Operations Co-op / Intern LPC

Precision Castparts Corp.; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Part time

Job summary

Precision Castparts Corp. in Portland, OR, is seeking an Operations Co-op / Intern to gain hands-on leadership experience on the shop floor.

You will work alongside seasoned operations leaders, driving improvements, solving real problems, and learning how manufacturing systems are led and sustained. This role emphasizes daily production activities, safety and quality, plus kaizen events, 6S, RCCA, and cross-functional collaboration with engineers and supervisors.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a BS degree in Operations Management, Engineering or Business Management; must have completed freshman year.

Responsibilities

• Support daily production activities on the shop floor, ensuring safety, quality and operational standards.
• Execute and sustain 6S initiatives across all production areas.
• Conduct process, quality and performance audits; drive corrective actions.
• Monitor key metrics such as scrap, first-pass yield, throughput and OEE.
• Collaborate with engineering and operations on continuous improvement projects.
• Assist RCCA for quality and production issues.
• Ensure compliance with work instructions, routers and AS9100 practices.
• Maintain a clean, organized work environment and assist with scheduling/documentation.

Skills

Leadership

Initiative

Problem solving

Continuous improvement

Data analysis

Frontline collaboration

Education

BS degree in Operations Management

Engineering

Business Management

Job description

The Operations Co‑op / Intern role is a hands‑on, leadership‑oriented experience designed for students who are interested in building a future career leading people in a manufacturing environment. This role provides immersive exposure to daily operations, production systems, and front‑line leadership within a high‑performance manufacturing organization.

This is not a traditional technical or project‑only internship. Students will work directly alongside experienced operations leaders and spend the majority of their time on the production floor driving improvements, solving real operational problems, and delivering measurable results while learning how manufacturing systems are led, improved, and sustained.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Support daily production activities on the shop floor, ensuring adherence to safety, quality, and operational standards
• Execute and sustain 6S initiatives (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain, Safety) across all production areas
• Conduct process, quality, and performance audits, identifying gaps and driving corrective actions
• Monitor and analyze key performance metrics such as scrap, first-pass yield, throughput, and overall equipment efficiency (OEE)
• Partner with engineering and operations to implement continuous improvement projects focused on productivity, cost reduction, and process capability
• Assist with root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions (RCCA) for quality and production issues
• Ensure compliance with work instructions, routers, and aerospace quality standards (e.g., AS9100 practices)
• Maintain a clean and organized work environment while identifying and mitigating safety risks
• Assist with production scheduling support, work order management, and documentation control
• Collaborate cross-functionally with operators, supervisors, quality, and engineering teams
• Participate in kaizen events, process trials, and new product/process introductions
• Perform other duties as assigned

Required Skills and Attributes:

• Strong desire to pursue a career in Operations and manufacturing leadership, with interest in leading people and managing in a production environment
• Demonstrated initiative and ownership; willingness to step in, ask questions, and take responsibility for improving outcomes
• Interest in continuous improvement, problem solving, and making practical, hands‑on process improvements
• Ability to work effectively with frontline teams, including operators, supervisors, and cross‑functional partners
• Ability to analyze processes and performance data, apply root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions that improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost
• Demonstrated technical and mechanical acumen, including comfort working directly with manufacturing equipment, processes, and materials, and the ability to understand how and why production systems operate

Level of Education:

• Currently pursuing a BS Degree in Operations Management, Engineering or Business Management at an accredited university. Must have completed at least the freshman year.

Physical Demands:

• Able and willing to work 15 - 25 hours per week on a consistent basis during the school semester. Full-time hours may be available during school breaks.
• Ability to work in a heavy industrial manufacturing environment and spend significant time on the production floor interacting with others.
• Daily tasks may include using hands to handle materials and equipment, reaching with hands and arms, and communicating verbally.
• Frequent tasks may require standing, walking, climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching.
• Lifting and/or moving of up to 35 pounds may be required.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

This position requires use of information or access to production processes subject to national security controls under U.S. export control laws and regulations (including, but not limited to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)). To comply with those regulations, this position may require applicants to be U.S. Persons (i.e., U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required export authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Company Profile

With more than 120 operations and approximately 20,000 employees worldwide, Precision Castparts Corp. is the market leader in manufacturing large, complex structural investment castings, airfoil castings, forged components, aerostructures and highly engineered, critical fasteners for aerospace applications. In addition, we are the leading producer of airfoil castings for the industrial gas turbine market. We also manufacture extruded seamless pipe, fittings, and forgings for power generation and oil & gas applications; commercial and military airframe aerostructures; and metal alloys and other materials for the casting and forging industries. With such critical applications, we insist on quality and dependability – not just in the materials and products we make, but in the people we recruit.

PCC is relentless in its dedication to being a high-quality, low-cost and on-time producer; delivering the highest value to its customers while continually pursuing strategic, profitable growth.

In 2016, Berkshire Hathaway, led by Chairman and CEO Warren E. Buffett, acquired Precision Castparts Corp.

We are constantly searching for the best talent and offer excellent development programs for recent graduates as well as meaningful work experience for those still studying.