Engineering Leadership Development Program

Avient; Avon Lake (OH); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Avient Corporation offers a two-year Associate Engineer rotation program designed to place graduates in multiple engineering roles across Avient manufacturing sites. Participants gain hands-on experience, Lean Six Sigma training, mentorship from leadership, and potential full-time placement after completion.

The program emphasizes developing technical, change management, and leadership competencies, with in-person rotations and relocation/travel requirements to gain global exposure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, Materials Science, or closely related field.
• Graduate within one year of program start date.
• At least one year of related co-op or internship experience.
• Willingness to relocate to different Avient manufacturing sites and travel as required.

Responsibilities

• Develop, design, and communicate robust manufacturing processes, researching current and emerging technologies and evaluating process safety, quality, and cost.
• Monitor and revise existing processes to improve safety, quality, efficiency, and cost savings.
• Manage all capital project activity, overseeing specification and installation of new equipment to enhance production capabilities.
• Identify and solve issues with manufacturing processes and equipment by troubleshooting causes and coordinating with maintenance and production teams for cost-effective solutions.
• Own and lead change management projects focused on driving continuous process improvement across global sites.

Skills

Process design

Project management

Change management

Troubleshooting

Education

Chemical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Industrial Engineering

Materials Science

Job description

Associate Engineer – 2026 Leadership Development Program | Avient Corporation

The Tone

This is a two-year rotational leadership development program at Avient Corporation, with participants placed in multiple engineering roles and full-time placement upon completion. Avient is an innovator of materials solutions that help customers succeed while enabling a sustainable world, powered by 9,000 professionals globally. This program is designed to accelerate professional development by providing hands-on experience across different Avient manufacturing sites, allowing individuals to gain key technical, change management, and leadership competencies. Each assignment will focus on adding real value for the business and driving improvement in critical manufacturing processes. During the program, individuals will participate in Lean Six Sigma Training, achieve certification, and benefit from mentoring by both program and business level leadership.

The TL;DR

• Role: Associate Engineer – 2026 Leadership Development Program
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, Rotational across different Avient manufacturing sites, with a requirement for willingness to relocate and travel.
• Team: Participants will establish relationships with site associates, peers, and leaders across the globe, receiving mentoring from program and business leadership.
• Mission: To accelerate professional development within engineering leadership while driving improvement in critical manufacturing processes and adding real value for the business.

What You’ll Actually Do

• Process Development: Develop, design, and communicate robust manufacturing processes, including researching current and emerging technologies and evaluating process safety, quality, and cost for new process introductions.
• Process Optimization: Monitor and systematically revise existing manufacturing processes to improve safety, enhance product quality, increase operational efficiency, and generate demonstrable cost savings for the business.
• Project Management: Manage all capital project activity, overseeing the specification and successful installation of new equipment to enhance production capabilities and drive operational advancements.
• Issue Resolution: Identify and thoroughly solve issues that arise with manufacturing processes and equipment by troubleshooting possible causes and coordinating activities with maintenance, production, and other available resources to implement cost-effective solutions.
• Change Management: Own and lead change management projects focused on driving continuous process improvement, working closely with senior management and building relationships with employees globally to impact Avient’s future success.

The Must-Haves

• Background: Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related field. Candidates must graduate by the program start date, but no more than one year prior to that date, to be eligible for the program.
• Experience: A minimum of one year of experience is preferred, which can encompass prior co-op or internship experience gained during academic pursuits.
• Skills: Core capabilities include developing and designing manufacturing processes, monitoring and revising processes for improvement, effectively troubleshooting equipment and process issues, managing capital projects, and leading change management initiatives.
• Bonus: Candidates must demonstrate a clear willingness to relocate to different Avient manufacturing sites and travel as required by the rotational nature of the program.