Research and Development Intern
Who We Are
At Freshpet, our goal is to change the way people nourish their pets forever. We strive to strengthen the bond between people and our pets so that we both live longer, healthier, and happier lives while being kind to the planet. We believe that if we can create fresh, real foods that pets love and help them live healthier lives, that their pet parents will also enjoy the many benefits of a rich life shared with a pet.
We started off with a mission to change the way pet parents feed dogs and cats, but we also wanted to be a company that had a thoughtful approach to how we operate. We wanted to do things differently, make great products, but be gentle to the planet, good to the people who touch our business, and leave a positive impact with everything we do. We work hard every day to ensure that the original vision is met, starting with making the highest quality foods in our kitchens to running our business with integrity, transparency, and social and environmental responsibility. IT’S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU START COMPLETELY FRESH!
What You Will Do
Freshpet is looking for a Research and Development Intern for Summer 2026 at our Bethlehem, PA, and Ennis, TX facilities. This summer internship's approximate dates are from June 2026 to August 2026. You will be working Monday – Friday, 40 hours maximum per week.
Proposed Internship Project
Project Identification:
- Sensory Lab - train an Expert panel and coordinate sensory testing and data analysis
- Nutritional Study – Support team with long-term dog nutritional study, aiding with logistics, data, and timeline
Short Term Goals: Further educate Expert Sensory Panelists and streamlinethe study
Long Term Goals: Develop a more robust way to test FP products with higher skill and accuracy
How You Will Make an Impact
This position will support the R&D Team regarding sensory testing and a long-term dog nutritional study. The R&D Intern will be assigned duties that provide meaningful, practical hands-on experience across the areas of nutritional and sensory science from an industry perspective. The R&D Intern will have the opportunity to work in a team with other scientists and develop their own skills. Experience will be obtained through learning and participating in testing and test-design, data collection and analysis, and working with team members within a fast-paced and rapidly growing Food Industry environment.
Specific tasks and project assignments will cover a wide range of Research and Development responsibilities.
Some examples could include:
• Benchtop Cooking
• Accumulation and statistical analysis of sensory data
• Creating and conducting sensory training and testing
• Nutritional Study design, development, and continuation
What You Will Bring
- Enrolled at an accredited college/university while working towards a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nutrition, Food Science, or biology is preferred
- You are at minimum in your sophomore year, in good standing as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at your college or University
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite - especially Excel
- Willingness to roll up sleeves and perform a variety of tasks necessary to support the organization
- Proven leadership skills
- Strong analytical thinking skills and quick acclimation to systems
- Learn quickly and work well independently
- Collaborate, communicate, and work effectively in a team environment
- Thrive in a fast-paced environment
- Define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
- Works with assigned priorities, projects, and timelines concurrently
- Has transportation
- Comfortable with dogs
What We Offer
- A competitive internship salary
- Paid holidays that fall within the timeframe of your internship
- Fully stocked cafeteria with all food free to interns and employees
- Free Freshpet food for your dog or cat
Our Commitment to a Diverse Workforce:
At Freshpet, we embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, sex, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.
Freshpet aims to foster, cultivate, and preserve a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our employees are our most valuable assets. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and the company’s achievement as well. Freshpet is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Disclaimers
We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas.
Freshpet is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Freshpet via-email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Freshpet. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Freshpet as a result of the referral or through other means.