ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Food Product Development Internship Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Any Baby Can

Development Internship

Austin, TX · Hybrid

$15.50 - $20.75/hr

Our Development Internship will help prepare future philanthropic leaders for a competitive and ... Knowledge of computer programs, including Microsoft Office products * Adherence to principles of ...

National Food Group

Product Development Specialist

Novi, MI

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Contract Job Summary National Food Group is seeking an innovative and driven Product Development Specialist to join our Product Development team in a temporary role, with the potential to transition ...

SpotHopper

Business Development Internship

Milwaukee, WI · On-site

$20 - $30/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

We dream big. We love food. We're building the next generation of marketing software and our ... product and set you up for success What we offer: - As an Intern, $22 per hour base + an average of ...

SpotHopper

Business Development Internship

Milwaukee, WI · On-site

$20 - $30/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

We dream big. We love food. We're building the next generation of marketing software and our ... product and set you up for success What we offer: - As an Intern, $22 per hour base + an average of ...

previous pagenext page

Showing results 21-40

All Jobsinternship JobsBusiness JobsProduct Development JobsProduct Developer JobsFood Product Development Internship Jobs

Food Product Development Internship information

See salary details

$9

$21

$37

How much do food product development internship jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 20, 2026, the average hourly pay for food product development internship in the United States is $21.19, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.31 and $24.04 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a food product development internship?

A Food Product Development Internship is a temporary position designed for students or recent graduates interested in the food industry. Interns work alongside food scientists and product developers to create, test, and improve new food products. The role often involves tasks like sensory evaluation, recipe formulation, ingredient research, and quality control. This experience provides valuable hands-on learning about the product development process and helps interns build practical skills for future careers in food science or related fields.

What are typical projects and responsibilities for a food product development intern?

As a Food Product Development Intern, you can expect to assist with a variety of hands-on projects, such as formulating new recipes, conducting sensory evaluations, and supporting shelf-life testing. You'll likely collaborate closely with food scientists, quality assurance teams, and marketing professionals to refine product concepts and ensure they meet both regulatory and consumer requirements. Interns often help with ingredient sourcing, documentation, and compiling data for analysis, providing a well-rounded experience that supports skill development and exposes you to the full product development lifecycle. This role is a great stepping stone for learning industry standards and gaining practical experience in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a food product development intern, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Food Product Development Intern, you need a background in food science or a related field, with knowledge of food safety, ingredient functionality, and basic research methods. Familiarity with lab equipment, formulation software, sensory evaluation tools, and regulatory guidelines is typically required. Strong problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills help you work effectively on cross-functional teams and present findings. These skills are vital to innovating safe, appealing products and advancing projects from concept to market.

What is the difference between Food Product Development Internship vs Food Product Development Coordinator?

AspectFood Product Development InternshipFood Product Development Coordinator
CredentialsTypically pursuing or recent graduate in food science, nutrition, or related fieldBachelor's degree in food science, culinary arts, or related field; some experience preferred
Work EnvironmentInternship setting within food companies, labs, or R&D departmentsFull-time role in food companies, overseeing product development projects
ResponsibilitiesAssisting in product testing, research, and documentationManaging product development processes, coordinating teams, and ensuring project timelines

The Food Product Development Internship is an entry-level position designed for students or recent graduates gaining hands-on experience. In contrast, the Food Product Development Coordinator is a full-time professional role with greater responsibilities in managing product projects. Both roles are essential in the food industry, but they differ mainly in experience level and scope of duties.

More about Food Product Development Internship jobs

What cities are hiring for Food Product Development Internship jobs?

Cities with the most Food Product Development Internship job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Food Product Development jobs?

The most popular types of Food Product Development jobs are:

What states have the most Food Product Development Internship jobs?

States with the most job openings for Food Product Development Internship jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Food Product Development Internship jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Food Product Development Internship jobs are:

Food Product Development Internship jobs near you
Infographic showing various Food Product Development Internship job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $44,083 per year, or $21.2 per hour.

Food Product Development Manager (Consumer Packaged Goods)

