What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research & Development Intern position at Glanbia?
Research & Development Intern
Apply now via Sign Up »Date: Sep 22, 2026
Location: Downers Grove, IL, US, 60515
Company: Glanbia
Research & Development Internship Opportunity @ Glanbia
Join this dynamic team focused on delivering better nutrition for every step of life’s journey !
Accelerate your future as an R&D Intern at Glanbia! Our Pure Ambition Internship Program gives you the opportunity to apply what you are learning in the classroom to meaningful, hands-on work. You will gain exposure to business leaders, take ownership of a real-world project, build your professional network, and develop skills that can help launch your career.
Glanbia is seeking an R&D Intern to join our 12-week summer internship program. As a key contributor to the R&D Product Development Team, you will support product formulation, bench top development, nutritional analysis, sensory testing, pilot plant runs, production runs, and gain exposure to the full project lifecycle—from concept and design through implementation and completion. You will work on projects aligned with business needs, customer requirements, safety standards, schedules, and budgets while building practical experience in a fast-paced environment.
What’s In It For You
- A paid, 12-week summer internship with hands-on experience in research & development
- Ownership of a meaningful project that addresses a real business need and culminates in a presentation to leadership
- Coaching, mentorship, and regular feedback from Glanbia leaders and R&D professionals
- Professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and social events with your intern cohort
- Experience working in Glanbia’s lab, plant, and sensory spaces.
- The opportunity to be considered for a full-time role after graduation, based on performance and business need
- Compensation range of $22 - $25/hour
What You Will Do
- Own a project for a relevant R&D initiative and present your findings and recommendations to leadership
- Support projects throughout the project lifecycle, from concept development and planning through implementation and completion
- Collect and analyze data, evaluate processes, and recommend practical solutions that improve quality, cost, reliability, or efficiency
- Assist with project scope, schedules, budgets, documentation, equipment specifications, and implementation activities
- Collaborate with operations, quality, brand, marketing, sales and other cross-functional partners
- Apply R&D principles to real product development challenges while learning Glanbia’s standards, and commercialization process
- Participate fully in Pure Ambition program activities, development workshops, networking events, and intern presentations
Minimum Qualifications:
- Current undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in food science or related field with an anticipated graduation date of December 2027 or May/June 2028
- Clear written communication and strong interpersonal skills
- Self-starter and highly motivated individual with the ability to work independently.
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Where And How You Will Work
This hybrid opportunity will be based at our location in Downers Grove, IL.
About Glanbia
Glanbia is a global nutrition company with three divisions: Performance Nutrition, Health & Nutrition, and Dairy Nutrition. Together with our partners, we bring deep expertise in nutrition to customers around the world. We employ approximately 5,800 people, work with leading global food and beverage companies, and sell our brands and ingredients in more than 100 countries.
At Glanbia, we celebrate diversity, because we know that our individual strengths make us stronger together. We welcome and encourage interest from a variety of candidates, we will give your application consideration, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or disability status.
At Glanbia, our culture celebrates individuality, knowing that together we are more.
Nearest Major Market: Chicago
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