Operational Excellence Leadership Development Program – Operational Excellence

Job Description

Operational Excellence Specialist – 2027 Leadership Development Program | Avient Corporation

The Tone:
This is a rotational leadership development program at Avient Corporation, with assignments that may be corporate, regional, or international. Avient is an innovator of materials solutions, helping customers succeed and enabling a sustainable world. This program accelerates professional development for recent MBA graduates, driving improvement of critical business processes and shaping the future through sustainable solutions. Individuals will gain key operational excellence, leadership, and change management competencies through hands-on experience.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, assignments may be Corporate, regional, or international

• Team: Multiple Avient teams (cross-functional projects)
• Mission: To accelerate professional development for recent MBA graduates and drive continuous improvement of critical business processes across Avient’s operations.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Lead and participate in cross-functional project teams within operations and supply chain areas.
• Assist in developing world-class internal processes in rotational areas such as strategic supplier management, contract management, and operations planning.
• Participate in Avient Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Lean Kaizen Leader training to complete multiple DMAIC projects and earn Black Belt certification.
• Interface with the Operational Excellence department and business units to ensure improvements are implemented and sustained.
• Identify and develop key operational excellence metrics and measures to facilitate performance improvements across the organization.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Master’s Degree (MBA) with a focus on Operations or Supply Chain Management is preferred.
• Experience: Three years of work experience is preferred, ideally including project management, team facilitation, data analysis, change management, best practice translation, and process improvement.
• Skills: Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to acquire, assimilate, and analyze data from multiple systems and sources. Strong communication and presentation skills adaptable for engaging with multiple levels across the organization. Ability to operate and take initiative in an environment of ambiguity, holding self and team members accountable for high performance.