Internship - Sustainability Direction (circularity)

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Herzogenaurach; On-site; EUR 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

International intern community

adidas events and campus sponsorships

LinkedIn Learning and adidas Learning

On-site gym €25/month

Employee discounts

Job summary

adidas is offering a design-centric internship within the Sustainability team to support circular design guidance and advance it across internal design and product development communities. You will work with cross-functional teams on circularity initiatives and broader ESG projects, gaining exposure to strategy, research, and practical design recommendations.

The role emphasizes translating sustainability concepts into tools, collaborating with global teams, and contributing to communications

Qualifications

• Design/Industrial Design or related field student.
• Fluent in English, written and spoken.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Analytical understanding and ability to draw conclusions from data.
• MS Office skills, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
• Open to multicultural environment.

Responsibilities

• Conduct industry benchmarking and analysis of circular design approaches for apparel and footwear.
• Translate sustainability expertise into actionable tools for product creation processes.
• Understand and consider EU regulations related to sustainability and design.
• Analyse upcoming regulatory requirements affecting future product design decisions.
• Translate sustainability concepts into practical design recommendations and guidance.
• Consolidate research findings into structured recommendations and guidelines content.
• Create presentations and visual materials communicating circular design principles.
• Provide ad-hoc research on topics like biodiversity, water, and circularity to support team objectives.

Skills

Fluent English

MS Office

Analytical thinking

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Education

Student in Design/Industrial Design or related field

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

About the Role

The Sustainability team oversees and coordinates the adidas sustainability strategy and all its related programmes, working cross-functionally with teams across the company from design to reporting, and identifying trends and opportunities around sustainability topics. This internship is design-centric, supporting adidas's sustainability programme by contributing to circular design guidance and developing an approach to advance it within the internal design and product development community. The role focuses on circularity within the Sustainability team and also provides exposure to broader ESG initiatives led by the team.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct industry benchmarking and analysis of approaches to circular design for apparel and footwear, identifying emerging trends relevant to circular product development practices.
• Support the translation of sustainability expertise into actionable tools and recommendations that can be incorporated into future product creation processes.
• Understand upcoming EU regulations such as the Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation and Extended Producer Responsibility.
• Analyse upcoming regulatory requirements and sustainability expectations that may influence future product design decisions.
• Translate sustainability concepts and regulatory requirements into practical design recommendations and guidance.
• Consolidate research findings and stakeholder feedback into structured recommendations and guideline content.
• Support the creation of presentations, visual materials and working documents that communicate circular design principles.
• Provide ad-hoc research and analysis on strategic sustainability topics such as biodiversity, water and circularity to support the team's daily and long-term objectives.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Student of Design/Industrial Design, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Engineering, or similar.
• Fluent in English, written and spoken.
• Good organisational and communication skills, proactivity and a sense of responsibility.
• Analytical understanding and skilled in drawing conclusions from key figures and concepts.
• Strong MS Office skills, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• Open to a multicultural environment.
• Enrolled as a full-time student for the complete duration of the internship, or in the gap year between Bachelor's and Master's degree (gap year regulation applicable only to EU citizens due to working permit regulations).
• Availability for the full duration of the internship from March 2027 to September 2027.
• Ability to relocate to Herzogenaurach in Germany for the full duration of the internship.

Preferred Skills

• Technical background in product creation is beneficial.
• Students with ideally a maximum of one year to graduation are preferred.

Workplace

• Flexible and agile working arrangements, with up to 40% home office possible.

Salary

• Monthly gross allowance for a non-compulsory internship: €2,470.00.
• Monthly gross allowance for a compulsory internship: €1,930.00 (the difference is due to different taxation; net pay will be the same).

Benefits & Perks

• International intern community and work environment.
• Chances to attend and take part in on-campus events and sponsored adidas events and games.
• Structured training and development, access to LinkedIn Learning, Language Training and the adidas Learning Portal.
• Regular development conversations as part of the role.
• Possibility to join the mentorship programme, networking opportunities or employee resource groups.
• Inspiring campus with canteens, cafes, reflection rooms and sport facilities, including an on-site gym (€25/month) and many more sports facilities.
• Company sports programme including classes and events focusing on sports and mental health.
• Employee discounts on products.

About the Company

Through sport, adidas believes it has the power to change lives.