Program Intern, Operations Excellence

About the role

Pilot Company is seeking a proactive and analytical student with a passion for process improvement and strategic problem-solving to join our Continuous Improvement team in Knoxville, Tennessee, for the summer of 2027. This is a unique opportunity to directly accelerate our strategic objective of enhancing organizational efficiency and resolving complex process issues across the business. You will provide data-driven insights to support rapid, sustainable improvements, which will have a direct impact on high-impact initiatives. This is an ideal position for someone who is a true thought partner, can solve problems differently, and wants to make a tangible impact on a company-wide scale.

Responsibilities

• Drive operational efficiency: Help enhance organizational efficiency by supporting data-driven insights and resolving complex process issues.
• Accelerate project completion: Assist with essential data tasks, enabling deeper analysis of ongoing projects and supporting evidence for new initiatives.
• Analyze and inform: Contribute to actionable data insights that directly inform process redesign and automation efforts.
• Support key projects: Work with our team on projects that lead to quantifiable improvements like reduced cycle times and enhanced data quality.
• Collaborate and problem-solve: Work autonomously as a proactive, reliable, and authentic thought partner, collaborating with stakeholders at all levels of the business.

Qualifications

• Education: Rising junior, senior, or graduate student; Industrial Engineering major preferred.
• Technical Skills: Extensive experience with Excel and PowerPoint required. Knowledge of Lean Six Sigma systems is a plus.
• Soft Skills: Dynamic thinker who can solve problems creatively; true thought partner, team player, and able to work with stakeholders at different levels. Ability to work autonomously and be proactive is crucial.
• Experience: Previous professional experience preferred; some extracurricular activities are a plus.
• Qualities: Driven, reliable, authentic, and welcoming.

Schedule

Full-time, in-person internship running from June 7 – August 13, 2027, at our Knoxville headquarters.