Intern - Industrial Engineering, Retail

Description

Program Introduction

At Publix, we are committed to making a difference and it's our pleasure to continuously develop our most valuable resource-our associates. Since its launch in 2007, the Publix Summer Internship Program prepares a cohort of young professionals for a smorgasbord of opportunities in the workplace. This is achieved through relationship building, development of self-confidence, and insight into industry knowledge.

The 2026 Summer program dates are May 18th - July 24th at our company facilities in Lakeland, FL. Over these 10 weeks, interns will work 40 hours a week participating in impactful departmental projects that connect classroom learning to real-world corporate experience. Highlights include:

• Free housing provided in partnership with Florida Southern College (for interns that live outside of a 25-mile radius of the corporate office)
• Attending executive meetings
• Participating in group community service activities
• Touring manufacturing and distribution facilities
• Developing and delivering end of program presentations to Publix leadership

Join a company consistently ranked as a great place to work. Grow professionally and personally while making a lasting impact. Apply today and grow your legacy with Publix.

• This internship posting can close within two weeks from the date it was posted. Candidates are encouraged to apply immediately.

Position Overview

The Retail Industrial Engineering Team is responsible for improving the customer experience while driving process improvements and promoting optimally efficient, accurate and safe operations by developing industrial engineering solutions to complex and high-value business problems. We partner with our assigned business units to provide consultation, project management, and engineering skills to enhance operational efficiencies and to support ad-hoc improvement, tactical and business plan initiatives that advance their customer's strategy. Within the department, the intern will have several responsibilities:

What you'll do

• being assigned to a process improvement project for our stores. Project work includes
• designing and conducting work studies in the store by applying work measurements, work sampling and other industrial engineering methods.
• leading the data analysis of the assigned project to recommend an improvement to the process.
• presenting the work study results and recommendation to applicable business leaders.
• evaluating process improvement ideas from Publix associates for impact to retail operational efficiency, accuracy, safety and customer experience

Additional Information

Your application may have additional steps that you will need to complete in order to remain eligible for consideration. Please be sure to monitor your email, including your spam folder, on a daily basis for critical, time-sensitive emails that could require action within 24-48 hours.

Please do not use your Publix email address when applying. Once your application has been successfully submitted you will receive a confirmation email.

For this position, Publix does not and will not file a petition or application with the USCIS or Department of State on behalf of any noncitizen for any immigration-related benefit to work and/or to continue to work in the United States, e.g., an H-1B or TN petition or permanent residence.

Required Qualifications

• must be an actively enrolled student not graduating prior to the start of the Summer Internship Program in May; or

• if graduating from a bachelor's degree program prior to the start of the internship, starting a graduate degree program in the upcoming summer or fall semester; or

• if graduating from a master's degree program prior to the start of the internship, starting a graduate degree program in the upcoming summer or fall semester

• must be pursuing a bachelor's or graduate degree in industrial engineering and be a current junior or above (rising senior or above as of the program start in Summer 2026) or a graduate student

• basic knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

• ability to apply business management skills including verbal and written communication, time management, problem solving, collaboration, creative thinking and working independently

• ability to travel on occasion

• ability to work a variable schedule on occasion

• ability to work extended or early/late hours on occasion

• valid driver's license and reliable form of transportation

Preferred Qualifications

• current Publix retail associate
• intermediate knowledge of Excel
• basic knowledge of Access or SQL