Future Opportunities Product Development Intern R&D (Summer 2027

Why Hershey:

At The Hershey Company, our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey’s enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through our commitment to corporate philanthropy, we create positive impact by supporting communities, helping children thrive, and operating as a business for good. This includes our deep and long standing partnership with Milton Hershey School, where we invest in education, workforce readiness, and hands on engagement to help students succeed beyond the classroom.

Supported by strategic grantmaking, product donations, cross brand collaboration, and strong employee volunteerism, Hershey offers a place to work where making a difference—locally and globally—is part of how we do business every day.

Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Location:

Hershey, PA

Duration:
May 2027 – August 2027

R&D Product Development Intern

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 Product Development Intern will work independently, and as a part of cross functional teams to achieve goals on project assignments.

The successful candidate should be able to interact with many different types of individuals including various scientists, product developers, marketing, sensory, consumer research and management. This successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in either Chocolate, Sweets and Refreshments, Better For You/Protein, Salty, International Product Development. This role will require individuals to demonstrate leadership, solve technical problems, create new prototypes, screen or test flavors and colors, design recipes or processes, data analysis and present results.

• Project responsibilities include carrying out experimental designs, creating prototypes, performing experiments, and reporting results. Daily work responsibilities will include creating trial protocol with the use of DOE principle, use of benchtop development, prototype evaluation, analyzing experimental data, executing experiments on pilot scale equipment, and preparing trial reports including next steps.
• 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, sensory, science and technology, analytical 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.

• Must be pursuing an undergraduate Bachelor's degree (preferably junior or senior)
• Prior internships with related experience are highly valued
• 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
• Demonstrated problem solving and evaluation capabilities
• Able to work independently, and as part of a team environment
• Must be open and comfortable with change.

• The prospective candidate will be responsible for identifying a reliable source of transportation during the duration of the internship, preferably a car.
• The prospective candidate should be aware that…