Continous Improvement Intern - Summer 2027

Henkel; Cannon Falls (MN); On-site; USD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Henkel Corporation, part of Adhesive Technologies, seeks a hands-on engineer-in-training at our Minnesota site to learn lean manufacturing and Six Sigma while driving production efficiency and reducing waste.

You will collaborate with industry experts on real process-improvement projects, support Kaizen events, and analyze data to drive cost savings and productivity gains in a cutting-edge thermal materials environment.

Qualifications

• Experience with lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methods.
• Ability to analyze data and identify process improvements.
• Collaborative problem-solving in a manufacturing setting.

Responsibilities

• Gain hands-on experience with lean/manufacturing and Six Sigma projects to improve efficiency and reduce waste.
• Collaborate with experts to optimize production processes in a thermal materials environment.
• Support Kaizen events and root-cause analysis to address defects and bottlenecks.
• Assist in implementing process improvements and measuring impact on performance metrics.
• Develop standard work instructions and visual aids to improve training and workflow consistency.
• Collect and analyze data (scrap rates, downtime) to propose data-driven productivity gains.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Data analysis

Process improvement

Kaizen

Job description

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

• Gain hands-on experience with lean manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies by working on real process improvement projects that enhance efficiency and reduce waste
• Collaborate with industry experts to solve technical challenges and optimize production processes in a cutting-edge thermal materials manufacturing environment
• Support Kaizen events and root cause analysis to troubleshoot defects, bottlenecks, or quality issues in material production
• Assist in implementing process improvements (e.g., cycle time reduction, yield optimization) and measure their impact on performance metrics
• Develop standard work instructions or visual aids to enhance workflow consistency and operator training
• Collect and analyze data (e.g., scrap rates, downtime) to recommend data-driven solutions for cost savings or productivity gains