Operational Excellence Leadership Development Program

Job Description

Operational Excellence Specialist – 2027 Leadership Development Program | Avient Corporation

The Tone:
This is a full-time leadership development program at Avient Corporation, with assignments across corporate, regional, and potentially international locations. Avient is a global organization with 9,000 professionals, dedicated to innovating materials solutions that empower customer success and contribute to a sustainable world. This program is designed to accelerate professional growth for recent MBA graduates, placing them on diverse teams to enhance critical business processes and contribute directly to Avient’s future through sustainable solutions. Individuals get hands-on experience to gain key operational excellence, leadership, and change management competencies, augmenting their historical work and academic experience.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time Leadership Development Program
• Location: Varied (Corporate, regional, and potentially international assignments)
• Mission: Drive significant improvement across critical processes within Avient businesses, encompassing distribution, supply planning, manufacturing, and customer management.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Project Leadership: Lead and actively participate in cross-functional project teams within operations and supply chain, driving key initiatives.
• Process Creation: Assist in developing and implementing world-class internal processes within rotational areas, which may include strategic supplier management, contract management, operations, and operations planning.
• Certification and Improvement: Actively participate in Avient Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Kaizen Leader training, successfully completing multiple DMAIC projects to earn Black Belt certification. This also includes interfacing with the Operational Excellence department and business units to ensure improvements are implemented and sustained.
• Metric Development: Identify and develop crucial operational excellence metrics and measures, utilizing them to facilitate significant performance improvements across the organization.
• Strategic Interaction: Interact regularly with senior management to gain exposure to Avient’s most critical strategic initiatives. This involves building relationships with high-potential employees globally and directly contributing to Avient’s future success.
• Customer-Centric Application: Apply change management and leadership capabilities directly with Avient customers through the dedicated “Customer First” program, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA), specifically with an Operations or Supply Chain Management focus. The program is designed for recent MBA graduates.
• Experience: Ideal candidates possess project management experience, team facilitation, data analysis proficiency, change management expertise, best practice translation abilities, and process improvement experience.
• Skills:
1. Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to acquire, assimilate, and analyze complex data from multiple systems and data sources using various business intelligence and reporting tools.
2. Exceptional communication and presentation skills, capable of engaging effectively with multiple levels across the organization.
3. Proven ability to operate and take initiative effectively in an environment of ambiguity, while consistently holding oneself and team members accountable for a high level of performance.
4. Required flexibility for travel by car or plane up to 25% of the time, supporting corporate, regional, and potential international assignments.
• Bonus: Three years of prior work experience is preferred in addition to the MBA.