Operations Intern - Summer 2026

Company Description

Hillman is a $1.3B leader in complete hardware solutions, delivered with industry best customer service to over 26,000 customers including Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart and Amazon. Hillman designs innovative products and merchandising solutions for complex categories that deliver an outstanding customer experience. Leveraging a world-class distribution and sales network, Hillman delivers a “small business” experience with “big business” efficiency.

Job Description 

The Operations Intern role is designed to provide hands-on work experience and skill building for college students interested in pursuing a career in Supply Chain Management. In this role, the DC Operations Intern will be involved in assisting with receiving, stocking, picking, packing, and shipping goods, while also getting involved in process improvement projects, data analysis, inventory management, and learning safety/compliance, often shadowing managers to understand warehouse logistics and supply chain management.

*This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Employees are expected and encouraged to participate in safety and health program activities including immediately reporting hazards, immediately reporting unsafe work practices and incidents to supervisors, wearing required personal protective equipment, and participating in and supporting safety committee activities.

Key Responsibilities

•  Assessing Accuracy of Existing DC SOPs: Reviewing current standard operating procedures (SOPs) within the distribution center to ensure they reflect actual practices, are up-to-date, and comply with quality and safety standards. This involves collaborating with subject matter experts (SMEs) and personnel who perform the tasks daily.
• Creating SOPs for the Wave Planning Position: Developing detailed step-by-step instructions for the wave planning role, which involves organizing and prioritizing warehouse orders into efficient picking batches (waves). This requires working closely with the existing wave planners to accurately map out the workflow.

 Other Contributions

• Assist operations leaders in understanding daily workflows, from inbound freight to outbound delivery.
• Assist with ensuring accurate SOP materials for the training of new hires.
• Track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as safety, quality, and productivity to identify gaps and drive action.
• Participate in process improvement initiatives leveraging methodologies like Gemba walks or 5 Whys analysis.
• Support inventory control and quality assurance activities.

Suggested Qualifications

• Actively pursuing a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office programs (especially Excel for data analysis).
• Strong interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative distribution center environment. 

Required Qualifications

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and prioritize effectively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with similar platforms is a plus.
• Basic knowledge of data analytics or reporting tools.