Emerging Leader – Leadership Development Program

Job Description

Emerge Program Associate – Operations / Technology | WIDIA

The Tone:
This is a full-time, early-career leadership development program within Kennametal’s EMERGE program, with participants required to relocate or travel during the 2-year duration. Kennametal Inc. is an industrial technology leader, delivering productivity to customers through materials science, tooling, and wear-resistant solutions. This role is crucial for building emerging leaders within the company by providing diverse experiences to expand perspectives, develop functional expertise, and accelerate career development.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Relocation/Travel Required

• Team: Participants rotate through Operations, Technology, or Commercial teams within Kennametal’s Emerging Leadership Program.
• Mission: To equip participants with leadership, professional, and technical skills necessary to drive performance and integration among business functions.
• Tech Stack: SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Smart Factory, Data Analytics.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Lead and contribute to projects focused on manufacturing process improvement, lean methodologies, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Develop expertise in materials management, SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), and data analytics within operational contexts.
• Design and develop new materials, products, and processes, including additive manufacturing, smart factory solutions, and metrology process development.
• Manage projects related to product engineering, process development, and coordinating product moves between facilities, applying estimating engineering principles.
• Enhance leadership and daily management capabilities through hands-on experience and supervisory skills development, also addressing Environmental, Health & Safety aspects.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Entry-Level, completing final academic year in STEM, Operational Excellence, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field of study.
• Experience: None required beyond academic completion in a relevant field.
• Skills: Strong organization, facilitation, leadership, project management, communication skills, and an analytical approach to problem solving.
• Bonus: A minimum overall GPA of 3.2 is preferred.