Intern, Research & Development; R&D
Listed on 2026-03-12
-
Research/Development
Research Scientist
Location: Westerville
Internship Program
Position Title: Research & Development (R&D) Intern
Department: Research & Development – Operations
Location: Westerville, OH
Duration: Summer 10-12 weeks
Hours: Full-Time
About , Inc. , Inc. is a leading provider of gifts designed to help customers express, connect, and celebrate life’s most meaningful moments. Our family of brands includes Harry & David, Cheryl’s Cookies, , Things Remembered and more. As part of our internship program, you’ll gain hands‑on experience, learn from industry experts, and contribute to projects that directly impact how we deliver smiles every day.
Position Summary The Research & Development (R&D) Intern will support the Westerville Operations R&D team by assisting with bench‑top product development, ingredient experimentation, and ongoing product innovation initiatives. This internship provides hands‑on lab exposure and insight into the full product development lifecycle—from formulation testing to documentation and presentation. The intern will contribute to active R&D projects, including ingredient reformulation initiatives, while also completing an independent experimental project to present to the R&D team at the conclusion of the internship.
This role is ideal for students pursuing Food Science or a related scientific discipline who are detail‑oriented, analytical, and excited to gain real‑world laboratory experience in a fast‑paced food manufacturing environment.
- Support department initiatives through research, documentation, and project coordination
- Assist with cross‑functional collaboration across Operations, Quality, and Production teams
- Attend team meetings, present findings, and share progress with stakeholders
- Participate in internship learning sessions, networking opportunities, and workshops
- Contribute ideas to enhance product quality and innovation
- Assist with bench‑top development of new and existing food products
- Support ingredient testing, formulation adjustments, and product evaluations
- Participate in a major initiative focused on replacing synthetic FD&C colors with natural alternatives
- Conduct ingredient functionality trials and document results accurately
- Assist with product specification reviews and technical documentation
- Support shelf‑life validation and testing initiatives
- Follow lab protocols, safety standards, and regulatory compliance guidelines
- Complete an independent experimental project and present findings to the R&D team
(If this job is in fact in your jurisdiction, then you may be using a Proxy or VPN to access this site, and to progress further, you should change your connectivity to another mobile device or PC).