Quality & Food Safety (QFS) Intern - Summer 2027

Business Unit Overview

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company's portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats™, PEBBLES™, Grape-Nuts™ and Malt-O-Meal™ cereal and Peter Pan™ peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish™, Kibbles 'n Bits™ and 9Lives™ dog and cat food. Post also provides private label solutions to customers in pet food, cereal, nut butters and granola. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook for the latest news.

Location Description

Northfield, Minn. is home to two Post Consumer Brands manufacturing plants, the Campbell Mill and Ames Mill, two distribution centers, and more than 750 team members. The Campbell Mill plant is 1 million square feet and is home to 7 manufacturing technologies to produce a wide variety of cereal products our customers know and love. Northfield is a town steeped in history, featuring two colleges and the original Ames Mill where the Malt-O-Meal Company got its start. 

Responsibilities

Help Deliver Safe, High-Quality Products to Millions of Consumers

Interested in food science, quality systems, manufacturing, or continuous improvement? Join Post Consumer Brands as a Quality & Food Safety (QFS) Intern for a 13-week summer experience designed to provide meaningful work, professional development, and hands-on exposure to the consumer packaged goods industry.

As a QFS Intern, you'll work alongside experienced professionals to help ensure the safety, quality, and consistency of products consumers enjoy every day. You'll gain exposure to quality assurance, food safety programs, manufacturing operations, and continuous improvement initiatives while building practical skills that prepare you for a future career in the food industry.

What You'll Do

Depending on business needs and your interests, you may have opportunities to:

• Support quality and food safety programs that help ensure products meet consumer and customer expectations.
• Analyze quality data and identify opportunities to improve product performance and manufacturing processes.
• Participate in audits, inspections, and continuous improvement initiatives within the plant.
• Assist with root cause investigations and problem-solving efforts related to product quality.
• Gain exposure to food safety systems, regulatory requirements, sanitation programs, and manufacturing best practices.
• Partner with cross-functional teams across Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, and Product Development.

Potential Project Opportunities

• Reducing product quality defects and improving process performance.
• Supporting internal and customer audit activities.
• Leveraging technology and digital tools to improve quality and food safety processes.
• Identifying opportunities to enhance operational efficiency and product quality

Specific projects and assignments will be determined before the internship based on business needs and intern interests.

Why Intern at Post?

• Work on projects that have a real impact on product quality and consumer satisfaction.
• Participate in professional development, networking, and social events.
• Build relationships with leaders, mentors, and fellow interns.
• Present your work and recommendations to business leaders.
• Gain experience that can help launch a future career with Post Consumer Brands.

Qualifications

What We're Looking For

• Pursuing a bachelor's or master’s degree in Food Science, Food Processing, Chemistry, Engineering, Microbiology, or a related field.
• Graduation date between December 2027 and May 2028.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively with others.
• Curious, proactive, and eager to learn in a manufacturing environment.
• Interest in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG), food manufacturing, or quality profession, with a desire to explore career opportunities with Post Consumer Brands after graduation.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship.

Preferred

• Previous internship, leadership, work, research, or project experience.
• Interest in pursuing future opportunities with Post Consumer Brands.

Internship Perks

• Competitive pay and starting bonus
• Professional development, networking, and social events
• Exposure to leaders across the organization

Past interns have worked on projects that improved business processes, partnered directly with plant leadership, and built skills that helped launch their careers in manufacturing and consumer packaged goods.

Compensation for this role is $25.00 per hour.

This role will be posted until October 4, 2026.