Future Opportunities Cocoa Science Intern R&D (Summer 2026)

Cocoa Science Intern R&D (Summer 2026)

Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Location: Hershey, PA

Duration: May 2026 - August 2026

R&D Cocoa Science Intern:

Overview Residing at the Hershey Company's Technical Center, this position involves a unique opportunity to work within the Research & Development team. This team is responsible for evaluating new technologies and ingredients for improving current processes and products and providing new product opportunities through (1) researching new discoveries, (2) taking product concept to prototype, and (3) scaling up through to commercialization. The Cocoa Science Intern will work independently, and as a part of various teams, toward goals on project assignments. The successful candidate should be able to interact with many different types of individuals including various scientists, procurement and sustainability team members, and management. This successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in the Cocoa Science group. This role will require individuals to demonstrate project leadership, conduct experiments, solve technical problems, analyze data and present results.

Potential Duties/Responsibilities: Daily work responsibilities will include use of benchtop development, prototype evaluation, analyzing experimental data, and executing experiments on pilot scale equipment.

* Provide support to research projects or portions of larger projects which provide innovative new products and/or product/process improvements in R&D.

* Perform prototyping and development from benchtop to pilot plant to full manufacturing scale.

* Test ideas through experimentation, applying technical rigor and scientific principles, and practices.

* Determine next steps through problem solving while understanding the business impact.

* Assist team in accomplishing project tasks.

* Interact closely with a cross functional group of technical, professional, and managerial staff of R&D, as well as production, engineering, and marketing.

* Provide input for technical feasibility for new product concepts.

* Partner with Supply Chain to provide technical support to drive quality and value improvement in products and processes.

Qualifications:

Education

* Majors: Agronomy, Plant Science, Food Science

* Pursuing at minimum an undergraduate Bachelor's degree (preferably junior or senior).

* Minimum GPA: 3.0

Experience:

* Prior internships with related experience are highly valued

Minimum Knowledge/ skills/ abilities required to successfully perform major duties/responsibilities:

* Strong interest in hands-on work and applying technical rigor and scientific principles and practices

* Highly motivated

* Comfortable with laboratory and pilot plant equipment

* Proficient in written and communication skills

* Computer literate (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

* Demonstrated problem solving and evaluation capabilities

* Excellent troubleshooting skills

* Able to work both independently and as part of a team environment

* Must be open and comfortable with change.

Things the prospective candidate should know:

* The prospective candidate will be responsible for identifying a reliable source of transportation during the duration of the internship, preferably a car.

* Allergy Statements:

* The prospective candidate should be aware that they may need to handle allergens including dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, eggs and other food ingredient chemicals and allergens while wearing appropriate PPE during their internship.

* The manufacturing facility where this internship is located handles the following allergens on a regular basis (dairy, wheat, soy, peanut, tree nuts, egg, sesame).