Project Management Intern (Summer 2027)

Zurn Elkay Water Solutions•Downers Grove, IL

About The Position

The Project Management Intern supports and leads a strategic product innovation initiative within Zurn Elkay’s Drinking Water or Filtration business. The role provides hands-on experience with new product development, cross-functional project leadership, continuous process improvement, and the company’s Stage-Gate product development process. Working with teams across Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain, the intern leads a defined innovation project from concept through key development milestones and evaluates the current innovation process to recommend improvements in speed, efficiency, collaboration, and execution. The internship offers opportunities to build project management, leadership, analytical, product development, executive presentation, and communication skills through real-world project ownership, mentorship, and exposure to product strategy, innovation management, and business operations. Expected outcomes include a successful innovation project, an executive presentation, an assessment of the Stage-Gate process, recommendations and an implementation plan for process enhancements, and a final business impact report. Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation is a publicly traded company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with more than 2,800 employees worldwide and 24 locations across the United States, China, Canada, Dubai, and Mexico. The company describes itself as values-driven, focused on integrity, giving back, professional development, and an inclusive workplace.

Requirements

Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, engineering, project management, or a related field.
Strong academic performance.
Demonstrated leadership experience.
Excellent communication and presentation skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to lead projects and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

Lead a strategic innovation project within the Drinking Water or Filtration business unit.
Define project objectives, deliverables, timelines, risks, and success metrics.
Coordinate activities across Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain.
Track project progress and communicate updates to stakeholders and leadership.
Identify risks, obstacles, and opportunities, and develop mitigation plans.
Present project recommendations, business cases, and outcomes to leadership teams.
Participate in the company’s Stage-Gate product development process, including gate reviews, project meetings, and innovation planning sessions.
Document process observations, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
Analyze project workflows, decision points, and team interactions.
Benchmark best practices and recommend enhancements to project execution, speed to market, and cross-functional alignment.
Support implementation and testing of approved process improvements.
Prepare an executive presentation summarizing project outcomes and recommendations, and a final business impact report highlighting results, lessons learned, and future opportunities.