Sourcing Operations & Innovation Intern

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

The community you will join:

Airbnb is seeking an MBA student for a Sourcing Operations & Innovation Intern position on the Global Sourcing Team for the 2026 Summer Intern Program.

Airbnb’s Global Sourcing team partners with business, Finance, Legal, and Technology leaders to enable informed decisions about how we invest in external partnerships and suppliers. The team operates across enterprise technology, operations, and strategic services categories, influencing billions in annual third-party spend.

As sourcing evolves, AI and automation are reshaping how decisions are analyzed, structured, and executed. Rather than treating AI as a standalone tool, our team is focused on embedding intelligence into sourcing workflows, improving decision speed, insight quality, and operational clarity.

This internship sits at the intersection of sourcing strategy, operating model design, and AI enablement.

The difference you will make:

During the internship, you will partner with sourcing leaders to help design and prototype an AI-enabled sourcing operating model. The focus is not on replacing human judgment, but on improving how information is structured, analyzed, and used in decision-making. You will:

• Partner with sourcing managers to map end-to-end sourcing workflows and identify where AI augmentation can improve speed, quality, and consistency
• Support the structuring of sourcing knowledge, documentation, and templates to enable scalable AI usage across categories
• Prototype AI-enabled workflows such as deal summary generation, proposal comparison, contract insight extraction, and negotiation preparation
• Analyze how AI outputs integrate into real business decisions and propose improvements to increase reliability and adoption
• Support the development of metrics to measure the impact of AI on sourcing efficiency, cycle time, and decision clarity
• Learn how sourcing strategy connects finance discipline, supplier economics, and technology innovation

The goal of the internship is to leave behind reusable frameworks, structured workflows, and measurable impact. At the end of the internship, success looks like:

• Clear documentation of at least one sourcing workflow redesigned with AI augmentation
• Prototype(s) that can be iterated into production use
• Defined metrics to evaluate AI impact on sourcing
• A structured playbook outlining how AI integrates into sourcing decision processes

The intern experience:

As an intern, you will be embedded within the Global Sourcing team and contribute to high-visibility initiatives tied to enterprise operating model evolution. You will receive direct mentorship from sourcing leadership and collaborate with stakeholders across Finance, Legal, and Technology.

You can expect to:

• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to understand real sourcing decisions and constraints
• Present structured analyses and workflow prototypes to senior team members
• Seek and incorporate feedback throughout the internship
• Participate in strategic planning discussions related to sourcing innovation
• Gain exposure to enterprise negotiations, supplier ecosystems, and decision frameworks

Your expertise:

This opportunity is for first-year MBA students (graduating Spring 2027) who are enrolled full-time at nationally-accredited U.S. business schools and bring the following skills and background:

• Strong structured problem-solving and analytical capabilities
• Demonstrated ability to apply AI tools to solve ambiguous business problems
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Comfort working in environments with incomplete data and evolving requirements
• Authorization to work in the United States

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience mapping workflows or redesigning operational processes
• Familiarity with automation tools, APIs, SQL, Python, or data visualization platforms
• Experience in consulting, procurement, operations, technology, or enterprise transformation
• Interest in human-in-the-loop systems and AI governance in business contexts
• Ability to translate technical concepts into business implications

How to apply:

In addition to a resume, please submit a cover letter that addresses the following:

• why Airbnb,
• why you are interested in interning with the Global Sourcing Team, 
• how this internship aligns with your long-term career goals, and
• how your background meets the expertise requirements listed above.

Our commitment to inclusion & belonging:

Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

We strive to also provide a disability inclusive application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in order to submit an application, please contact us at: reasonableaccommodations@airbnb.com. Please include your full name, the role you’re applying for and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process. 

We ask that you only reach out to us if you are a candidate whose disability prevents you from being able to complete our online application. 

How we’ll take care of you:

Our job titles may span more than one career or degree level. This role may also be eligible for benefits and Employee Travel Credits. 

Currency: USD    Pay rate: $48 per hour