QFS Intern (Summer 2025)

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. 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 for the latest news.

Brand

Looking to pursue an internship that can launch your career in your field of study? Do you want to gain hands-on experience in a growing, mission-driven, consumer-centric organization? Post Consumer Brands offers a robust 12-week summer immersive & transformative internship experience that will present you with a meaningful business problem to ideate and collaborate cross-functionally that will lead to you presenting recommended solution(s) to improve the business. Post Consumer Brands is unique as our core values & mission is at the forefront of our efforts. Consider joining our team to launch the success story of your career journey.

Location Description

The Lawrence, Kansas facility is 236,000 square feet and home to about 155 hard working team members who are proud to produce iconic pet food brands like Kibbles 'n Bits®. Lawrence is a college town and the home to both the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University with Kansas State University about 85 miles away. The city is known for a thriving music and art scene and is also the home of the University of Kansas athletic teams.

Responsibilities

Looking to pursue a career in Quality Food Safety (QFS) at a growing consumer packaged goods company? Do you want to gain hands-on experience in an innovative, mission-driven, consumer-centric organization? Post Consumer Brands is looking for a QFS Intern for a 12-week summer 2025 immersive & transformative internship experience. At Post Consumer Brands, our values are at the forefront of our efforts. Consider joining our team to launch the success story of your career journey and help us deliver our purpose of: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all.

To fully realize the value of diversity of talent, experience, strengths, and backgrounds each of us brings to Post Consumer Brands, we are committed to creating an inclusive culture built on these behaviors:

• Be open to new ideas

• Listen attentively as a partner

• Model collaboration

• Be accountable

• Respect all viewpoints

JOB FUNCTION

The purpose of this position is to develop broad-based business knowledge in Quality Food Safety, where there is a strong desire to build internal talent. This department provides technical quality and food safety support to Operations, Engineering/Maintenance, and Product Development with an emphasis on continuous improvement, consumer/customer requirements, and continuous product quality. This knowledge will be gained through a summer intern program with exposure to several functions across the plant. The goal is for participants to gain an in-depth understanding of the Post approach to business, so that they can have access to accelerated growth opportunities and position themselves for leadership roles within the company.

MAJOR JOB ACTIVITIES / DUTIES

The QFS Intern may assist in several project and/or operations support roles within the plant and will learn all areas of the plant Quality Assurance Department which includes product formulation, sanitation, pest control, product analysis, statistical process control, product testing and interaction with government regulatory agencies concerning quality control. Assignments may include work such as:

• Quality assurance and food safety program elements

• Utilization of Quality Assurance data to measure product quality performance.

• Product quality initiatives related to customer visits, audit results, and sales and marketing communications.

• Evaluating disposition of HOLD product and root cause analysis.

• Continuous improvement activities.

• GMP audits and inspections.

• Food Safety Plans and initiatives.

Possible Projects include:

• Reducing product quality defects

• Participate in annual internal audit and potential customer audits

• Utilizing Redzone software to make improvements to online checks and streamline QFS related processes

Specific project and operational roles will be identified 30-60 days prior to the start of the internship, based on business need and intern interests.

Qualifications

• Candidates must be pursuing a four-year undergraduate or graduate degree or at an institution with an accredited program in Food Science, Food Processing, Chemistry, Engineering, Microbiology or related field with a graduation date in 2026.

• Proven leadership, problem-solving and interpersonal skills

• Ability to work independently and in teams

• Strong written and oral communication skills

• The ideal candidate is a self-starter who takes initiative to identify areas of opportunity and take action

• A high level of competence in computer applications and the ability to use technology as a decision-support tool

• Ability to identify and evaluate tactical methods to achieve objectives, identify deviations from the plan, and facilitate resolution

• Ability to handle confidential information and use discretion within and outside of the organization

• Previous internship or work experience (strongly preferred)

• Interest in the consumer-packaged goods / manufacturing industry with the desire to start a career with Post Consumer Brands after graduation (strongly preferred)

• We are unable to proceed with candidates who require visa sponsorship now or in the future

Additional Program Information & Perks

• Offering competitive compensation

• Access to a dynamic internship event program including development, networking, & social activities

• Eligible for housing & relocation stipend