Operations Co-op or Intern

The Operations / Manufacturing Co-op at PCC Aerostructures' Auburn facility provides hands-on experience for a student pursuing a career in aerospace manufacturing, operations, or engineering. The Auburn facility performs complex machining, structural and mechanical assembly, kitting, and integration of aerospace components, including flight-critical hardware.

The co-op will work with Operations leadership, production employees, Engineering, Quality, Planning, and other support groups to address manufacturing issues and improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity. The position will spend significant time on the production floor learning how aerospace components move through machining, inspection, assembly, and supporting operations.

The co-op will be assigned projects with defined objectives and will analyze problems, recommend solutions, assist with implementation, and communicate results to Operations leadership. Assignments may involve manufacturing flow and work-in-process reduction, capacity and constraint analysis, productivity, standard work, production scheduling, scrap and rework reduction, tooling, process improvement, and manufacturing data analysis.

• Spend significant time on the production floor working with operators and Operations leadership to understand manufacturing processes, identify issues, and implement improvements.
• Analyze manufacturing flow and work-in-process (WIP) to identify bottlenecks, excessive queue time, aging work orders, and opportunities to reduce manufacturing lead time.
• Perform time studies, process observations, capacity analysis, and constraint analysis to identify opportunities to improve throughput and productivity.
• Support production planning and scheduling activities, including work-center loading, manufacturing priorities, material availability, and schedule attainment.
• Monitor and analyze operational measures such as throughput, cycle time, WIP, scrap, rework, yield, labor efficiency, machine utilization, and on-time delivery.
• Apply Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methods to identify and reduce non-value-added activity.
• Participate in 5S/6S, kaizen, standard work, and process-improvement activities.
• Assist with root cause analysis and corrective actions for manufacturing, quality, and delivery issues.
• Develop and update standard work, work instructions, process documentation, and training materials.
• Work with operators, supervisors, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Planning, and other functions to implement and sustain process improvements.
• Support improvement activities related to machining, assembly, tooling, material flow, and other manufacturing processes.
• Analyze production data using Microsoft Excel, Power BI, ERP/MRP systems, and other available tools to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Participate in production meetings, shop-floor reviews, kaizen events, process trials, and training opportunities.
• Establish baseline performance and measure results after implementation to confirm improvement and sustainability.
• Prepare and present project status, findings, recommendations, and results to Operations leadership.
• Manage assigned projects to established schedules and objectives.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned.

Project assignments will be based on current business needs and may include:

• WIP and manufacturing lead-time reduction.
• Bottleneck and constraint identification.
• CNC machine and work-center capacity analysis.
• Production scheduling and schedule-attainment improvement.
• Machine utilization and productivity improvement.
• Setup and changeover reduction.
• Material-flow and point-of-use improvements.
• Scrap, rework, and first-pass yield improvement.
• Standard-work development and 5S/6S implementation.
• Tooling and manufacturing process improvements.
• Labor and equipment capacity planning.
• Root cause and corrective-action projects.
• Process documentation and operator training improvements.

The co-op is expected to take ownership of at least one improvement project and assist with the work from problem definition and analysis through implementation and verification of results.

• Interest in a career in manufacturing, operations, engineering, or manufacturing leadership.
• Willingness to spend significant time working directly on the production floor.
• Initiative, curiosity, and willingness to take responsibility for assigned work.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to observe a manufacturing process, ask questions, analyze available information, and develop practical recommendations.
• Ability to communicate effectively with production employees, supervisors, engineers, and managers.
• Ability to work across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Planning, and other functions.
• Organization and time-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple activities and complete assigned work.
• Ability to work with manufacturing data and performance measures.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel.
• Familiarity with Power BI, ERP/MRP systems, statistical analysis, or other data-analysis tools is preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with Lean manufacturing, 5S/6S, root cause analysis, standard work, or continuous improvement is preferred.
• Mechanical aptitude and interest in manufacturing equipment, tooling, materials, and processes.

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business Management, Data Analytics, or a related technical discipline.
• Must have successfully completed at least the freshman year of college.
• Previous manufacturing, machining, internship, shop, project, or other hands-on technical experience is preferred but not required.
• Coursework or project experience in Lean manufacturing, statistics, operations research, data analysis, process improvement, or manufacturing systems is preferred.

During the assignment, the co-op may gain experience in:

• Manufacturing improvement projects in an aerospace production environment.
• Complex machining and assembly operations.
• Working with production employees and manufacturing leaders.
• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methods.
• Using manufacturing data to support operational decisions.
• WIP, capacity, constraints, scheduling, and production flow.
• Structured problem solving and root cause analysis.
• Presenting findings and recommendations to Operations leadership.
• Cross-functional work among Operations, Engineering, Quality, Planning, and Supply Chain.

The physical demands described below represent those required to perform the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work is performed in both office and manufacturing environments.
• Regular standing and walking throughout production areas are required.
• Work may involve observing machining, assembly, inspection, material handling, and other manufacturing operations.
• Occasional bending, reaching, stooping, or handling of materials may be required.
• Occasional lifting and/or moving of up to 20 pounds may be required.
• Required personal protective equipment must be worn in designated manufacturing areas.

The position works in both office and active manufacturing environments. Manufacturing areas may include CNC equipment, assembly operations, material-handling equipment, tooling, coolants, airborne particles, vibration, and elevated noise levels. The co-op must follow all facility safety requirements and wear required personal protective equipment.

The co-op will regularly interact with production employees, supervisors, managers, engineers, Quality personnel, planners, and other support functions.

Must be willing to accept a minimum of 3 month assignment, longer assignments potentially available.

There is no relocation or housing stipend for this opportunity.

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.