group Indirect Procurement Marketing - Intern
Rahway, NJ
Internship
Hybrid
$40K/yr - $106K/yr
Intern
Merck is a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry, and they are seeking interns for their Future Talent Program in the Global Supplier Management Group. The role involves supporting strategic and operational objectives in Marketing Procurement, including supplier management, cost reduction, and conducting market analyses.
Responsibilities
Support strategic and operating objectives for the procurement function including product sourcing, supply risk management, supplier performance improvement, cost reduction, supplier diversity development, working capital improvement, and supplier relationship management
Work with cross functional teams including Legal, Finance, Procure-to-Pay, internal stakeholders, and external suppliers
Conduct detailed market analyses looking at facts and data, with the objective of providing deep and meaningful insights
Implement procurement efforts and execute tactical procurement processes.
Serve as a resource regarding processes, procedures and systems for procurement function.
Support selection of suppliers to ensure appropriate savings and service levels.
Ensure that all legal contract requirements are met.
Manage relationships with external contacts to ensure optimal team performance and to take appropriate actions by implementing contract negotiation, communication with suppliers and/or or modifying procedure to ensure customer satisfaction.
Enforce compliance with all Global Procurement policies and procedures by using a data driven business case approach.
Supplier and Supply Market Analysis – Conduct rigorous market intelligence and detailed supplier/supply market analyses to provide meaningful insights for Sourcing teams.
Cost Modeling / Cost Reduction – Build detailed cost models and purchase price analyses for goods and services supplied to the company.
Supplier Performance Management – Monitor supplier performance, investigate root causes of issues, manage supplier-related challenges, and perform risk assessments with mitigation strategies.
Strategic Analysis – Transform findings from supplier and cost analyses into well-structured, actionable options. Examples include Portfolio Analysis, Supplier Referencing, and Day One Sourcing initiatives.
Financial Analysis & Reporting – Prepare monthly reports on category spend, savings, compliance, and key metrics. Support the annual budget/profit planning process at the global level and maintain financial management systems (including SAP) with up-to-date data.
Negotiation Planning – Develop detailed pre-negotiation plans, lead or participate in negotiation sessions, and ensure thorough post-negotiation debriefs and follow-up actions.
Sourcing – Execute RFIs, RFPs, and e-Auctions, using electronic procurement processes to structure and analyze supplier information.
Risk Assessment & Mitigation – Conduct financial solvency checks, compliance assessments (e.g., FCPA, Business Partner Code of Conduct), and implement mitigation plans aligned with the Manufacturing Division’s risk management framework.
Category Team Membership – Actively contribute to one or more category teams by applying analyses and tools to create strategies that deliver cost-reduction targets.
Knowledge Sharing – Produce work of world-class quality and actively share learnings and best practices with colleagues across GSMG.
Qualification
Required
Currently in sophomore or junior level curriculum, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in business (such as Finance or Management), Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing, Market Research, Communications or a Science-related discipline (Engineering, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry or Bioengineering).
Superior interpersonal skills with the demonstrated ability to work successfully on cross functional teams.
Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills including ability to make clear and concise presentations, sensitivity to cultural differences in communication.
Strong data collection, analysis and reporting skills.
Excellent project management skills.
Ability to work independently with a high degree of flexibility and adaptability to deal with ambiguous and dynamic situations.
Quick learner and motivated to cultivate technical, business and commercial skills by applying their knowledge within our company environment.
Experience with SharePoint and Enterprise Social Media (specifically Teams, Yammer), and familiarity with principles of business communication, marketing and/or journalism.
Proficient in Microsoft office suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
Demonstrated excellent academic achievement.
Preferred
Prior pharmaceutical industry experience or any fortune 500 company experience.
Experience with using SharePoint or other similar collaboration websites.
Experience with TIBCO Spotfire or other data analytic/visualization tools.
Experience with using Excel to manage large data sets.
Benefits
Merck is a biopharmaceutical company that offers medicines and vaccines for various diseases.
