About the position
Residing at the Hershey Company's Technical Center, this position involves a unique opportunity to work within the Research & Development team. This team is responsible for evaluating new technologies and ingredients for improving current processes and products and providing new product opportunities through (1) researching new discoveries, (2) taking product concept to prototype, and (3) scaling up through to commercialization. The Product Development Intern will work independently, and as a part of cross functional teams to achieve goals on project assignments. The successful candidate should be able to interact with many different types of individuals including various scientists, product developers, marketing, sensory, consumer research and management. This successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in either Chocolate, Sweets and Refreshments, Better For You/Protein, or Salty Product Development. This role will require individuals to demonstrate leadership, solve technical problems, create new prototypes, screen or test flavors and colors, design recipes or processes, data analysis and present results.
Responsibilities
- Carrying out experimental designs, creating prototypes, performing experiments, and reporting results.
- Creating trial protocol with the use of DOE principle.
- Using benchtop development and prototype evaluation.
- Analyzing experimental data and executing experiments on pilot scale equipment.
- Preparing trial reports including next steps.
- Providing support to research projects or portions of larger projects which provide innovative new products and/or product/process improvements in R&D.
- Performing prototyping and development from benchtop to pilot plant to full manufacturing scale.
- Testing ideas through experimentation, applying technical rigor and scientific principles and practices.
- Determining next steps through problem solving while understanding the business impact.
- Assisting team in accomplishing project tasks.
- Interacting closely with a cross-functional group of technical, professional, and managerial staff of R&D, as well as production, engineering, sensory, science and technology, analytical and marketing.
- Providing input for technical feasibility for new product concepts.
- Partnering with Supply Chain to provide technical support to drive quality and value improvement in products and processes.
Requirements
- Majors: Food Science, Engineering (Food Processing, Chemical, Ag & Biological, etc.), Chemistry, Biology.
- Must be pursuing an undergraduate Bachelor's degree (preferably junior or senior).
- Minimum GPA: 3.0.
- Prior internships with related experience are highly valued.
Nice-to-haves
- Strong interest in hands-on work and applying technical rigor and scientific principles and practices.
- Highly motivated.
- Comfortable with laboratory and pilot plant equipment.
- Proficient in written and communication skills.
- Computer literate (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
- Demonstrated problem solving and evaluation capabilities.
- Excellent troubleshooting skills.
- Able to work independently, and as part of a team environment.
- Must be open and comfortable with change.
Benefits
- Opportunity to work in a dynamic R&D environment.
- Hands-on experience in product development.
- Exposure to cross-functional teams and various aspects of product development.
