Food Science Intern Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Location: Benicia, CA

Schedule: Full-Time, 40 hours/week

Compensation: $20–$22/hour

Role Description

The Flavor Assistant Intern role is a 3-month, on-site opportunity in Benicia, California designed for an ambitious individual interested in developing a career in flavor chemistry, food science, and product innovation.

This position is more than a traditional internship—it is an opportunity to work alongside an experienced flavor professional and gain exposure to all facets of being a flavor chemist. The successful candidate will learn how flavors move from initial concepts to finished products, gaining practical experience in formulation, laboratory practices, manufacturing support, packaging, documentation, and commercialization.

This role is ideal for someone who wants to understand not only how to make a flavor, but also how a flavor business operates from end to end.

What You'll Gain

As part of the Nota Bene Flavors incubator experience, you will gain hands-on exposure to:

Flavor Creation and Product Development

• Assisting with flavor formulation and modification
• Understanding flavor ingredients, extracts, compounds, and raw materials
• Supporting flavor duplication and improvement projects
• Learning how flavor concepts are translated into finished food and beverage products
• Participating in sensory evaluation and product testing

Laboratory and Quality Systems

• Working with laboratory tools and flavor development equipment
• Learning proper sample preparation and organization
• Maintaining accurate formulation records and documentation
• Understanding quality control measurements and procedures

Commercialization & Product Operations

• Seeing how flavors move from the bench to production
• Supporting pilot batches and manufacturing processes
• Learning packaging requirements and product handling
• Understanding labeling, fulfillment, shipping, and customer delivery processes

The Business of Flavor

• Inventory management and raw material organization
• Production planning and workflow optimization
• Exposure to customer-driven product development
• Understanding the operational side of running a modern flavor company 

Qualifications

• Interest in flavor creation, food science, chemistry, or manufacturing operations
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Ability to follow procedures and maintain accurate documentation
• Comfortable standing for extended periods and lifting/packing materials
• Basic computer proficiency and data entry skills
• Prior lab, food production, or warehouse experience is a plus but not required

How to Apply

Please send your CV/resume to Jenna at jenna@noted.llc for consideration.

Company Description

With over a decade of expertise in flavor creation, duplication, and food and beverage development, Nota Bene Flavors is built on a unique combination of large-scale industry experience, entrepreneurial innovation, and hands-on product development expertise.

Founder Michael Colangelo brings a diverse background spanning global corporations, mid-sized companies, and early-stage startups. His career includes significant contributions at organizations such as Givaudan and Pfizer, where he developed a deep understanding of flavor science, formulation, analytical thinking, and product development systems.

Beyond large corporate environments, Michael has played key roles in innovative ventures including Surely Wines, Arlow Wines, and Flavor Insights, gaining firsthand experience in building products from concept to commercialization. Nearly eight years working within startups shaped his belief that great innovation comes from curiosity, efficiency, and understanding every step of the process.

At Nota Bene Flavors, we believe the best flavor chemists are not created by learning only one piece of the puzzle—they are developed by understanding the entire journey of a product. From raw materials and formulation to sensory evaluation, production, packaging, quality, and customer delivery, this role is designed to provide an immersive education into the complete world of flavor creation.