E.A. Sween

Eden Prairie, MN • On-site

$125K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 19 days ago

Job description

Who We Are
Since 1955, we have been on a mission To Passionately Feed Millions Daily with High Quality Food People Enjoy! We are a third-generation family-owned and professionally managed organization with a commitment to strategic growth. We continue to be successful because of talented people, just like you, who choose to join our family and call E.A. Sween home. We pride ourselves on fostering a welcoming, respectful, and rewarding culture where employees are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work each and every day. At E.A. Sween, our team members are seen, heard, and appreciated not just for what they do, but for who they are. We hope you'll join us!
Compensation: The target salary for this position is $125,000 annually, consistent with our internal compensation framework. This position is classified as Grade 16, with a full pay range of $97,417.80 to $154,486.70. You are eligible for an incentive bonus up too 15% of your annual salary, prorated based on your start date. Final pay will be determined by your experience, skills, internal equity, and available budget.
What We're Seeking
We are seeking an Product Development Manager to lead product development for ready-to-eat food platforms, including sandwiches, wraps, handheld meals, and related prepared foods. This role combines hands-on development with team leadership to create products with consistent quality, consumer appeal, and clear business value. The Product Development Manager will lead culinary concept development, guide technical formulation, oversee bench and plant trials, and support commercialization from concept through launch. The ideal candidate brings strong product development experience, sound culinary judgment, food science capability, and proven people leadership.
What You'll Do (Responsibilities)
Lead Product Development and Commercialization
  • Lead new product development projects from concept through commercialization, ensuring products meet business, consumer, operational, and food safety requirements.
  • Direct the development of ready-to-eat sandwiches, wraps, handheld meals, deli products, sauces, spreads, proteins, bakery-based foods, and prepared food systems.
  • Manage product renovation, line extension, quality improvement, cost reduction, ingredient substitution, and productivity initiatives across the product portfolio.
  • Lead bench development, culinary gold-standard creation, plant trials, first-production runs, and post-launch product evaluations.
  • Design and execute experiments, analyze data, draw conclusions, and make sound technical recommendations to support product and process decisions.
  • Develop and approve formulas, processing instructions, product specifications, trial reports, test data, and commercialization documents.
  • Apply food science principles related to flavor, texture, moisture migration, water activity, pH, emulsions, thermal processing, shelf life, and food safety.
  • Manage multiple technical projects with defined timelines, risk assessments, action plans, stakeholder alignment and consistent communication.
  • Apply culinary expertise to product design, flavor development, ingredient selection, sensory strategy, and overall eating experience.
  • Present product concepts, prototypes, technical updates, and recommendations to cross-functional leaders, customers, and key stakeholders
  • Serve as a technical subject matter expert in customer meetings, product presentations, commercialization reviews, and internal decision-making forums.

Lead People and Build Organizational Capability
  • Lead and develop a high-performing R&D team grounded in accountability, curiosity, collaboration, food safety, and continuous improvement.
  • Strengthen culinary, technical, and commercialization capability across the R&D function through coaching, training, and clear performance expectations.
  • Establish clear priorities, assign project responsibilities, review technical work, and ensure the team delivers against business, customer, and commercialization objectives.
  • Manage, coach, and develop R&D scientists, technologists, technicians, and other team members to improve performance, engagement, and technical depth.
  • Monitor industry trends, culinary trends, ingredient innovation, competitive activity, processing technologies, packaging formats, and evolving consumer needs.
  • Identify product opportunities that deliver differentiated, craveable, portable, and commercially viable solutions for the RTE food category.
  • Support innovation pipelines, customer-specific development, platform expansion, and long-term product strategy through disciplined technical leadership.
  • Improve R&D systems, documentation standards, trial planning, sensory practices, and commercialization processes to increase speed, consistency, and execution quality.
  • Influence cross-functional teams and guide business decisions using data, sensory insights, technical expertise, food safety requirements, and commercial priorities.

What You'll Need (Qualifications)
  • Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, Culinology, Food Engineering or a related discipline.
  • 7 or more years of product development experience within the food industry.
  • Strong culinary capability with a practical understanding of commercial food production, manufacturing constraints, and cost targets.
  • Demonstrated experience developing ready-to-eat foods, prepared meals, sandwiches, wraps, bakery-based products, meat systems, cheese applications, sauces, spreads, or related CPG food products.
  • Experience leading products from concept, bench development, prototype creation, plant trials, and commercialization.
  • Strong technical knowledge of ingredient functionality, formulation, food safety, shelf life, sensory evaluation, and manufacturing scale-up.
  • Experience managing direct reports, including performance management, coaching, and development.

Preferred Qualifications (if applicable)
  • Master's degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, or related technical field.
  • Culinary degree, professional kitchen experience, or applied culinary product development experience.
  • Experience with chilled, refrigerated, MAP, and shelf-life-sensitive food products.
  • Experience with consumer research, sensory methods, DOE, statistical analysis, and data-based product optimization.
  • Knowledge of PLM, ERP, formulation systems, specification systems, Microsoft Office, and project management tools.

Physical Demands and Work Environment
  • This role works in office, laboratory, and production environments.
  • Regular work in chilled production areas around 50°F may be required.
  • The role requires frequent tasting and sensory evaluation of food products.
  • Occasional lifting or moving of ingredients, samples, or supplies up to 25 to 50 pounds may be required.
  • Some off-hour work may occur during plant trials, start-ups, commercialization runs, or customer deadlines.
  • Travel up to 25 percent may be required based on business needs.

How You'll Find Success at EAS
  • Value People Most of All: Show respect & care, embrace diversity, and empower others.
  • Commit to Safety Everyday: See something say something do something, practice safe behavior, and celebrate safety success.
  • Invest in Our Company to Thrive: Share ideas to improve, learn & grow, and embrace change.
  • Think Before Doing And Act Decisively: Make thoughtful decisions, work together to find solutions, and do what's right.
  • Welcome Constructive Straight Talk: Be honest and respectful even when difficult, be open to ideas and feedback, and ask questions to understand.
  • Serve Up Exceptional Experiences: Provide value to customers, take pride in your work, and help others to be successful.
  • Enjoy What You Do!: Have a positive attitude, Live the Spirit of E.A. Sween, and celebrate success.

E.A. Sween is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, financial security, and well-being of our team members. Benefits include:
  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
  • Paid Time Off (PTO)
  • 8 Paid Holidays
  • Company-Paid Life Insurance
  • 401(k) with Company Match - fully vested after 2 years
  • Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Plans
  • Tuition Reimbursement
  • Employee Recognition Program (Boss Bucks)

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

Apply