Ohio - Operations Trainee

Equal Employment Opportunity

McWane is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all employment practices. McWane will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran or service member status, marital status, citizenship status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

Operations Trainee is an entry‑level position designed to develop future leaders in manufacturing operations. This role provides hands‑on experience in production processes, quality control, safety, maintenance coordination, and continuous improvement initiatives. Trainees will rotate through key departments to gain a comprehensive understanding of plant operations by blending technical learning with early‑stage leadership experience, preparing candidates to step into supervisory roles by developing decision‑making ability, team coordination and oversight, and accountability for production performance.

This is a full‑time (minimum 40 hours per week) on‑site position.

• Assist in daily production activities to meet efficiency, quality, and safety targets.
• Monitor operations and raise issues or deviations as needed.
• Support production scheduling and workflow coordination.
• Learn and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs).

• Participate in Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement initiatives.
• Identify inefficiencies and recommend solutions.
• Assist with tracking key performance indicators such as OEE, downtime, scrap, and throughput.

• Coordinate with maintenance on equipment issues.
• Assist in basic troubleshooting and preventive maintenance activities.
• Support equipment installations and process changes.

• Follow and enforce quality standards.
• Assist with root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and company requirements.

• Promote and model safe behaviors on the shop floor.
• Participate in EHS audits and hazard identification.
• Ensure team adherence to EHS policies and requirements.

• Work cross‑functionally with engineering, maintenance, quality, and operations.
• Participate in meetings, training, and project teams.
• Communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.

• Cross‑functional rotations.
• Structured leadership development.
• Increasing responsibility, including progressive supervisory exposure.

• Manufacturing Department Head
• Operations Management
• Manufacturing / Process Engineer
• Continuous Improvement Leader

Provide indirect supervision to production employees by guiding workflow and task prioritization, reinforcing safety, quality, and production standards, and supporting team communication and coordination. The successful candidate will serve as backup/relief for frontline leadership roles (e.g., shift supervisor, team lead), providing assistance with shift coverage during absences, vacations, or high‑demand periods. The candidate will be exposed to onboarding and training of new employees, participation in team performance discussions and problem‑solving efforts, and will develop leadership skills through hands‑on team interaction and accountability.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or related fields.
• Experience in a manufacturing maintenance environment is a plus.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Good communication and teamwork abilities.
• Ability to adapt to a fast‑moving environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

All duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

McWane is a Federal VEVRAA contractor and an equal‑opportunity employer. All your information will be kept confidential in accordance with equal‑employment‑opportunity guidelines.