Product Development Co-Op

Position Overview/Introduction:

Are you interested in a career in the food and beverage industry? Does the thought of bringing new consumer products to life excite you? Are you curious, self-motivated and a natural problem solver? If your answers are yes to all three of these questions, then you may be a great fit for Ocean Spray Product Development & Culinary Innovation team!

Our PDCI Team is looking for a Co-Op starting Summer of 2025! This will be a 6-month Co-Op and will begin June 3rd, 2025.

Position location:

This will be based out of our headquarters in Lakeville, MA

What You Will Do & What You Will Learn:

The Product Development Co-Op will be responsible for supporting Ocean Spray's Product Development & Culinary Innovation team on a variety of initiatives. These initiatives may include new product development design, cost savings opportunities, product formulation adjustments, and pilot plant and/or full-scale manufacturing support.

In this role, the Product Development Co-Op will work with cross functional partners in the organization involving Marketing, Procurement, Processing, Packaging, Food Safety Quality, and external suppliers.

What You Will Do & What You Will Learn:

The required support from this position includes assisting in product development design, lab testing using various analytical equipment and tools, sensory evaluation of ingredients and finished foods and beverages, coordination of line trials and/or lab testing, management of project timelines and communication of project status to internal business partners.

As part of the co-op, you will be exposed to the following key components through orientation meetings, shadowing and on the job training.

• New product development designs and considerations
• Analytical testing of ingredients and foods and beverages
• Bench top and/or pilot plant production of prototypes
• Processing and Packaging
• Sensory Analysis
• Shelf life
• Consumer Insights
• Sales and Marketing
• Finance

You will be assigned objectives that support key business initiatives and are provided an outline of the deliverables and expected measurable results. Feedback against these objectives is provided mid-way through and upon completion of the co-op.

What You'll Need:

• Must be a current student enrolled in a Bachelor or Master's Degree Program for Food Science, or recently graduated with a Bachelor or Master's Degree in Food Science.
• Completed Food Chemistry Course
• Completed Food Safety/Microbiology/Food Processing courses.
• Strong communication Skills
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office Programs (e.g. MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint).

Compensation/Benefits:

• Competitive hourly wage
• Direct exposure to Senior Leadership Team
• Where applicable: one-time relocation stipend to assist with relocation costs for the Summer
• Fun & Informative events which may include plant tours, bog tour and more!
• Interact and network with interns across a variety of job functions
• Work cross functionally for a purpose-driven, farmer-owned co-operative

Who We Are:

You might have our iconic cranberry juice in your fridge or have gotten into heated holiday debate about what's better - canned or fresh cranberry sauce. But did you know that the hardworking people growing the superfruit in our products are 700 family farmers that own our cooperative? They entrust us with what is most precious to them to create new and innovative products that will delight consumers and grow this beloved brand today and into the future.

Team members, farmers, consumers and communities alike--we value what makes us unique and strive to connect our farms to families for a better life by living our values:

• Grower Mindset - We embrace our grower-owners innovative spirit and heritage through confidence, learning and focus on the future.
• Sustainable Results - Guided by purpose, we are focused on delivering results for our grower-owners.
• Integrity Above All - We are ethical, doing the right thing for our grower-owners, customers, consumers and each other
• Inclusive Teamwork - We build diverse and inclusive teams that strengthen our cooperative.