Meijer brings career pathways and people-first leadership to CMU students

Students recently had the opportunity to meet with Meijer Human Resources Market Manager Courtnie Sanchez, who visited Grawn Hall to talk with business students about the wide range of internships and early-career roles available across the company, particularly those in store leadership. From corporate offices to store leadership to supply chain operations, Sanchez emphasized that Meijer looks for students ready to learn, lead, and make an impact within the business and in the communities Meijer serves.

Founded in 1934 and still family owned, Meijer has grown into one of the largest privately owned companies in the United States, operating nearly 500 locations across six states—including stores, distribution centers, and express locations.

During her visit, Sanchez shared how Meijer’s ownership and structure offer students a different kind of business learning experience.

“As a privately owned company, interns can see what it’s like when a company has the ability to make decisions based on long-term strategies that are not critiqued each quarter by Wall Street,” said Sanchez. “Meijer offers a unique perspective to its interns that is incredibly valuable.”

Each summer, Meijer hosts between 90-100 interns across its corporate campus, stores, and distribution centers. The internship program provides a talent pipeline for the company to early-in-career jobs. While the company does not guarantee a position at the end of the program, many interns receive offers for full-time opportunities at Meijer. As a result, Meijer prioritizes interns that are juniors or seniors so they are eligible for more immediate conversion. 

Meijer interns have the opportunity to work on challenging summer projects that have an immediate impact on the business. They are challenged to use their experiences and perspectives to inspire innovation and elevate Meijer. The program has tremendous support from leadership, including an executive speaker series where interns engage with Meijer senior leaders.

“Our interns hear from our President and CEO, Rick Keyes, who started as a pharmacy intern at Meijer,” Sanchez said. “Other senior leaders share their career journeys throughout the program and our interns can ask questions in these sessions to help them as they prepare to go out into the workforce.”

Sanchez also noted that the structure of the program gives interns a broader view of how business decisions are made and how different departments work together.

“Interns are exposed to different functions across our business so that they can develop their business acumen across the entire retail business,” she shared. 

Sanchez emphasized that Meijer’s long-standing commitment to community investment is central to the organization’s mission and something interns get to experience.

“We donate at least 6% of our profits every year to enrich the lives of the communities we serve,” she said. “But it goes beyond financial contributions, our interns have opportunities to serve through the internship’s volunteer events or through opportunities their teams plan.”

This people-first focus is reflected internally as well—through development, mentorship, and opportunities for long-term growth.

“Each intern has a mentor they can leverage for feedback on project ideas, career advice, and additional business exposure. Finally, all interns receive formal leadership development and participate in fun activities throughout the summer to build camaraderie among the group.”

Meijer provides internships across all functions, such as Merchandising, IT, Store Operations, Supply Chain, Finance and HR. Interviews are in process, so not all internships may still be posted on the Meijer career site jobs.meijer.com. Sanchez emphasized that all Store Leadership internships are still posted and are a stepping stone to an accelerated career in people and business leadership.

“We are specifically looking to convert Store Leadership Interns into leadership roles in our stores and provide development to help them fast track their careers,” she shared. “Meijer is a great place to work, and we are excited about the potential of CMU students joining our team.”

How to connect with Meijer

Students interested in internships or entry-level career opportunities can explore openings at: jobs.meijer.com.

Internship positions for summer 2026 are currently open, and Meijer continues to be a strong CMU campus partner—providing students with access to leadership, mentorship, and hands-on business experience across one of the Midwest’s most recognized brands.