Continuous Improvement Engineering Internship

Job Description

Business Unit Overview

Michael Foods, Inc. is a leader in the food processing and distribution industry, specializing in egg products, refrigerated grocery, and potato products. We are committed to fostering career growth, talent development, and impactful contributions. Join our innovative team, where we are “First in Food.”

Location Description – Lenox, Iowa

Michael Foods, Inc. operates in Lenox, Iowa, affectionately known as the “Pearl of the Prairie.” This community offers a small-town lifestyle, prioritizing family and friends, with larger city amenities in Des Moines, Omaha, and Kansas City within reach. Located in southwest Iowa’s Taylor County, Lenox has a population of around 1400 and is surrounded by picturesque and productive agricultural fields of corn, beans, and other crops.

The town boasts several attractions, including an amazing four-day Rodeo every July, a beautiful 36-9 hole golf course, multiple fishing and boating lakes, excellent area hunting, a city park with a swimming pool, and various picnic parks. The Michael Foods facility in Lenox primarily produces pre-cooked egg patties. With its friendly atmosphere, safe environment, and progressive spirit, Lenox is an ideal place to live, work, play, and raise a family.

Job Title: Continuous Improvement Engineering Internship

JOB SUMMARY:

The Continuous Improvement Engineering Internship position at Michael Foods, Inc. focuses on productivity analysis and the implementation of process improvement activities. This role is designed to build capability within the organization and serve as a pipeline for future talent.

Job Activities:

As part of the plant continuous improvement team, the intern will assist industrial engineers in the development and implementation of projects and process improvements. Major responsibilities include:

• Performing OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) and downtime calculations.
• Conducting data collection and manipulation for analysis.
• Executing process capability analysis.
• Developing spreadsheets and performing other necessary calculations.
• Collaborating with plant engineers and maintenance teams on equipment troubleshooting and process improvement initiatives.
• Operating effectively within a team environment and providing support to other team members.
• Communicating cross-functionally to help solve process-related issues.
• Assisting in the preparation and delivery of presentations and formal training programs.
• Supporting team development efforts to resolve day-to-day operational issues and achieve short-term and long-term performance goals.
• Assisting in organizing and facilitating team meetings to drive continuous improvement processes.

Qualifications

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Current enrollment in a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree program in a related engineering field, such as mechanical, industrial, chemical, or electrical engineering.
• A fundamental understanding of engineering principles, including basic knowledge of heat transfers and the ability to conduct basic thermodynamic calculations.
• Basic comprehension of OEE, plant performance metrics, root cause analysis, process continuous improvement methodologies, and Six Sigma tools/improvement cycles.
• Excellent verbal and oral communication skills, with the ability to influence others.
• Strong statistical skills, including but not limited to Statistical Process Control (SPC), capability analysis, linear regressions, categorical data analysis, and Design of Experiment (DOE).
• Strong computer competency; some programming experience (e.g., Excel-VBA, SQL) is expected but not required. Understanding of database concepts will be a plus.
• Ability to work 10 consecutive weeks during the months of May through August 2023.
• Eagerness to learn and challenge oneself, demonstrating a self-directed, detail-oriented, reliable, and strong initiative.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of the work and may not include all the duties associated with this position.