Research & Development Intern

Summary

Join the fairlife Summer Internship Program and gain meaningful experience, social and professional development opportunities. Work with the Research and Development (R&D) team in Chicago, IL, for 11 weeks, supporting R&D initiatives in alignment with company objectives.

Requirements

• Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Chemical Engineering or Food process engineering or closely related field and are currently in their sophomore, junior or senior year; eligible to start in Summer 2023
• Possess a strong technical foundation in the sciences; dairy knowledge desired but not required
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0, or higher
• Ability to take ownership of assignments and complete them
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to work in a team setting
• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Responsibilities

• Handle a project in one of the following areas: Product development, Process/technology development, or Long-term research
• Work under the supervision of the R&D team on a project to either develop new products, optimize an existing product formula, or evaluate ingredient functionality in a product with the objective of enhancing the organoleptic properties or optimizing cost while maintaining the high quality of our products
• Be exposed to different aspects of product development from formulation, and pilot plant production through commercialization. This will include ingredient selection, ingredients testing, raw batch testing and final product testing
• Work under the supervision of the R&D team applying scientific principles to resolve a technical challenge, validate a testing method, or enhance efficiency
• Be exposed to different aspects of milk processing technology, innovation, and improvement. The intern will learn about different dairy processing unit operations including cream separation, chilling, milk fractionation and heat treatment to ensure product safety and to increase shelf life
• Work under the supervision of the R&D team applying scientific principles to resolve a technical challenge, validate a testing method, optimize processes for fractionation of milk or develop a new product focusing on health and wellness
• Be exposed to different aspects of membrane filtration technology, innovation, and improvement. The intern will learn about dairy processing unit operations involved in the process to ensure product safety and to increase shelf life
• Ask questions and learn quickly on the job
• Conduct product testing and evaluations according to project objectives
• Comply with lab safety protocols
• Enter and analyze data
• Create and maintain comprehensive records of the project
• Maintain security and confidentiality of information within the R&D Department

Benefits

• Paid internship program
• Social, professional, and community engagement events
• Exposure to senior leadership and executives across the business in small group settings
• Insight into company initiatives
• Off-site field trips
• Opportunity to pursue a full-time job opportunity for those qualified and selected