Intern, Sales Development - Summer 2027

Corning Inc.; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 37,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Assistance with housing and travel

Meaningful project and final project

Job summary

Corning Inc. in Charlotte, NC seeks a Sales Development Intern to gain hands-on experience in the sales process. You will learn how marketing-generated opportunities are identified, qualified, and converted into customer conversations while supporting lead generation across campaigns.

The internship runs for 10 weeks in Summer 2027, with housing and travel assistance and a final project presentation. Ideal candidates are pursuing business, marketing, or related degrees and communicate

Qualifications

• Actively pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in business, marketing, communications, sales, or related field.
• Demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in sales, business development, or another customer-facing role.
• Strong verbal and written communication with ability to build relationships.
• Excellent interpersonal and phone communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Sales Development Representatives and field sales teams to support lead generation and qualification efforts.
• Execute outreach via phone, email, social media, and voicemail campaigns to engage prospects.
• Qualify marketing-generated leads and schedule meetings for field sales.
• Collaborate to understand customer needs, priorities, and opportunities.
• Maintain accurate prospect data in CRM and sales tools.
• Learn consultative selling techniques in customer interactions.
• Support process improvement initiatives and special projects.
• Build cross-functional relationships with sales, marketing, and commercial teams.
• Participate in networking and development activities to gain Corning and telecom industry exposure.
• Present an end-of-summer project and learnings to leadership.

Skills

Strong communication

CRM experience

Relationship building

Organizational skills

Proficiency with Microsoft Office

Self-motivated

Education

Bachelor's or master's in business/marketing/sales/communications

Tools

CRM systems

Marketing automation platforms

Job description

The company built on breakthroughs.
Join us.

Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible.

How do we do this? With our people. They break through limitations and expectations– not once in a career, but every day. They help move our company,and the world, forward.

At Corning, there are endless possibilities for making an impact. You can help connect the unconnected, drive the future of automobiles, transform at-home entertainment, and ensure the delivery of lifesaving medicines. And so much more.

Come break through with us.

Our Optical Communications segment has recently evolved from being a manufacturer of optical fiber and cable, hardware and equipment to being a comprehensive provider of industry-leading optical solutions across the broader communications industry.This segment is classified into two main product groupings – carrier network and enterprise network. The carrier network product group consists primarily of products and solutions for optical-based communications infrastructure for services such as video, data and voice communications. The enterprise network product group consists primarily of optical-based communication networks sold to businesses, governments and individuals for their own use.

Scope of Position

The Sales Development Intern will gain hands‑on experience in the sales process, learning how marketing-generated opportunities are identified, qualified, and converted into customer conversations. This role is ideal for someone who is interested in pursuing a career in sales and wants exposure to the activities, tools, and skills that drive business growth.

Working closely with the Sales Development team, regional sales representatives, and field sales professionals, the intern will support lead generation and qualification efforts across key marketing campaigns. They will learn how sales teams engage customers, uncover opportunities, and build relationships while developing practical experience with prospecting, outreach, and pipeline development.

The intern will be assigned marketing campaigns and will follow up with prospective customers through a combination of phone, email, social media, and voicemail outreach with the goal of generating qualified sales meetings for the field sales organization. Through regular collaboration with sales professionals, the intern will gain firsthand exposure to customer engagement strategies and the day-to-day responsibilities of a sales career.

The ideal candidate will be an independent self‑starter who enjoys building relationships, communicating with others, and learning how sales organizations drive revenue growth and customer success.

• Assistance with housing and travel
• Meaningful project and final project presentation

Intern Activities

• Social and networking opportunities
• Weekly tech talks
• Community involvement

Requirements

• Actively pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in business administration, marketing, communications, sales, or a related field.
• Demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in sales, business development, or another customer-facing commercial role.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build relationships and engage confidently with internal and external customers.
• Excellent interpersonal and phone communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Self‑motivated with a proactive and results‑oriented mindset.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools.
• Ability to adapt to new challenges, technologies, and business needs.
• Experience with CRM, sales engagement, or marketing automation platforms is a plus.
• Must be available for 10 weeks during Summer 2027 (May-August 2027) with a graduation date of December 2027 or later
• Be interested in working for Corning, Inc after graduation, if presented with a full‑time job opportunity.
• Be willing to work at the posted job location

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with Sales Development Representatives and field sales teams to support lead generation and qualification efforts.
• Execute outreach activities through phone, email, social media, and voicemail campaigns to engage prospective customers.
• Qualify marketing-generated leads and schedule meetings for field sales representatives.
• Collaborate with regional and field sales teams to understand customer needs, sales priorities, and market opportunities.
• Maintain accurate prospect and activity information within CRM and sales tools.
• Learn and apply consultative selling techniques to customer interactions.
• Support sales process improvement initiatives and special projects as assigned.
• Build relationships with sales, marketing, and commercial teams across the organization.
• Participate in networking opportunities and professional development activities to gain exposure to Corning and the telecommunications industry.
• Present an end‑of‑summer project and key learnings to Marketing and Commercial leadership.

This position does not support immigration sponsorship.

The range for this position is $1,635.00 - $3,185.00biweekly. Starting pay for the successful applicant is prescribed based on geographic location, nature of position, and year in school.

A job that shapes a life.

Corning offers you the total package.

Your well-being is our priority. Our compensation and benefits package supports your health and wellness, financial aspirations, and career from day one.

• Company-wide bonuses and long‑term incentives align with key business results and ensure you are rewarded when the company performs well. When Corning wins, we all win.
• As part of our commitment to your financial well‑being, we provide a 100% company‑paid pension benefit with fixed contributions that grow throughout your career. Combined with matching contributions to your 401(k) savings plan, Corning’s total contributions to your retirement accounts can reach between 7% and 12% of your pay, depending on your age and years of service.
• Our health and well‑being benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, family building support, fitness, company‑paid life insurance, disability, disease management programs, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your family.
• Getting paid for our work is important, but feeling appreciated and recognized for those contributions motivates us much more. That’s why Corning offers a recognition program to celebrate successes and reward colleagues who make exceptional contributions.

We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

Corning is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and considers requests for reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, perform essential job functions, or access other benefits and privileges of employment. To submit a request for reasonable accommodation related to disability or religion, please contact us at [e-mail] .