Product R&D Intern (Summer 2026)

Business Unit Overview

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats, PEBBLES, Grape-Nuts and Malt-O-Meal cereal, and Peter Pan peanut butter, as well as Nutrish, Kibbles ‘n Bits and 9Lives dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest news.

Brand

Post Consumer Brands offers a robust summer immersive & transformative internship experience that will present you with a meaningful business problem to ideate and collaborate cross-functionally that will lead to you presenting recommended solutions to improve the business. Post Consumer Brands is unique as our core values & mission is at the forefront of our efforts. Consider joining our team to launch the success story of your career journey.

Location Description

Post Consumer Brands corporate headquarters in Lakeville, Minn. is about 20 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lakeville has all the benefits of smaller town living with access to everything a large metropolitan area has to offer. Join more than 400 team members collaborating on the two-building campus to help put breakfast on the tables of millions of consumers in North America.

Responsibilities

Are you looking to pursue a career in Research and Development at a growing consumer packaged goods company? Do you want to gain hands-on experience in an innovative, mission-driven, consumer-centric organization? Join our team in the summer of 2026 as an R&D Intern for a 12-week immersive and transformative internship experience. At our company, our values are at the forefront of our efforts. Consider joining our team to launch the success story of your career journey and help us deliver our purpose: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all.

JOB FUNCTION

The Research and Development team is responsible for leading the development and management of products like cereal, peanut butter, and pet food. The purpose of this intern position is to develop an individual to assist the team in executing innovation & renovation opportunities which includes formulation and prototype development, cross-functional communication and collaboration, testing and commercialization of new products or processes, and any other product-based opportunity.

MAJOR JOB ACTIVITIES / DUTIES

Role

The R&D Intern may assist in several projects and/or operations support roles in the Research & Development department. Assignments may include work such as:

• Develop new products or make renovations to existing formulas. Assure that product activities meet company cost capacity, quality, marketing, and product development requirements.
• Design and test new or improved processes within pilot plant or manufacturing facilities to increase efficiency, reduce waste, or achieve other project goals.
• Participate in the development, scale-up, and production of new and improved products or ingredients
• Provide technical support to production for product modifications, process improvements, and process troubleshooting.
• Operate laboratory and pilot plant equipment in a consistent and accurate manner, in compliance with all food safety and food manufacturing policies and procedures.
• Apply standard scientific techniques in the analysis of production lines from raw materials to finished packages to provide safe and efficient manufacturing systems that meet quality, food safety, environmental, and cost expectations.
  
  
  

Specific project and operational roles will be identified 30-60 days prior to the start of the internship, based on business need and intern interests.

Qualifications

• Candidates must be pursuing a four-year undergraduate or graduate degree or at an institution with an accredited program in Chemical Engineering, Biological/Biosystems Engineering or Food Science graduating December 2026 or May 2027.
• Proven leadership, problem-solving and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently and in teams
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• The ideal candidate is a self-starter who takes initiative to identify areas of opportunity and take action
• A high level of competence in computer applications and the ability to use technology as a decision-support tool
• Ability to identify and evaluate tactical methods to achieve objectives, identify deviations from the plan, and facilitate resolution
• Ability to handle confidential information and use discretion within and outside of the organization
• Ability/willingness to travel out of state to support R&D testing in manufacturing plants
• Previous internship or work experience (strongly preferred)
• Interest in the consumer packaged goods / manufacturing industry with the desire to start a career with Post Consumer Brands after graduation (strongly preferred)
• We are unable to proceed with candidates who require visa sponsorship now or in the future
  
  
  

Additional Program Information & Perks

• Offering competitive compensation
• Access to a dynamic internship event program including development, networking, & social activities
• Eligible for subsidized housing & $2,500 relocation stipend
• Cereal galore - enjoy a variety of cereal and oatmeal options in our break room, for free. Free milk, coffee, and conversation included as well. We promise you won’t be disappointed.
  
  
  

This role is paid USD $25.00 per hour.

Please note that this position will be posted until September 30th.