McWane Ductile Ohio - Operations Trainee

McWane Ductile•Coshocton, OH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or other related fields.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a manufacturing maintenance environment a plus.

Responsibilities

Assist in daily production activities to meet efficiency, quality, and safety targets.
Monitor operations and escalate issues or deviations.
Support production scheduling and workflow coordination.
Learn and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Participate in Lean / Six Sigma / continuous improvement initiatives.
Identify inefficiencies and recommend solutions.
Assist with tracking KPIs (OEE, downtime, scrap, 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.
Provide indirect supervision to production employees by guiding workflow and task prioritization, reinforcing safety, quality, and production standards, and supporting team communication and coordination.
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.
Be exposed to onboarding and training of new employees, participation in team performance discussions and problem-solving efforts, and develop leadership skills through hands-on team interaction and accountability.