Corporate Engineering Development Program

Reynolds Consumer Products • Lake Forest, IL

5d

About The Position

The Corporate Engineering Development Program is a two-year rotational program for recent engineering graduates. Participants complete four six-month assignments at multiple U.S. manufacturing locations, gaining hands-on experience with manufacturing processes, engineering functions, and plant environments. They work alongside experienced engineers and manufacturing leaders to solve operational challenges and develop technical, professional, and leadership capabilities.

Participants apply Reynolds Business System principles and structured problem-solving methods to improve operations. They own a measurable business improvement project during each rotation, analyze operational data and performance metrics, and present outcomes to plant and program leadership. The program includes formal training, hands-on assignments, daily coaching, mentoring, defined learning objectives, ongoing feedback, and structured reviews. The anticipated program start is Summer 2027, and it is based in the Chicagoland area, with rotational assignments at multiple U.S. manufacturing locations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering completed by June 2027.
• Eligible to work in the United States without current or future employment sponsorship from Reynolds Consumer Products.
• Strong academic and applied problem-solving capabilities.
• Effective written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to collaborate and contribute within a team environment.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and demonstrated ability to learn.
• Willingness and ability to complete rotational assignments at multiple U.S. manufacturing locations.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Chemical Engineering.
• Engineering internship, co-op, research, laboratory, or manufacturing experience.
• Exposure to automation, controls, quality, continuous improvement, reliability, maintenance, process engineering, or project management.
• Experience leading a student organization, team project, competition, volunteer initiative, or campus activity.
• Passion for consumer products and making manufacturing processes safer, smarter, and more efficient.
• Exposure to data analysis to identify improvement opportunities and translate findings into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Familiarity with statistical methods and tools such as Minitab, Power BI, or similar applications.

Responsibilities

• Apply Reynolds Business System principles through Kaizen events, value stream mapping, standard work, and visual management to eliminate waste and improve processes.
• Use A3 thinking and structured problem solving to define problems, validate root causes, implement countermeasures, and sustain improvements.
• Own a business improvement project in each rotation, with defined objectives, timelines, budgets, and measurable results.
• Present project outcomes and lessons learned to plant and program leadership.
• Analyze operational data and KPIs to prioritize opportunities and improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, reliability, and equipment performance.
• Apply industrial engineering principles and analytical methods to improve process flow, capacity, labor productivity, material flow, standard work, ergonomics, manufacturing cost, and overall operational performance.
• Deliver rotation objectives safely, on schedule, within budget, and against established performance measures.
• Partner with operators and technicians to understand shop-floor challenges, develop practical improvements, and support adoption of standard work.
• Use manufacturing performance metrics, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), downtime, speed loss, and scrap, to identify, prioritize, and eliminate operational losses.
• Leverage digital manufacturing technologies to analyze real-time production performance, support daily management, and drive continuous improvement.
• Troubleshoot equipment, processes, and production challenges.
• Support engineering projects involving automation, research and development, quality control, and equipment reliability.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, maintenance, quality, and other cross-functional partners.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level