2027 Continuous Improvement Intern - East Hartford, CT

The Sherwin-Williams Company; Burnside (CT); On-site; USD 25,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sherwin-Williams Company is seeking an Operations Intern at its East Hartford, CT site for a structured internship from May 30, 2027 to July 30, 2027. Hosted by the Operations Department, the role focuses on Lean and continuous improvement initiatives within a manufacturing/distribution environment.

You will observe processes, apply TPS/Lean tools, and support Kaizen activities while collaborating with frontline staff to drive improvements and sustain a Lean culture through daily management

Qualifications

• Must be enrolled in a college or university during the internship.
• Must have at least one year of work experience using Microsoft Office products.
• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Observe manufacturing processes with a CI mindset to identify waste and inefficiencies.
• Apply TPS principles and Lean tools to design and implement improved flows.
• Facilitate and support Kaizen activities with Quick Kaizen philosophy.
• Collaborate with operators, technicians, and supervisors to develop solutions.
• Support Lean culture through Daily Management concepts and leader standard work.
• Understand the standard work matrix and 5S/TAKT/Kaizen/SOP implementation.
• Engage in early career development programming via the GSC Program Team.

Skills

Lean principles

TPS

5S

Value Stream Mapping

Kaizen

Daily Management

Team collaboration

Microsoft Office

Education

Engineering (pursuing)

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

The Operations Intern is \"hosted\" by the Operations Department at one of our manufacturing/distribution facilities, or headquarters.

The identified candidate will start on May 30, 2027, and end July 30, 2027, at our East Hartford, CT site.

Position Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, assisting the Operations Manager with:

• Observe manufacturing processes with a Continuous Improvement (CI) mindset to identify waste, process variation, safety risks, and operational inefficiencies, while seeking opportunities to improve quality, delivery, cost, and employee engagement.
• Apply Toyota Production System (TPS) principles and Lean tools including Value Stream Mapping (VSM), 5S, Standard Work, Visual Management, Root Cause Analysis, and Problem-Solving methodologies to design and implement improved process flows.
• Facilitate and support Kaizen activities using the \\"Quick Kaizen\" philosophy by encouraging simple, practical, employee-driven improvements that can be implemented rapidly and sustained over time.
• Collaborate directly with operators, technicians, and supervisors to develop solutions, reflecting the Principle of Respect Every Individual and recognizing frontline employees as the primary source of process knowledge and innovation.
• Support the development of a Lean culture through the application of Daily Management concepts and behaviors, including visual management, accountability processes, leader standard work, and continuous problem solving.
• Understand the principles of the Sherwin Williams standard work matrix and how each element, 5S/TAKT/Kaizen/SOP is applied in the factory.

• Engage in early career development programming, including workshops, info sessions, and networking opportunities through the GSC Program Team

What is the Process to get Started?

Step 1 - Digital Interview

Upon review of your application, qualified candidates will be invited to complete a digital video interview via HireVue, our interview partner. The interview will consist of a few behavioral based questions You'll be able to record and complete your video interview anytime, anywhere! While you can complete this video interview on your own schedule, we ask that this step be completed within 7 days of receiving an invitation.

Step 2 - Hiring Manager Interview

Your video interview is reviewed by a member of our Recruitment team, and our top candidates are invited to meet with our team for a virtual interview.

Minimum Requirement

• Must be enrolled in a college or university at the time of the internship or co-op program
  Must have at least one (1) year of work experience using Microsoft Office products such as Word, Excel and Power Point
• Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age
• Must be legally authorized to work in the country of employment without needing sponsorship for employment work visa status now or in the future

Preferred Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in Engineering (e.g. Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering).
• Have previous Sherwin-Williams Internship or Co-op experience
• Have previous experience working in a team-oriented setting including work experience, extracurricular activities, military service, etc.
• Be a rising or current junior or senior in college or university at the start of the internship program