Protein Fortification Applications Intern at Ingredion

About Ingredion:

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create.

Location: Bridgewater, NJ

Workplace type: On Site

We have an exciting opportunity for an ambitious student to join our Product Development & Food Design team for Summer 2027! As the Protein Fortification Applications Intern, you will contribute to research focused on plant-based proteins and co-products, generating critical insights that support product innovation, portfolio differentiation, and commercialization. You will have the opportunity to characterize ingredient functionality through analytical and application-based testing, correlate attributes with application performance, and support the development of predictive tools that enable faster, more efficient product development. In this role, you will gain hands-on experience evaluating emerging ingredients, investigating factors that influence ingredient functionality and sensory performance, and assessing suitability across a variety of food applications. Working closely with cross-functional teams, you will help advance technical understanding of ingredient behavior and application outcomes, sporting strategic growth and innovation in plant-based food solutions.

What you will do:

Conduct searches on prior art (literature, patents), and current technology including competitive activity on related projects, and summarizing the outcomes in appropriate report
Perform laboratory experiments, conduct data analysis and interpret results to make recommendations to project team and support the project
Coordinate, summarize and report data generated from these experiments
Record data in the Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) and other archiving databases as appropriate; effectively communicating results to project teams and partners
Present research findings to management with recommendations for future New Product Development or Applied Research projects at completion of internship period

What you will bring:

Progress towards a Bachelor’s degree in food science, chemical engineering, chemistry or related field with laboratory research experience
Ability to work safely in a laboratory environment
Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written technical communication skills, e.g. making presentations and writing technical data/reports
Willingness to work in a fast-paced environment
Reliable transportation required to get to and from facility each workday
Ability to work 40 hours per week during the summer internship

Who you are:

Eager to explore careers in the food & beverage industry
Ability to work collaboratively with peers and others
Creative problem-solver with a continuous improvement mindset
An ambitious individual who loves to see and create results

To be eligible for consideration, candidates must:

Currently possess unrestricted authorization to work in the United States. Ingredion does not intend to sponsor work visas with respect to this position or to provide this position as OPT or CPT.
Be a currently enrolled student in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program. If currently enrolled in an undergrad status, must have completed at least two years of coursework with status as a sophomore, junior or non-graduating senior.
If you have completed your degree, please consider other opportunities with Ingredion, posted at ww.ingredion.com/careers.

Why Join Ingredion?

Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career with our exception rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy:

Total Rewards Package – competitive hourly salary based on your degree program. Housing stipends offered to students relocating 51+ miles from the Ingredion work location
Internship Program Events & Activities – programming catered toward career exploration, networking, and professional development - including the annual Capstone Summit at Ingredion HQ in Westchester, IL
Intern Coaching Program – pairing with a mentor to coach development and integration in Ingredion’s culture
Involvement in Ingredion’s Business Resource Groups – the conscience of the organization and an integral part to Ingredion’s Inclusion & Belonging strategy
Employee Recognition Program – a culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally
Employee Discount Program – provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel

#wayup

Pay Range: $22-26 USD/hr

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Ingredion seeks to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disability—mental or physical—marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability resulting from military service, or any other classification protected by law (“protected classifications”). We are committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.

Ingredion uses AI-enabled tools to support parts of the recruitment process, including resume screening and interview scheduling. These tools help match candidate skills to job requirements and streamline communication. All AI-assisted decisions are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team to ensure fairness and compliance with applicable laws. By applying, you acknowledge that AI may be used to support your application journey.

Relocation Available:

This pay rate is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable bargaining agreement (if any).

Benefits:

Full-time roles are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan with a competitive company match .