At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!
As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.
At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.
Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!
Your Role: Operational Excellence Intern – Elwood, Kansas (Summer 2027)
As a Summer 2027 Operational Excellence Intern with Elanco Animal Health, you will be part of the global operational excellence team at our Elwood, Kansas manufacturing plant, delivering projects that make the manufacturing and quality organization run efficiently. In this role, you will be assisting the global team with implementing Lean Six Sigma methodologies and other best practices to drive operational excellence (OpEx) initiatives.
Your Responsibilities:
Assist in Lean Six Sigma methodologies and other best practices to drive operational excellence (OpEx) initiatives
Work on projects focused on optimizing workflows, eliminating waste, and enhancing overall productivity.
Utilize data analysis to establish process improvement methods
Investigate ideas for cost-savings and time management.
Work within cross-functional teams to implement process improvements within a pharmaceutical space.
What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):
Education: Currently enrolled in engineering, science, or data analysis field.
Top Skills: Experience in Microsoft Suites, a willingness to learn, and interest in reviewing and improving processes, data, and statistics.
What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):
Prior internship or professional experience in process improvement and optimization
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Strong organizational and time management skills
Must be able to work exceptionally well independently and with minimal supervision
Additional Information:
Travel: 10% - to corporate facility in Indianapolis, IN for opening/closing
Location: Elwood Manufacturing Plant, Elwood, KS
Elanco’s Internship Program
Our internship program is designed to give students meaningful, hands-on experience as they kickstart their careers. Internships are project-based and focused on business-critical needs, giving every intern the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on Elanco’s success over the summer. At the heart of the experience is our belief that making life better for animals makes life better.
Internship Dates: May 17th – August 6th, 2027
Competitive Salary: $20-$40/hour (dependent upon major and year in school)
Professional Development: Networking events, assigned mentors, and learning resources are provided.
Housing: Financial support and help securing housing is available
Future opportunities: High-performing interns may be considered for full-time roles or additional internships, based on business needs.
Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status
Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.
Skills Required
- Currently enrolled in an engineering, science, or data analysis field
- Experience with Microsoft Suites
- Willingness to learn
- Interest in reviewing and improving processes, data, and statistics
- Prior internship or professional experience in process improvement and optimization
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
Elanco Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Elanco and has not been reviewed or approved by Elanco.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off options are broad, including PTO, flexible leave, and the ability to purchase additional vacation. These provisions are highlighted as supportive of work-life balance.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage includes medical, dental, and vision alongside company-paid life, disability, and wellness support. Pet insurance and assistance programs reinforce a comprehensive wellbeing offering.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings include a U.S. 401(k) and, for some employees, access to a defined benefit pension. These programs add meaningful long-term value to total rewards.
Elanco Insights
What We Do
At Elanco, we work to improve the health of animals through innovative products and services for pets and farm animals around the world. As a global animal health company, we provide solutions that empower our customers to advance a vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life. Since 1954, Elanco has committed to empowering veterinarians, farmers, and all those who care for animals with the tools they need to help animals live healthy lives. Healthier animals are the key to making our lives better - This is the fundamental belief uniting all global Elanco employees. That’s why we are committed to the idea that our business can be a unique force for good for all in society. Through our Elanco Healthy Purpose™ framework of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments, we focus on delivering sustainable solutions to advance the well-being of animals, people and the planet. This program also enables our employees around the world to take paid time off to make an impact as a volunteer, offering their time or talent to give back to our customers, causes and communities. #ElancoHealthyPurpose #WeAreElanco
