About the role#
This is a 10-week paid summer internship based in Hilmar, California. You will work on-site alongside our employees to gain professional experience in food and beverage manufacturing. The role involves contributing to team projects, working on production experiments, and engaging with leadership to understand how we produce dairy products.
What you'll do#
- Participate in projects focused on improving commercial processes and product quality.
- Investigate the microbiology of cheese making at the cell and molecular level.
- Develop analytical methods to evaluate dairy ingredient quality and functionality.
- Assist with the set-up of laboratory and production experiments.
- Scale up and produce products to serve as sales prototypes.
- Explore new technology options and investigate alternative ingredients using whey protein substitution.
- Characterize new ingredients through functionality testing.
What you'll need#
- Completion of your sophomore year at a university.
- Progress toward a degree in Food Science, Chemical Engineering, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field.
- Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
- Strong applied technical and analytical problem-solving skills.
- Good oral and written communication skills.
- Reliable transportation to and from work.
Location & details#
- Location: Hilmar, California.
- Term: Summer 2027.
- Modality: Full-time, on-site.
- Physical requirements: The role requires standing and walking for most of the workday, as well as reaching, bending, and working in small areas. You may be exposed to varying temperatures, humidity, dust, or chemicals in the production environment.
About Hilmar
Hilmar produces cheese and whey ingredients for customers in over 50 countries. The company operates manufacturing plants in California, Texas, and Kansas. It was founded in 1984 and currently employs over 1,000 people. The organization focuses on product innovation and dairy processing.
How to get in at Hilmar
Applying early gives you a distinct advantage at Hilmar because recruiters review applications as they arrive. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published, so you can submit your materials before the applicant pile grows. Getting your name in front of the team early helps you stand out in a competitive process. You can also improve your response rates by reaching out to the recruiters behind the company roles directly. Intern Insider surfaces these specific contacts so you can ask informed questions about the position or request a referral. Connecting with a human being is often more effective than waiting for a response from a general portal.
