New Product Development Intern

Are you looking to catapult your career by driving high-impact transformation with household brands? Do you crave an entrepreneurial, fast paced and engaging growth assignment working with incredible people from across the globe?

At Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, we are excited to start a new chapter of accelerated growth as part of Froneri – a global pure-play ice cream leader. With nearly 100 years of winning experience in the U.S, a robust portfolio of powerhouse brands that consumers know and love such as Häagen-Dazs, Drumstick, Dreyer’s/Edy’s, Skinny Cow, OREO, Outshine and Frollies, and the backing and coaching of European-based ice cream experts, we know we have the winning recipe.

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, the Bay Area’s hub for up-and-coming food trends, our DGIC team across our offices and factories is raising the bar on all things ice cream. Our growth has been tremendous in the past few years – moving from being #2 manufacturer in market to being #1 in 2024. The brands have strong investments in marketing support, quality improvements and exciting line extensions and innovation. DGIC has also been recognized by retail partners as the top manufacturer partner, winning the #1 position in the prestigious Advantage Award in 2024.

At DGIC, we don’t just hire for roles, we grow future business leaders. Here, everyone is encouraged to think like a general manager. That means owning your piece of the business, making bold decisions, and seeing the big picture. What makes us unique? You won’t just stay in your lane, you’ll get hands-on exposure to everything from Sales, Marketing and operations to Finance and Supply Chain. It’s like getting an MBA on the job (but with way more ice cream). If you’re curious, driven, and ready to learn a lot about a lot, this is the place to stretch your skills and fast-track your career.

Unleash your potential at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream and discover what a sweet career we have in store for you!

What To Expect From Dreyer’s

At the heart of our culture are four core values that guide our actions and define how we work together. We Take Ownership by staying committed from start to finish, making thoughtful decisions, and focusing our efforts on initiatives that drive growth, efficiency, and sustainability. We Do What Is Right by prioritizing transparency, setting clear roles and responsibilities, and speaking up when something doesn’t align with our values. We Seek to Improve through continuous innovation, embracing feedback, and learning from both our successes and setbacks. And We Are Better Together by making decisions that benefit the whole organization, fostering inclusion through diverse perspectives, and treating everyone with fairness and respect. These values are not just ideals—they are the behaviors we live by every day.

Role Description

During your time as an intern, you will get the chance to apply your classroom knowledge to a real-world business environment. Working as part of the R&D team you will be exposed to ice cream product development and provide strong hands-on technical support to R&D Scientists across a wide range of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream product development activities. We are open to students still in school or graduating students. The role is full time (40 hrs./week) for a period between 3-6 months with opportunities for extension based on performance and company need.

Responsibilities

Assist R&D Scientists/Engineers prepare for execution of experiments, prototype development and bench top trials by:

• Set up equipment, weigh, and mix ingredients, proficiently operate equipment, collect samples and data, tear down and clean equipment according to GLPs/GMPs established for the food industry
• Execute experiments and analyze the physical chemical properties of prototypes in the analytical lab under the direction of R&D Scientists that involve testing ingredient substitutions, formula changes, process variables, etc.
• Collect, organize, and maintain experimental samples/data
• Maintain sample inventories of sample prototypes for shelf-life studies, retrieve requested samples for evaluation and sensory tests as directed by R&D Scientists

Required Skills And Abilities

• Detail oriented and analytical
• Inquisitive and curious
• Strong hands-on aptitude for set-up/operation/maintenance of lab and bench top equipment
• Very good knowledge of MS office (Excel, Power Point)
• Full command of MS Excel to analyze data and transform graphically
• Excellent computer skills with ability to transfer data/information from various software applications into MS Excel for management
• Good command of English language, both oral and written
• Respect to confidentiality and company policies

Minimum Qualifications

• Completion of two years college level courses in food science, chemistry, biochemistry, engineering or related scientific discipline with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Experience working in a lab environment, conducting experiments, documenting results, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior work experience in a R&D laboratory, food manufacturing, quality assurance, or related fields

The pay for prospective employees in this role is $25/hour.

Visa sponsorship is not available. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States now and in the future. The company does not provide visa sponsorship or any immigration support (including STEM OPT training plan and H-1B lottery registration) for this position.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.