Operations Co-op/Intern

The Operations Co‑op / Intern role is a hands‑on, leadership‑oriented experience designed for students who are interested in building a future career leading people in a manufacturing environment. This role provides immersive exposure to daily operations, production systems, and front‑line leadership within a high‑performance manufacturing organization.

This is not a traditional technical or project‑only internship. Students will work directly alongside experienced operations leaders and spend the majority of their time on the production floor driving improvements, solving real operational problems, and delivering measurable results while learning how manufacturing systems are led, improved, and sustained.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Support daily production activities on the shop floor, ensuring adherence to safety, quality, and operational standards
• Execute and sustain 6S initiatives (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain, Safety) across all production areas
• Conduct process, quality, and performance audits, identifying gaps and driving corrective actions
• Monitor and analyze key performance metrics such as scrap, first-pass yield, throughput, and overall equipment efficiency (OEE)
• Partner with engineering and operations to implement continuous improvement projects focused on productivity, cost reduction, and process capability
• Assist with root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (RCCA) for quality and production issues
• Ensure compliance with work instructions, routers, and aerospace quality standards (e.g., AS9100 practices)
• Maintain a clean and organized work environment while identifying and mitigating safety risks
• Assist with production scheduling support, work order management, and documentation control
• Collaborate cross-functionally with operators, supervisors, quality, and engineering teams
• Participate in kaizen events, process trials, and new product/process introductions
• Perform other duties as assigned
  
  

Required Skills And Attributes

• Strong desire to pursue a career in Operations and manufacturing leadership, with interest in leading people and managing in a production environment
• Demonstrated initiative and ownership; willingness to step in, ask questions, and take responsibility for improving outcomes
• Interest in continuous improvement, problem solving, and making practical, hands‑on process improvements
• Ability to work effectively with frontline teams, including operators, supervisors, and cross‑functional partners
• Ability to analyze processes and performance data, apply root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions that improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost
• Demonstrated technical and mechanical acumen, including comfort working directly with manufacturing equipment, processes, and materials, and the ability to understand how and why production systems operate
  
  

Level Of Education

• Currently pursuing a BS Degree in Operations Management, Engineering or Business Management. Must have completed at least the freshman year.
  
  

Physical Demands

• The physical demands outlined here represent those required to perform the job's essential functions. Reasonable accommodation may be made for individuals with disabilities.
• Daily tasks may include using hands to handle materials and equipment, reaching with hands and arms, and communicating verbally.
• Occasional tasks may require standing, walking, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling.
• Occasional lifting and/or moving of up to 20 pounds may be required.
• Specific vision abilities, such as close vision and color vision, and the ability to adjust focus are needed.
  
  

Work Environment

• The work environment characteristics described here represent those encountered while performing the essential job functions. Reasonable accommodation may be made for individuals with disabilities.
• The work environment may involve occasional exposure to airborne particles and vibrations.
• The noise level in the work environment is typically moderate.