Intern

IFF • Saint Louis, MO

7d • Onsite

About The Position

IFF is seeking a Beverage Applications Intern in St. Louis, Missouri. This onsite internship provides hands-on experience supporting beverage innovation and product development in a laboratory and pilot plant environment. The intern will learn how ingredients affect beverage formulation, processing, stability, texture, nutrition, and sensory characteristics while contributing to technical projects. Work spans the product development process, from initial formulation and benchtop testing through pilot-scale processing, analytical evaluation, and technical reporting. The internship also offers exposure to Food Engineering, Analytical, and Product Development teams and how these functions collaborate to solve technical challenges and develop new products.

The intern will support a selected technical project from experimental design through completion, help apply and evaluate food and beverage ingredients in beverage systems, prepare formulations and samples, operate laboratory and pilot plant equipment after appropriate training, and evaluate prototypes using laboratory equipment and analytical methods. The intern will organize and communicate results, maintain accurate records, participate in sensory and physical evaluations as appropriate, and present a final project to the Beverage Applications team. IFF describes itself as a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, and health and biosciences, delivering sustainable innovations for everyday products. The role offers competitive pay and a flexible schedule.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. degree program in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Nutrition, or a related scientific or technical field.
• Interest in beverage formulation, food ingredients, product development, or food processing.
• Strong time-management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Comfort working in a hands-on laboratory and pilot plant environment.
• Ability to follow safety procedures, experimental protocols, and instructions.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.

Nice To Haves

• GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Coursework or previous experience in food science, beverage science, food chemistry, food engineering, product development, or related disciplines.
• Previous laboratory, pilot plant, research, or product development experience.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
• Curiosity about how food ingredients influence beverage performance, including taste, texture, stability, nutrition, and processing.
• Strong work ethic and ability to collaborate across technical disciplines to deliver project objectives.
• Interest in learning beyond the primary project and understanding how different technical functions contribute to product innovation.

Responsibilities

• Assist Beverage Applications scientists with a selected technical project, from experimental design through formulation, sample preparation, processing, testing, data collection, and evaluation.
• Support application and evaluation of IFF food and beverage ingredients in beverage systems.
• Prepare formulations and ingredients for laboratory and pilot plant trials.
• Operate small-scale laboratory and pilot plant equipment, with appropriate training, to produce beverage prototypes and trial samples.
• Use laboratory equipment and analytical methods to evaluate beverage samples and collect technical data.
• Organize, analyze, and summarize experimental data, observations, and trial results.
• Participate in sensory and physical evaluation of beverage prototypes as appropriate.
• Collaborate with Beverage Applications scientists and gain exposure to Food Engineering, Analytical, and Product Development.
• Maintain accurate experimental records and help maintain a safe, clean, and organized laboratory and pilot plant work environment.
• Present the final internship project, findings, and recommendations to the Beverage Applications team.

Benefits

• Competitive pay.
• Flexible schedule.
• Hands-on experience in beverage formulation, ingredient functionality, processing, and product development.
• Work alongside experienced scientists and technical professionals in a collaborative laboratory and pilot plant environment.
• Exposure to multiple technical disciplines, including Beverage Applications, Food Engineering, Analytical, and Product Development.
• Opportunity to build experience planning experiments, producing prototypes, analyzing results, troubleshooting formulations, and communicating technical findings.
• Opportunity to develop a final technical project and present the work to the Beverage Applications team.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed