INTERNSHIP DETAILS

Business Innovation Intern

CompanySTIHL
LocationVirginia Beach
Work ModeOn Site
PostedMarch 4, 2026
Internship Information
Core Responsibilities
The Business Innovation intern will support STIHL’s internal Venture Partnering program by identifying startups and technologies to improve efficiency. Responsibilities include engaging with business leaders, analyzing startup solutions, and supporting proof-of-concept initiatives.
Internship Type
full time
Company Size
7767
Visa Sponsorship
No
Language
English
Working Hours
40 hours
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About The Company
STIHL builds on experience. Founded in 1926 by Andreas Stihl as a one-man company, STIHL has branched out to be a world leader in the portable outdoor power equipment industry. We’ve held onto our values as we’ve grown, believing progress demands strong roots in order to flourish in a meaningful way. As a family-owned business with great global impact, sustainability is built into the structure of our company. STIHL is grounded in tradition and its command of innovation. STIHL gets things done. Working with nature requires both, skill and craft. STIHL products use highly sophisticated technology, developed to match our customers’ needs: straightforward, effective, long-lasting and hands-on. From the professional to the hobbyist, STIHL helps to face new endeavors and guarantees a reliable partner is at hand, whenever needed. STIHL helps people grow. A career at STIHL means innovative work, centered around our high-technology products. As a global company, we offer you international opportunities and entrust you with challenging tasks. Together, we seek new ideas while maintaining the highest standards of quality, which have reinforced STIHL’s legacy for almost a century. We can always rely on our highly motivated personnel, their diverse talents and varied expertise. At STIHL, you craft your career. Thanks to our transparent structures, we create space for you to develop both personally and professionally. Your decisions will help shape STIHL’s future. As you grow, we’ll grow, together as a company. Data protection is important to us. You can find further information on this and the imprint here: https://www.stihl.com/social-media-privacy-policy.aspx https://corporate.stihl.de/de/footer/impressum
About the Role

About Us:

We are more than just chainsaws, blowers, and trimmers. We have a long-standing tradition of hiring diverse, talented people who help make STIHL a successful, world-class brand. Since revolutionizing the forestry industry in Germany with the first electric chainsaw in 1926, the STIHL name has remained synonymous with outstanding innovation, high-quality products, and comprehensive services.

 

As part of our internship program, students will have the opportunity to:

  • Gain hands-on, real-world experience within a leading industry, working on meaningful projects that contribute to day-to-day operations and long-term initiatives
  • Volunteer to assist with company events such as the Family Picnic, Employee Summit, Manufacturing Technology Summer Camp, and other events as needed.
  • Complete a final presentation outlining their internship experience, which may be presented to their direct supervisor and colleagues.
  • Gain hands-on exposure to projects, team collaboration, and professional development opportunities designed to prepare them for future careers.
  • Participate in learning sessions, networking opportunities, and community-building activities across the organization.

Job Duties & Responsibilities:

Join us for an exciting summer!  We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Operational Technology team as a Business Innovation intern.

 

As a Business Innovation intern, you will gain hands-on experience supporting STIHL’s internal Venture Partnering program, which identifies emerging startups and technologies that can improve efficiency and reduce costs across the organization. This role offers exposure to innovation scouting, technology evaluation, and cross-functional collaboration while working closely with the STIHL Ventures Client Manager.

 

In this role, you will help connect business challenges with external startup solutions by gathering requirements, researching innovative technologies, and supporting proof-of-concept (POC) initiatives that evaluate new opportunities for scalable impact.

 

Key Responsibilities:

  • Engage with business unit leaders to understand operational challenges and define solution requirements
  • Use specialized research tools to identify startups whose technologies align with business needs
  • Analyze potential startup solutions and present findings to internal stakeholders
  • Support the coordination and tracking of proof-of-concept (POC) projects
  • Help evaluate the feasibility and scalability of emerging technologies for long-term implementation
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support innovation and venture partnering initiatives

 

Internship Goals:

  • Develop stakeholder discovery and requirements definition skills
  • Build practical startup evaluation and opportunity screening skills
  • Gain experience in proof-of-concept (POC) planning and execution

Specifications:

Candidate Perferences

Academic Year: Junior

Area of Study: Computer Science, Software Engineering

Software Experience: MS Office, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, Jira, and familiarity with APIs or integration concepts.

 

Additional Information:

Work Hours: 8:00AM-4:30PM

Department: Operational Technology
Compensation: $20/hr

Key Skills
ResearchCollaborationTechnology EvaluationStartup EvaluationProof-of-ConceptStakeholder DiscoveryRequirements DefinitionOperational ChallengesCross-Functional TeamsInnovation ScoutingMicrosoft OfficeSalesforceJiraAPIsIntegration ConceptsNetworking
Categories
TechnologyEngineeringConsultingData & AnalyticsManufacturing