Ingredient Chemistry Intern 2027

Cargill • Plymouth, MN

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Cargill's purpose is to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Cargill is a family company providing food, ingredients, agricultural solutions and industrial products that are vital for living. The Ingredient Chemistry team within the Research and Development function at Cargill will provide students with a career interest and a food chemistry related academic background, the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom and academic research to a business environment. The internship program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn and work with Cargill business units/function to provide solutions to customers. This position is within the Ingredient Chemistry team. Summer interns will have the opportunity to work with our teams developing novel chemical and material characterization methods, processing techniques and product analyses, and applying those both in long-term scientific investigations and short-term support of business-driven product development. Projects in this space can vary widely, and will generally focus on new ingredient or process method development, or in building of tools to better understand Cargill products and processes. During your internship experience, you will be assigned project/s, participate in company events and community events, and will have the opportunity to network with and learn from different levels of company management. Upon completion of the internship, you will have the opportunity to present a summary of your learnings and experiences to management, your colleagues, and your peers. Interns will have the opportunity to gain immediate hands-on work experience in one of the world’s largest agribusiness companies, participate in orientation, networking, mentoring relationships and other opportunities targeted towards personal and professional development, and receive periodic and candid feedback on job performance. Your internship project(s) in the Core R&D Ingredient Chemistry team will emphasize research that applies scientific principles to build knowledge about food ingredients in our portfolio or under development for commercialization for use in finished food systems. Knowledge generated by the research group is typically used by our business units and customers to support development of new Cargill ingredients or customers’ finished products. It focuses on using analytical chemistry and food material science to characterize functionality of food ingredients at the molecular level.

Requirements

• Right to work in the U.S. that is not based solely on possession of a student visa or a visa sponsored by a third-party employer.
• Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Material Science & Engineering or related field, graduating between December 2027 and Summer 2029.
• Able to complete a 12-week internship in the summer (May/June - August 2027).
• All candidates must be geographically flexible and willing to relocate to Plymouth, MN for this internship.
• Proven ability to work optimally with individuals from a diverse set of backgrounds and cultures.
• Must possess a high degree of initiative and resourcefulness in completing work with limited guidance.
• Demonstrated interest and familiarity with wet chemistry and analytical methods, in coursework or research settings.
• Experimental research experience with food ingredients such as fats, proteins, or starches, in the context of improving or understanding functionality.

Nice To Haves

• Overall 3.0 GPA preferred, on a 4.0 scale.
• Ability to prioritize and manage a large workload with multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated problem solving and decision-making.
• Strong leadership and technical skills.
• Demonstrated ability of collaboration, communication, motivation, interpersonal effectiveness, teamwork and successful completion of work.
• Research experience in development of food ingredients and/or evaluation and comparison of ingredient functionality.
• Experience in method development.
• Knowledge of formulation science and design of experiments approaches relevant to food matrix systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop novel chemical and material characterization methods, processing techniques and product analyses.
• Apply scientific principles to build knowledge about food ingredients.
• Use analytical chemistry and food material science to characterize functionality of food ingredients at the molecular level.
• Participate in orientation, networking, mentoring relationships and other opportunities targeted towards personal and professional development.
• Present a summary of learnings and experiences to management, colleagues, and peers upon completion of the internship.

Benefits

• Paid time off
• Mental Health and Wellbeing program
• Digital Learning Library
• Housing and Relocation Assistance for those that qualify
• Minnesota Sick and Safe Leave accruals of one hour for every 30 worked, up to 48 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed