Procurement Intern – Summer 2025 Internship

Equity Residential’s corporate summer intern program is a full-time, 10 week paid internship based in Chicago. The selected intern will work with the Procurement team for the length of the program and will have the opportunity to collaborate with various interns in other business areas (HR, Property Operations, Investments).

The purpose of Equity’s Corporate Internship Program is to attract emerging diverse talent and promote learning about Equity and the real estate industry. Participants will have the opportunity to accelerate their professional growth and diversify their work experience by engaging with different business partners throughout the program.

Please note: Our internship experience will be a hybrid in person/remote platform for 2025, with three days of required on-site participation at our corporate office in Chicago. Relocation is not provided for this internship.

WHO YOU ARE

• Organized, Flexible, and Adaptable. You have a keen eye for detail and pride yourself on delivering quality work. You multitask well, re-prioritize accordingly, and meet deadlines consistently. You keep your cool during stressful situations, remain resilient, and quickly find solutions in order to meet the changing needs and priorities of the business.
• A Collaborator and Trusted Team Player. You enjoy partnering with others —whether internal or external— and build constructive working relationships that foster cooperation in order to get work done and deliver great results. You are united with teammates and follow through on commitments.
• A Strong Communicator. Your writing and speaking skills are clear, articulate, and effective, demonstrating your ability to interact with all levels and helping you connect well with others.
• Creative. You like thinking outside the box to come up with smart solutions to new challenges, and you embrace the opportunity to live in the gray.
• A Solution-Oriented Team Player. You are united with teammates and follow through on commitments.
• Passionate. Motivated. Eager to Learn. You ask smart questions, challenge the status quo, and regularly seek to understand. You invest extra energy to reach your goals.

OVERVIEW OF THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

• A first-hand experience of day-to-day life at a REIT and resources to learn the programs/tools and processes used in the industry.
• Perform research and prepare reports on assigned topics and/or projects.
• May create or update systems or databases for specific department needs.
• Present project results to department personnel or management.
• Work collaboratively across EQR departments and functions to establish and update a strategic plan that maximizes value and enhances returns for every asset within the portfolio.
• Represent Equity Residential in a professional manner at all times. Consistently maintains a professional courteous attitude when dealing with residents, coworkers and the general public.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As the Procurement Intern, you will assist in collecting and analyzing operational data and market metrics for the portfolio to help recognize market trends and business issues in order to make informed organizational decisions.

• Develop and maintain relationships with relevant internal and external business partners to identify and execute key deliverables.
• Participate in monthly operations meetings and observe the process of high level reporting on operational initiatives. Understand how different departments work cross functionally to develop and manage business processes and execute operational goals.
• Develop a proposal for an operations initiative that could generate revenue, reduce cost, or increase efficiency, and present to the operations leadership team.
• Data-driven projects – Participate in gathering and presenting data to internal and external business partners
• Network and engage with key stakeholders across the organization to establish and execute key deliverables.

REQUIREMENTS

• Prefer candidates pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Sourcing /Procurement, Supply Chain, Economics, or a related field.
• Familiarity and previous experience with Microsoft Excel and Google Applications (Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets) preferred.
• Ability to effectively and objectively communicate and work with internal and external customers, as well as strong analytical skills and a keen eye for detail.
• Must be comfortable working autonomously and multi-tasking in a fast paced environment with changing deadlines.
• Unrestricted authorization to work in the United States (currently, we are not offering this program under OPT or CPT or sponsoring work visas for these roles).