Product Development Intern - Summer 2027

Henkel; Elgin (IL); On-site; USD 30,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing stipend

Relocation support

Online learning platform access

Networking events

Job summary

Henkel invites undergraduate students to join the Adhesive Technologies team for an internship focusing on structural bonding solutions. You’ll work on hands-on formulation of adhesives, including polyurethanes, under the guidance of senior scientists and using digital tools for data analysis.

Based in the United States (Illinois), this internship offers housing stipend or relocation support, network events, and opportunities to return as a full-time employee.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate student graduating in 2029 or 2030 in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, or Chemical Engineering.
• Hands-on coursework or experience in chemistry, polymers, or materials science.
• Interest in digital tools and data analysis for research.
• Strong teamwork and communication in a lab setting.

Responsibilities

• Gain hands-on experience formulating structural adhesives, such as polyurethanes.
• Prepare and test lab-scale adhesive formulations under guidance.
• Use digital scientific tools to accelerate development and data analysis.
• Contribute to ideation, lab experimentation, and evaluation of test results.
• Support innovation projects for next-gen adhesives.

Skills

Chemistry

Polymers

Data analysis

Teamwork

Education

Undergraduate student in Chemistry/Polymer Science/Materials Science/Chemical Engineering

Job description

About This Position

At Henkel, you’ll be part of an organization that’s shaping the future through innovation, sustainability and collaboration. With our trusted brands like Persil®, ‘all®, Loctite®, Snuggle®, and Schwarzkopf® and our cutting-edge technologies, you’ll have countless opportunities to explore new paths and grow.

This position is with our Adhesive Technologies business unit – where we empower our people to transform industries and provide our customers with a competitive advantage through adhesives, sealants and functional coatings.

Dare to learn new skills, advance in your career and make an impact at Henkel.

What You’ll Do

• Join a small, collaborative team of product development professionals focused on structural bonding solutions for our brands Technomelt and Loctite
• Gain hands‑on experience formulating structural adhesives, such as polyurethanes, to meet challenging market requirements
• Prepare and test lab-scale adhesive formulations under the guidance of senior scientists
• Utilize digital scientific tools to accelerate product development and data analysis
• Contribute to ideation, lab experimentation, and evaluation of test results
• Support innovation projects aimed at developing next‑generation adhesive technologies

What makes you a good fit

• An undergraduate student graduating in 2029 or 2030 pursuing a degree in Chemistry, Polymer Sciences, Material Sciences, Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Hands‑on experience or coursework in chemistry, polymers, polyamides or materials science.
• Interest in digital tools and data analysis for scientific research
• Strong teamwork and communication skills in a lab environment

Some perks of joining Henkel as an intern

• Exciting projects that allow you to make real impact and collaborate with Henkel colleagues worldwide.
• Countless learning opportunities available through Henkel’s online learning platform with over 9,000 professional courses.
• Networking events with Henkel business leaders, experts and sustainability ambassadors.
• Ongoing feedback discussions throughout the internship that allow you to accomplish concrete goals.
• In‑person and virtual social events to connect with other Henkel interns across the country.

Following your internship, you may be invited to join Henkel as a returning intern or full‑time employee.

Additional Information

• This internship is eligible for a housing stipend or relocation support.
• This internship has a duration of May 24th – August 13th
• Recruitment for our 2027 internships starts in September 2026 and runs through early March 2027 or until all our positions are filled
• If selected to move forward in our recruitment process, you will receive an email from a recruiter on our talent acquisition team
• If a position you applied for is filled by another candidate, you will receive an email from our team alerting you that the position is closed.

The salary range for this role is $22-27/hour. This is the rate that we in good faith anticipate relying on when setting wages for this position. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range. This salary range may also be modified in the future.

Henkel is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.