Continuous Improvement - Intern / Co-op

Location: Pinckneyville, Illinois, USA, 62274 Department: Operations Excellence

What you’ll do

Why Join Eaton?

At Eaton, we make what matters work. Our commitment to operational excellence, safety, sustainability, and continuous improvement helps us improve lives and the environment. As a Continuous Improvement Intern / Co-op, you will gain hands-on experience in a manufacturing environment while supporting improvement projects connected to the Eaton Business System, Lean principles, digital transformation, and operational excellence.

Position Overview

This position is designed to provide meaningful hands-on experience in a manufacturing environment. The selected candidate will be expected to work on-site a minimum of 20 hours per week during the academic term and collaborate directly with Continuous Improvement leaders, operations teams, and plant personnel.

• 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.

Qualifications

Basic 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.
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc. .
• 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.
• Must be able to work full-time during designated school breaks, as business needs permit.

Preferred Qualifications

• Coursework, project experience, or prior work experience related to Lean, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, manufacturing, quality, operations, or engineering.
• Familiarity with Lean tools such as 5S, standard work, process mapping, value stream mapping, root cause analysis, or Kaizen.
• Interest or experience in Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, data analytics, automation, IoT, dashboards, or digital manufacturing tools.
• Experience using Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and data visualization or reporting tools.
• Experience working in a manufacturing, operations, distribution, laboratory, technical, or project-based environment.
• Prior internship, co-op, student project, research project, or campus leadership experience related to engineering, manufacturing, operations, or process improvement.

Skills

Position Criteria

• Work safely and follow established procedures in a manufacturing environment.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with employees, peers, supervisors, and leaders.
• Work effectively as part of a team and build positive working relationships across functions.
• Organize information, manage project tasks, and follow through on assigned deliverables.
• Use data and observation to help identify issues, evaluate options, and recommend practical improvements.
• Learn new systems, tools, and processes in a hands-on environment.
• Maintain attention to detail when collecting data, preparing documentation, and reporting project results.
• Demonstrate curiosity, accountability, adaptability, and a willingness to learn.

Additional Information

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

This role will include work in both office and manufacturing environments. The employee may be required to:

• Stand for extended periods of time.
• Walk frequently throughout the manufacturing facility.
• Work in a manufacturing environment that may not be air conditioned.
• Wear required personal protective equipment as designated by the site.
• Occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds, with or without assistance, mechanical support, or reasonable accommodation.
• Work near manufacturing equipment, production areas, materials, tools, and normal plant noise levels.
• Follow all Eaton safety rules, Life Saving Rules, and site-specific procedures.

What You'll Gain

• Practical experience in a global manufacturing environment.
• Exposure to Eaton Business System practices and Continuous Improvement methods.
• Hands-on project experience supporting safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Opportunities to work with cross-functional teams and site leadership.
• Development through meaningful work, coachi