Future Opportunities Engineering R&D Co-Op (Spring 2024)

Location:  Hershey, PA (must be willing to travel)

Duration:  Spring 2024 (6 months minimum duration starting January 2024 or June 2024)

Engineering R&D Co-op – Process Technology Development (Spring 2024) 

It’s an exciting time to join The Hershey Company. We’re at the forefront of implementing transformative technologies across our entire supply chain to deliver our vision of being a Leading Snacking Powerhouse. To do this we’re investing tremendously into our technical talent and looking for the very best and brightest engineers to deliver on our goals. This position is intended for students who are interested in and capable of working full-time for a duration of at least 6 months starting in January 2024 or June 2024. Multiple rotations of up to 15 months are possible for well-qualified students prior to undergraduate graduation.

This posting is for an engineering co-op position on the Process Technology Development team within Hershey’s Research & Development department. Students will gain real-world experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods and Food Processing Industry and develop professionally in a progressive manner with an increasing amount of responsibility. This position is a unique opportunity to apply engineering fundamentals and science to real-world problems for unlocking new technologies for Hershey. Co-ops will work directly with engineers and food scientists to support efforts including equipment evaluations, lab testing, pilot-scale production runs, plant trials, and process characterization.

The Hershey Company is a Fortune 500 company and is a global confectionery leader known for bringing goodness to the world through its chocolate, sweets, mints, and other great-tasting snacks.  As the US Market leader in confections, Hershey takes great pride in its well-known brands such as Hershey’s, Reese’s and Kit Kat as well as fast-growing Salty brands such as Dot’s, Skinny Pop, and strategic growth platforms in spaces such as the Better-For-You positioned Zero Sugar products.  At Hershey, you will be part of a world-class team engaged in a dynamic and collaborative business environment. Centrally located in Pennsylvania, the town of Hershey is host to many big events and is within hours of famous historical sites and great American cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York City.

Education

Must be an undergraduate student majoring in Chemical, Biological, Mechanical, Agricultural, or similar program from an ABET accredited engineering program at the sophomore level or higher at the time of employment.

Responsibilities

Typical Student assignments & responsibilities may include supporting any workstreams within R&D related to process technology development and validation.

This includes: 

• Designing and leading pilot plant and production scale processing tests
• Collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data and presenting results in both written and oral forms 
• Preparing proper documentation of project work, including PFD's, P&ID's, engineering calculations, process design documentation, and process test reports 

• Validation of new processes or products
• Development of preliminary requirements and scope for sourcing new equipment and processes 
• Investigation and validation of alternative manufacturing technologies for existing products 
• Application of engineering skills and Six Sigma methodologies to analyze data and provide recommendations 

• Deep learning and understanding of products and the impact processing has on the products
• Supporting manufacturing trials which could include off-shift coverage

Key Competencies

• A desire to work hands-on in lab, pilot plant and manufacturing environments with equipment & products
• Intellectually curious and ability to deal with ambiguity and to learn on the fly
• Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills
• Ability to apply understanding of sciences (biology, chemistry, food science, engineering) and mathematics to provide technical support to the business
• Ability to draw conclusions despite some uncertainty or ambiguity of information
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• The ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and work both independently and in multidisciplinary groups/teams with a high level of motivation
• Proficiency with common Windows-based computer software programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
• Familiarity statistical software and programming languages is preferred 
• Passionate with a strong desire to make a difference
• Action-oriented mindset with good planning and prioritization skills balanced with creativity 

Requirements

• Eligibility to work in the United States for any employer
• A valid Drivers’ License and a means of reliable transportation
• Willingness to travel to vendors and North American manufacturing facilities as required, up to 35% of the time 
• Availability to work 40 hours per week or more with paid overtime
• Availability to occasionally work on a flexible schedule including off-shifts and weekends 

Please be advised that The Hershey Company welcomes all applicants to internships. However, Hershey will not provide immigration-related support for these internships.  

Hershey also will not provide immigration-related sponsorship (such as H-1B) for entry-level roles should you later apply for one of those roles in the future.