Materials Management Intern
Who We Are:
Challenge’s mission is to manufacture with operational excellence by empowering our employee-owners. As a leading tier 1 supplier of complex metal assemblies for the global automotive industry, we drive innovative solutions for future mobility. We believe the best ideas come from individual unique perspectives. These ideas combined with the teamwork of industry leaders allow us to accomplish any challenge. Our team members take pride in the work we do and embody our core values of safety, ownership, and teamwork every day; they are the true driving force in our operations.
Challenge is proud to be one of the largest employee-owned automotive companies in North America. One of the many benefits of joining the Challenge team is the ESOP program. This program allows Challenge to give shares of the Company to all employee-owners annually. These shares are an additional retirement benefit that will continue to grow during your time at Challenge. Being part of an ESOP means our employee-owners share in Challenge’s success!
Together we own Safety! Challenge is #QualityDriven and #PeoplePowered!
Who We Want:
A college or university student heading into their junior or senior year majoring in Materials Management or a related field of study
Project Scope:
Key Projects & Responsibilities:
- Materials Handling Process Documentation
- Create standardized procedures and work instructions for the receipt, movement, and storage of raw materials (e.g., steel coils, blanks, subassemblies) used in metal stamping and welding operations.
- Map the flow of materials from receiving to point-of-use in welding cells and stamping presses.
- Define best practices for FIFO, line-side staging, and container management based on part criticality and production sequence.
- Implement visual management aids and labeling standards to support error-proofing and traceability.
- Departmental Efficiency Improvement – Turtle Diagram Project
- Lead the development of a Turtle Diagram for the Materials Management process, identifying Inputs, Outputs, Methods, Equipment, Environment, and People.
- Work with cross-functional teams (Production, Quality, Engineering) to evaluate the current state and propose measurable KPIs (e.g., material availability, downtime due to material shortages, delivery accuracy).
- Recommend areas for process simplification, automation, or digitalization (e.g., barcode scanning, electronic kanban).
- Communication & Support Workflow Optimization
- Create a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) that define how the Materials team communicates with upstream (scheduling, purchasing) and downstream (production, logistics) departments.
- Document escalation procedures, shift handoff expectations, and inventory discrepancy resolution workflows.
- Implement a communication matrix for key roles and responsibilities, with RACI charts where applicable.
- Explore the integration of Lean Daily Management boards and digital tools for real-time updates.
When and Where:
May 19th – August 2025 (Exact end date TBD)
This will be a 1st Shift / 8am – 5pm M-F position located at our Holland, Michigan plant located at 1401 S. Washington, Holland, MI, 49423.
What You Need to Have:
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A college or university student heading into their junior or senior year majoring in Materials Management or a related field of study.
What We Offer:
We’re excited to offer a range of awesome benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions, Flexible Spending Accounts, company-paid Short-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance, Voluntary Life and Long-Term Disability options, an Employer 401k Match, ESOP shares, tuition reimbursement, a Referral Bonus Program, Challenge Incentive Program, and paid time off.
Please note, while these benefits are part of what we offer, they may not all apply to this specific role. The details shared in this job description are intended to give you a general idea, but duties and responsibilities may evolve over time, with or without notice. And of course, we’re happy to provide reasonable accommodations to help individuals with disabilities succeed in their role.
