Sales & Partnerships Intern - B2B + D2C Growth

Brand: SCHMIEDE

Role: Sales & Partnerships Intern

Type: Paid Internship

Duration: 2 to 3 months

Location: Mangalore

Opportunity: Potential to transition into a full-time role based on performance

Company Description

SCHMIEDE YOUR WAY is a performance-focused nutrition brand that has created India’s first modular whey protein system for athletes who refuse to compromise. The SCHMIEDE System pairs a premium protein base with interchangeable SPARK flavor sachets, offering single-serve convenience, zero waste, and complete control over flavor without sacrificing macros. All products are lab-tested, Informed Choice certified, and designed to eliminate flavor fatigue, decision paralysis, and the need to carry multiple tubs. With travel-friendly single serves and pan-India delivery, SCHMIEDE serves disciplined athletes who prioritize consistency, performance, and daily progress. The brand is growing rapidly and seeks partners who are excited to shape the future of sports nutrition.

Role Description

The Sales and Partnerships Intern will support SCHMIEDE YOUR WAY’s growth by helping identify, engage, and nurture relationships with gyms, coaches, sports academies, and retail partners. This on-site internship role is based in Mangaluru and involves assisting in lead generation, conducting outreach via email, calls, and in-person visits, and maintaining partner databases and reports. The intern will help prepare sales materials, presentations, and sample kits, coordinate product demos and events, and gather feedback from athletes and partners to improve offerings. Additional responsibilities include supporting social media and campaign initiatives related to partnerships, tracking key metrics, and collaborating closely with the founders’ office to execute partnership strategies.

What You’ll Do

B2B - Partnerships & Offline Distribution

You’ll help put SCHMIEDE in places where our target customers already train, eat and spend time.

- Research and identify potential partners including gyms, fitness studios, health-focused cafés, sports facilities, supplement stores and relevant retail outlets
- Prioritise businesses that cater to gym-goers, fitness-conscious consumers and protein-focused audiences
- Approach owners, managers and decision-makers through calls, email, DMs and in-person meetings
- Pitch SCHMIEDE products and partnership opportunities




- Work towards getting SCHMIEDE stocked and sold at partner locations
- Build partnerships initially across Mangalore, while identifying expansion opportunities across Tier 1 cities
- Coordinate samples, product trials and partnership discussions
- Maintain relationships with existing partners and support repeat orders
- Track prospects, conversations, follow-ups, conversions and active stockists

D2C - Customer Acquisition & Activations

This isn’t about cold-calling individual customers. You’ll help create opportunities for the right consumers to discover, try and purchase SCHMIEDE.

- Identify fitness communities, events and offline opportunities where SCHMIEDE can reach potential customers
- Help organise sampling activities, gym activations, pop-ups, fitness events and product trials
- Work with partner gyms and cafés to turn B2B partnerships into consumer acquisition opportunities
- Support trial-pack and sampling initiatives
- Engage and follow up with warm leads and customers who have already shown interest
- Support conversions from Instagram, WhatsApp, events, activations and other inbound channels
- Assist with referral, promotional and community-led sales initiatives
- Collect customer feedback around flavours, pricing, product experience and purchase objections
- Track leads, trials and conversions to understand which activities are actually driving sales

Travel & On-Ground Work

This is a hands-on role and may involve working beyond the office.

- Be comfortable travelling locally for partner meetings, activations and events
- Be open to travelling with the SCHMIEDE team outside Mangalore for partnerships, events, activations and business opportunities
- Be open to domestic and international travel with the team when required
- Be comfortable representing SCHMIEDE at meetings, exhibitions, fitness events, pop-ups and other brand opportunities
- Travel requirements will depend on business needs and will be communicated in advance

Who We’re Looking For

You could be a good fit if you:





- Are confident approaching new people and businesses
- Have strong communication and relationship-building skills
- Are comfortable pitching and negotiating
- Are proactive and don’t need to be told every next step
- Are organised and consistent with follow-ups
- Are comfortable working towards sales and growth targets
- Understand or are interested in fitness, protein, nutrition and gym culture
- Are willing to attend meetings, visit potential partners and participate in activations
- Are comfortable travelling within and outside the city, including internationally when required
- Can research opportunities and turn them into actual conversations

Qualifications

- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport
- Basic sales and business development skills, including lead generation, outreach, and follow-up across multiple channels.
- Organizational and analytical skills to manage partner data, track performance metrics, and prepare concise reports.
- Interest in fitness, sports, or performance nutrition, with the ability to understand and explain product benefits clearly.
- Comfort working on-site in Mangaluru, conducting field visits, and representing the brand professionally.
- Self-driven, disciplined work style with the ability to learn quickly and take ownership of assigned projects.
- Pursuing or recently completed a degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, or a related field is preferred but not mandatory.
- Familiarity with digital tools (Meta Business Suite, Canva, Excel, AI tools, Figma) is an advantage.

Previous experience in sales, business development/partnerships in fitness, FMCG or D2C brands is a plus, not mandatory.

What Success Looks Like

We aren’t looking for someone who simply builds lists of gyms and cafés.

Success means starting conversations, creating partnerships, getting SCHMIEDE stocked, bringing the product in front of relevant consumers and helping turn those opportunities into measurable sales.

Growth Opportunity

This is a paid internship with the potential to become a full time position for someone who performs well.

If you can demonstrate that you know how to create opportunities, build relationships and contribute directly to SCHMIEDE’s growth, we’d like this role to grow with you.

Pay: ₹3,000.00 - ₹6,000.00 per month

Work Location: In person

📌 Sales and Partnerships Intern (Mangalore)
🏢 SCHMIEDE
📍 Mangalore