Continuous Improvement Intern – Lean & Digital Ops

Eaton; Pinckneyville (IL); On-site; USD 27,552,000 - 34,440,000; Part time

Job summary

Eaton is seeking a Continuous Improvement Intern / Co-op in Pinckneyville, IL. The role provides hands-on experience in a manufacturing setting, collaborating with CI leaders, operations teams, and plant personnel to drive improvements.

You will engage in Lean projects, data analysis, and shop-floor activities while learning Eaton Business System practices and Industry 4.0 initiatives. This 12-month assignment requires 20 hours per week on-site during the academic term.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an accredited bachelor’s degree program in Industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Electrical Engineering; Operations Excellence; Continuous Improvement; or a closely related discipline.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• Must be entering junior year or higher, or have equivalent academic credit standing, at the start of the assignment.
• Must reside within 50 miles of the Pinckneyville, IL facility. Relocation is not provided for this position.
• Must be available to work a minimum of 20 hours per week on-site at Eaton’s Pinckneyville, IL facility during the academic term.

Responsibilities

• Support Continuous Improvement projects aligned with the Eaton Business System and site business priorities.
• Collect, organize, analyze, and interpret operational data to help identify trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities.
• Participate in Kaizen events, Lean activities, and Continuous Improvement workshops focused on reducing waste, improving flow, and supporting safety, quality, delivery, and productivity goals.
• Assist with development and updates to standard work, visual management tools, training aids, and process documentation.
• Support Lean tools and methods such as 5S, value stream mapping, standard work, root cause analysis, and Total Productive Maintenance.
• Assist with smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 initiatives, which may include digital dashboards, data visualization, real-time performance monitoring, or related approved technologies.
• Partner with manufacturing, quality, engineering, EHS, maintenance, and operations teams to support process improvement activities.
• Prepare and present project updates, findings, and recommendations to site leaders and project stakeholders.
• Follow Eaton safety requirements, site procedures, and applicable policies while working in office and manufacturing areas.

Skills

Lean principles

Data analysis

Teamwork

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor’s in Engineering (Industrial/Mechanical/Manufacturing/Electrical)

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Power BI

Kaizen

Job description

Eaton is seeking a Continuous Improvement Intern / Co-op in Pinckneyville, IL. The role provides hands-on experience in a manufacturing setting, collaborating with CI leaders, operations teams, and plant personnel to drive improvements.

You will engage in Lean projects, data analysis, and shop-floor activities while learning Eaton Business System practices and Industry 4.0 initiatives. This 12-month assignment requires 20 hours per week on-site during the academic term.