Product Development Intern

Winland Foods, Inc., based in Oak Brook, IL, is a global manufacturer of private label and branded foods for retail and co-pack customers. We use only the finest ingredients and ensure every product we make meets the highest standards of taste, quality and accessibility. Across all our food categories, we offer customers a range of premium and value solutions to meet the evolving needs of the consumers. We work closely with our customers to offer consumer-loved brands and custom private label products, and also create new innovative products. We specialize in pasta, sauces, syrups, dressings, jams and jellies, pie fillings, pita chips, dry dinners, dry baking ingredients, and more. We are proud to share we have manufacturing facilities across the United States, Canada, and Italy.

Employee Type:

Full time

Location:

IL Oak Brook

Job Type:

Administration

Job Posting Title:

Product Development Intern

Job Description:

Schedule: (Hybrid) Monday and Friday are remote, while Tuesday-Thursday are in office
Work Location: 2015 Spring Road Suite 400, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Salary: $26.50 per hour, with an additional one-time lump sum payment to support expenses
Duration: May to August 2026 – Summer Internship

Job Summary:

As an Intern/Coop in Research, Development & Innovation, you will have the unique opportunity to apply Food science principles to meet project objectives. Our team has deep technical expertise across a variety of packaging formats. You can expect a combination of:

• Stimulating projects

• Exposure to industry experts

• On-the-job learning alongside experienced professionals

• Continuous development opportunities, and much more

As an intern/coop, you will work independently and as part of various teams, working toward goals on project assignments with guidance provided as needed with the intent of offering opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills to prepare the intern/coop for a career as a Packaging Engineer after graduation.

Examples of Projects:

• New product development; concept/prototype work.

• Cost savings initiatives; Optimization, quality improvements, material substitutions.

• Product renovation which involves modifying existing product attributes to address operational issues or customer needs.

• Ingredient exploration in testing out new options that could improve product performance or improved functionality.

In addition to hands-on experience in Finance, this position will provide the intern with:

• Skills in project leadership, project management, time management and organizational skills

• Understanding the function of ingredients within a formula

• Exposure to manufacturing equipment in understanding the impact of process conditions and controls.

• Presentation skills as you present your findings to the cross functional team and R&D Leadership Team

• Experience in team collaboration as you work with a cross-functional team on delivering project objectives.  This includes building skills in assessing how each role impacts the commercialization of a product and influencing and negotiating to align the team.

EEO Statement:

Winland Foods seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool, and as a global company we believe our success is enhanced by fostering equity and inclusion in the workplace. Therefore, Winland Foods is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.