Building on a strong legacy of almost 150 years, we are leading the way to reimagine and improve life every day. Today and for generations to come. Through our innovative and sustainable brands and technologies, across our teams around the world.
Henkel holds leading positions in both industrial and consumer businesses: Our portfolio includes well-known hair care products, laundry detergents, fabric softeners as well as adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings.
Product Development Intern – Summer 2026
Apply for this role
Product Development Intern – Summer 2026
Apply for this role
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
As a product development intern, you will:
- 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 2027, 2028 or 2029 or master’s student / graduate pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Polymer Sciences, Material Sciences or Engineering
- Hands-on experience or coursework in chemistry, polymers, or materials science
- Interest in digital tools and data analysis for scientific research
- Strong teamwork and communication skills in a lab environment
Some benefits 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.
- Henkel’s Summer 2026 internship program starts on May 27th, 2026, and runs through mid-August.
- Recruitment for our 2026 internships starts in late August 2025 and runs through early March 2026 or until all our positions are filled.
- If selected to move forward in our recruitment process, you will receive an email from our talent acquisition team.
- If a position you applied to is filled by another candidate, you will receive an email from our team alerting you that the position is closed.
The salary for this role is $22-$27/hour. This is the range 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.
JOB ID: req75249
Job Locations: United States, IL, Elgin, IL
Contact information for application-related questions: talent.acquisition@henkel.com
Please do not use this email address for sending your application or CV. To apply, please click on the "Apply for this role" button below. Applications sent via e-mail will not be accepted.
Application Deadline: As long as the vacancy is listed on our Career Site, we are happy to receive your application
Job-Center: If you have an application already, you can create or log in to your account here to check the status of your application. In case of new account creation, please use your email address that you applied with.
About Henkel
FAQ
I am interested in several jobs. Can I apply for multiple positions at the same time?
Yes – simply fill out your profile in our online application system. Once your online profile is complete, you can apply for multiple positions.
The job offer is written in English. Should I write my application in English as well?
Yes, please. As Henkel is an international company, you will be working with colleagues from all over the world, and English is our official company language. Generally, our recommendation is to please write the application in the same language as the job ad.
Do I get feedback during the application process about the state of my application?
Each position that we have open with Henkel is unique, and finding the right candidate is important for both the hired candidate as well as for Henkel. We want to make sure that both the candidate and the company are a good fit for each other. We will provide feedback to the candidates throughout the entire process.
Can employees move between business areas and/or to a different country?
Yes, in fact, it is our expectation that Henkel employees will want to grow and explore different career paths during their time with us. This helps to support the company on a broad, global level.
Our “Triple Two” philosophy promotes this expectation, by allowing you to work in at least two different roles, in two different business areas and in two different countries. The reason behind this philosophy is that we believe working in different roles, business units and functions is good for your personal development and improves your understanding of Henkel as a global company.
If I have questions regarding my application, who do I contact?
Our recruiting team will help you with all requests regarding your application. Contact the team here.