Food Safety & Quality Internship

McCain Foods USA • Appleton, WI

1d • $23 - $26 • Hybrid

About The Position

Join us for an impactful and hands-on summer where you’ll help shape how we deliver quality, consistency, and exceptional consumer experiences. As a Summer 2026 Intern, you’ll contribute to meaningful quality, documentation, and consumer engagement projects that support both our internal teams and our customers. You’ll gain real-world experience, work closely with cross-functional partners, and leave with tangible accomplishments that build your professional skillset in quality management, operations, program development, and communication systems. The internship will take place from May through August 2026 at our Oakbrook, IL office. We offer a hybrid work arrangement, where our interns collaborate in person with their teams at least three days a week, while the remaining day may be worked remotely or in the office. In addition to the work performed in the internship, you’ll have opportunities for professional development, networking, and mentorship to help you build skills and confidence for your future career.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled as a junior or senior in Food Science, Biology/Microbiology, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or an applicable field with an interest in Quality & Food Safety as a career
• Clear and professional communicator, adept at building and maintaining strong working relationships in collaborative team environments.
• Strong analytical skills with proven ability to interpret, analyze, and draw insights from complex datasets.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational abilities, consistently delivering high-quality work with speed and accuracy in fast-paced environments.
• Skilled in investigating complex challenges, pinpointing root causes, and implementing effective, long-term solutions.
• Proactive and self-motivated, with the ability to work independently while applying a critical, analytical mindset.
• Advanced proficiency in data analysis and reporting, with deep expertise in Microsoft Excel and related tools.

Responsibilities

• Standardizing key customer-facing documents such as letters of guarantee, compliance statements, and HACCP materials.
• Updating and improving Consumer Affairs resources, including policies, protocols, and response templates.
• Organizing and streamlining internal document repositories to enhance usability and ensure timely updates.
• Supporting integration of digital quality systems (e.g., Intelex) to automate reminders, workflows, and document controls.
• Assisting in the early development of a new Consumer Praise program, including workflow design and process mapping.
• Helping build or support tools that automate communication and improve how consumer feedback is tracked and shared.
• Writing or updating program manuals, visual standards, and reference materials.
• Supporting commercialization quality efforts, including ballot creation, sensory/survey setup, or foundational packaging work.
• Developing an appetizer finished product defect grading manual for Product Quality and Sensory, consolidating defect definitions, severity scales, photographic references and actions guidance to strengthen training and grading consistency.
• Building a comprehensive visual defect image bank for French Fries across plants, including standardized photography, defect alignment, documentation updates, and creation of training tool to support Quality Control and Sensory calibration.

Benefits

• At McCain, we’re on a mission to create a winning culture that puts employee safety and well-being at the heart of what we do, every day. We understand and appreciate that each person’s needs are unique and ensure our benefits & well-being programs reflect that.
• Due to the duration of this role, you will not be eligible for traditional benefits through our programs.
• McCain's early careers programming offers a multitude of learning experiences aimed at advancing your career in the future.
• Your well-being matters to us, and we’re here to provide you with the necessary resources to support you in being your best self at work — and at home.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees