What are the responsibilities and job description for the Product Development Internship (Summer – Paid) position at Forbes Chocolate?
Company Description
Since 1901, Forbes Chocolate has been a developer and manufacturer of customized powdered ingredient systems for the food and beverage industry. While historically known for high-quality cocoa powders, Forbes specializes in custom formulation of chocolate and flavored dairy powders.
Our R&D team works closely with customers to develop tailored ingredient solutions that meet specific flavor, functionality, labeling, and processing requirements
Forbes provides students and early-career professionals exposure to real-world product development in a manufacturing environment, including formulation work, quality testing, regulatory documentation support, and cross-functional collaboration between R&D and QA.
Location: Broadview Heights, OH
Department: Research & Development / Quality Assurance
Reports to: R&D Manager
Position Summary
Forbes Chocolate is seeking a motivated paid Summer Intern to support our Research & Development team. This position offers hands-on experience in food product development, sensory evaluation, shelf-life testing, and quality systems within a commercial chocolate and dairy-adjacent ingredient environment. The intern will work directly with the R&D Manager and QA Manager on active development projects and laboratory initiatives.
This role is ideal for students pursuing degrees in Food Science, Nutrition, Chemistry, Biology, or related fields who are interested in applied product development.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist with formulation and development of new products
- Support shelf-life studies, including sample tracking and evaluation
- Participate in and help lead sensory panels
- Assist with ingredient and nutritional data verification
- Support laboratory organization and SOP updates
- Prepare customer-facing product samples
- Collaborate with both R&D and QA teams on active projects
- Participate in mock recalls or traceability exercises (as scheduled)
Preferred Qualifications
- Currently pursuing a degree in:
- Food Science
- Nutrition
- Chemistry
- Biology
- or related technical field
- Entering Junior or Senior year
- Interest in product formulation or food innovation
- Experience and comfortability in a lab setting
- Ability to manage multiple tasks
- Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team
Paid summer internship
Full-time preferred, flexible hours