Engineering Intern, Continuous Improvement

James Hardie•Tacoma, WA

7d•$20 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

As a James Hardie intern, you will gain hands-on experience in your chosen field while contributing to meaningful projects that drive business results. Our 12-week paid internship program is designed to provide real-world industry exposure, strengthen your professional and technical skills, and help prepare you for a successful career. Throughout the program, you will collaborate with experienced professionals, build valuable relationships across the organization, and take on work that makes a measurable impact. You will also have access to mentoring opportunities and professional development resources to support your growth and career aspirations. The primary goal of this internship is to support the development, standardization, and continuous improvement of the Hardie Manufacturing Operating System (HMOS) processes across the Tacoma manufacturing organization. The intern will gain practical experience in Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, and operational excellence while helping improve how work is documented, trained, audited, and sustained. The intern will be responsible for completing a structured capstone project focused on HMOS maturity, procedural excellence, operational standardization, or continuous improvement.

Requirements

Currently enrolled in a bachelor's degree program in a relevant discipline at an accredited university, with an anticipated graduation date between December 2027 and May 2029 (rising junior or rising senior).
Strong academic performance with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Available to work full-time for 12 weeks during summer 2027.
Reliable transportation to and from the work location.
Authorization to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Target degree: Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Operations Management, or related discipline.
Understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles.
Familiarity with continuous improvement methodologies such as: PDCA 5S Visual Management Standard Work Root Cause Analysis A3 Problem Solving Process Mapping Statistical/Data Analysis
Soft Skills
Strong written communication skills.
Ability to translate complex processes into simple, easy-to-follow procedures.
Strong organizational, project management, and attention-to-detail skills.
Effective communication and collaboration skills across all levels of the organization.
Self-motivated, adaptable, and eager to learn manufacturing operations.
Ability to build relationships with operators, supervisors, managers, and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

Develop, revise, and standardize operating procedures, standard work documents, one-point lessons (OPLs), and training materials.
Support HMOS implementation activities including Daily Management Systems (DMS), visual management, audits, and process assessments.
Conduct process observations, data collection, and workflow analysis to identify improvement opportunities and document current and future state processes.
Partner with production, maintenance, quality, and operations teams to improve process consistency, waste elimination, and operator usability.
Lead and complete a summer capstone project focused on HMOS, standardization, process improvement, or operational effectiveness.