Intern Procurement

Role Purpose

Perform a variety of duties for managers and/or department of an assigned business unit. Coordinate special projects for the assigned department to support business operations. Serve as a resource for the assigned department or unit, answering questions and providing general program information or follow up as needed. Maintain departmental paperwork, files, logs and reports, and assist in creating or researching pertinent information for the manager.

Support the Procurement team in delivering efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective sourcing solutions across IHG’s global operations. Interns will gain hands-on experience in supplier management, project coordination, and procurement processes, with direct involvement in new hotel opening initiatives.

Key Accountabilities

• Complete and/or coordinate activities related to assigned special projects; assist in establishing project timetables, action steps and status updates; follow-up, as appropriate, to ensure timely execution to meet established deadlines.
• Research and compile a variety of moderately complex data to include creating spreadsheets or databases for maintaining and reporting management information; may require some analysis of data.
• Prepare a variety of departmental reports and/or presentations, gathering and summarizing information from various sources as requested; may create and format reports and presentation materials utilizing various spreadsheet graphics, and/or statistical software as needed.
• Monitor and report variances to departmental budgets or track departmental spend information to help maintain operating controls.
• Answer inquiries related to daily activities/programs of work area, and act as a liaison between assigned work area and internal or external contacts to convey appropriate information. Respond to and/or resolve internal/external inquiries regarding problems or complaints as needed. Maintain a consistent, high quality customer-focused orientation, including providing clear, accurate information; explaining procedures or materials or providing supplemental information; anticipating problems or questions; or referring customers to appropriate contacts within the unit, department or division.
• Compose and prepare clear and concise correspondence as requested or required. Review documents, logs, reports or other work products for typographical accuracy and format.
• Perform administrative support duties as assigned to facilitate the smooth operation of the assigned work area. Prepare reports, charts, presentation data, or logs as required and according to established specifications. 
• Conduct supplier research and benchmarking across categories (e.g., food & beverage, furniture, technology).
• Assist in the RFP and tender process, including data collection, analysis, and documentation.
• Support new hotel opening procurement projects by:
  o Coordinating procurement timelines with project managers and hotel operations teams.
  o Assisting in vendor onboarding, contract preparation, and compliance checks.
  o Tracking procurement deliverables to ensure readiness for hotel launch.
• Contribute to sustainability initiatives by identifying eco-friendly sourcing opportunities.
• Work with procurement systems (ERP, e-sourcing tools) to manage supplier data and contracts.
• Prepare reports and presentations for category managers and leadership.
• Shadow procurement professionals in supplier negotiations, audits, and cross-functional meetings.
• Collaborate with finance, operations, sustainability, and project management teams to align procurement goals.

Learning & Development Opportunities

Exposure to global procurement practices in hospitality.
Training in project management fundamentals (timelines, deliverables, stakeholder coordination).
Workshops on negotiation, analytics, and supplier relationship management.
Networking opportunities with procurement leaders, project managers, and hotel operations teams.
End-of-program showcase: interns present their project outcomes to senior stakeholders.

Key Skills & Experiences

Education –

Undergraduate or graduate student who is obtaining or has obtained a degree from a credited school. 

Technical Skills and Knowledge –

• Demonstrated strong PC skills including proficiency in a variety of software packages (i.e. Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, e-mail, etc.).
• Demonstrated effective oral and written communication skills for the purpose of conveying information to internal and external customers, or providing information via written reports or correspondence.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze basic database information for the purpose of accurately tracking or maintaining data and reporting trends or inconsistencies.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple assignments and projects accurately and with attention to detail. Demonstrated follow-through and ability to complete multiple ongoing projects on time and within specified budget.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and attention to detail in order to maintain accuracy of reporting data.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills for the purpose of maintaining the daily flow of office work, answering questions, and resolving issues. 
• Demonstrated math skills for the purpose of checking figures for accuracy.