Research & Development Intern

Join our team as a Research & Development Intern during the summer of 2026 and Feed Your Wild Side! Your internship will be based in Minneapolis, MN. You will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through formal and informal training, managing projects, attending events, networking with fellow interns, working with key Jack Link’s leaders and team members. At the completion of your internship, you will conduct a final presentation on your internship experience. From concept to commercialization, R&D Meat and Food Scientists are the leaders and drivers of new product development at Jack Link’s. As a Meat/Food Scientist Intern you will join us in a highly collaborative role, working closely with the R&D team, operations, food safety & quality (FSQ), business management, marketing, sales, consumer insights, and procurement; in order to run pilot plant tests, execute plant trials, and to effectively launch new protein snacks.Essential Functions & Responsibilities:Provide hands on support in determining root cause and finding solutions for problems in food products such as sensory, quality, or processing issues. Participate on cross-functional teams to identify areas of opportunity in cost reduction, yield improvement, and formulation/process improvement and efficiencies.Support the design and execution of appropriate testing methodologies to validate changes to raw materials, formulations, and process. Coordinate testing plans with food safety, regulatory, quality and operations. Generate written reports, interpret results, and make next step recommendations.Some travel may be required