Operational Excellence Engineer I

PPG Industries • Cleveland, OH

5d • Onsite

About The Position

PPG is seeking an Operational Excellence Engineer I to support continuous improvement initiatives at our Cleveland coatings manufacturing site. This role partners with cross‑functional teams to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and sustainability through structured problem solving, standardization, and data‑driven decision making. This is an entry‑level engineering role designed to build core Operational Excellence and Lean Six Sigma capability while delivering measurable improvements to plant performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Chemical, Industrial, Mechanical, Manufacturing, or related discipline).
• 0–3 years of experience in manufacturing, engineering, operations, or continuous improvement roles (internship or co‑op experience accepted).
• Understanding of Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement concepts.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a team‑oriented manufacturing environment.

Nice To Haves

• Manufacturing experience in chemical, coatings, automotive, or batch process environments.
• Exposure to continuous improvement tools such as DMAIC, Kaizen, value stream mapping, or 5S.
• Experience using Excel and/or basic data analysis tools.
• Interest in pursuing Lean Six Sigma certification.

Responsibilities

• Support and lead continuous improvement projects using Lean, Six Sigma (DMAIC), and root cause analysis methodologies.
• Analyze manufacturing data to identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities.
• Support daily management systems, including KPI tracking and performance reviews.
• Partner with manufacturing, quality, maintenance, supply chain, and EHS teams to improve process reliability and consistency.
• Develop and sustain standard work and workplace organization practices.
• Participate in shop‑floor observations and improvement activities to identify waste and implement solutions.
• Support implementation of process changes, including basic risk assessment and change management.

Benefits

• An opportunity to grow and develop your career in an environment that provides a fulfilling workplace for employees, creates an environment for continuous learning, and embraces the ideas and diversity of others.

What This Job Offers

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