Operational Excellence Intern - Summer 2027

Avient Corporation; Avon Lake (OH); On-site; USD 34,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

Avient Corporation is seeking a summer MBA intern to join the Operational Excellence team. The internship offers exposure to operations management, sourcing, logistics, and manufacturing, with Lean Six Sigma training and potential progress toward leadership development programs.

The role involves leading cross-functional teams, making data-driven recommendations, and developing metrics to improve performance across global operations.

Qualifications

• MBA candidate with focus in Operations or Supply Chain.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly across levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead and participate in cross-functional project teams, typically within operations and supply chain.
• Make recommendations to management based on business case and analysis.
• Assist in creating world-class internal processes in areas like strategic supplier management and operations planning.
• Interface with Operational Excellence department and a wide variety of functional areas to ensure improvements are implemented and sustained.
• Identify and develop key operational excellence metrics to drive performance improvements.
• Interact with senior management and build internal networks across the globe; contribute to Avient's future success.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Communication

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

MBA candidate

Job description

Job Summary

Avient is seeking a summer MBA intern to join the Operational Excellence team, which provides global solutions and services to enable Avient and its customers to reach world-class performance. The Operational Excellence Internship provides a current MBA student the opportunity to engage in projects within operations management, sourcing, logistics, or manufacturing as well as exposure to Avient Lean Six Sigma training. Improvement activities may include the following areas: distribution, supply planning, strategic sourcing, customer management, demand management, master scheduling & planning, inventory management, research & development, and network optimization. During the internship, students will establish relationships with peers and leaders, learn fundamentals and receive coaching performance feedback from the Avient leadership. An internship in the Operational Excellence group, successfully completed, could lead to an opportunity to join the Operational Excellence Leadership Development Program with Avient after graduation. Individuals in this program lead and assist in high-profile improvement initiatives across the global organization in part through application of Avient's LSS Black Belt program.

Essential Functions

• Lead and / or participate in cross-functional project teams - typically within operations and supply chain.
• Make recommendations to management based on business case and analysis.
• Assist in the creation of world-class internal processes in areas such as strategic supplier management, contract management, operations, and operations planning.
• Interface with Operational Excellence department and a wide variety of functional areas within the business units to insure improvements are implemented and sustained.
• Identify and develop key operational excellence metrics and measures to facilitate performance improvements.
• Interact with senior management, build internal network and relationships with other employees both in Operational Excellence and across the globe, and make a difference in Avient's future success.
• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience

• Currently pursuing an MBA. Operations or Supply Chain Management focus and three years of work experience preferred.

Additional Qualifications

• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to acquire, assimilate, and analyze data from multiple systems and data sources using a variety of business intelligence and reporting tools.
• Strong communication and presentation skills adaptable for engaging with multiple levels across the organization.
• Ability to operate and take initiative in an environment of ambiguity; holds themselves and team members accountable for a high level of performance.
• Some project management and data analysis experience is important. Experience with facilitation, change management, best practice translation, and process improvement is ideal.
• Career development.

Our purpose at Avient Corporation is to be an innovator of materials solutions that help our customers succeed, while enabling a sustainable world.

Innovation goes far beyond materials science; it's powered by the passion, creativity, and diverse expertise of 9,000 professionals worldwide. Whether you're a finance wizard, a tech enthusiast, an operational powerhouse, an HR changemaker, or a trailblazer in materials development, you'll find your place at Avient.

Join our global team and help shape the future with sustainable solutions that transform possibilities into realities. Your unique perspective could be the key to our next breakthrough!

We believe that all of our global employees are leaders and that the six most important behaviors for driving our strategy and culture are the same no matter if an employee is a leader of self, a leader of others, or a leader of the business.

By playing to win, acting customer centric, driving innovation and profitable growth, collaborating seamlessly across Avient, and motivating and inspiring and developing others and yourself you will accelerate your ability to achieve Avient's strategic goals, to meet our customer needs, and to accomplish your career goals.

At Avient, we believe a wide variety of thoughts, ideas and backgrounds gives us the creativity to be successful in a rapidly changing world. In support of this, we stress equality of opportunity for all qualified individuals in accordance with applicable laws. Decisions on hiring, promotion, development, compensation or advancement are based solely on a person's qualifications, abilities, experience and performance.

Avient is an equal opportunity employer. We maintain a policy of non-discrimination in providing equal employment to all qualified employees and candidates regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran's status, or other legally protected classification in accordance with applicable federal, state and local law. If you need an accommodation because of a disability to complete an online application, please contact the Avient HR Team by emailing, [e-mail].