Plant Technical Services Intern

Plant Technical Services Summer Intern

Come join the Tillamook Team, one of the fastest-growing dairy brands in the US, where we Play to Win to create over 200 dairy products in 6 different categories: cheese, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, butter, and cream chees. Our Uncompromising Quality has led us to become the #1 Cheddar, #2 Cream Cheese and #3 Family Size Ice Cream brand, but we’re not stopping there. We’re loading up for our best years to come and want you to join us. 

As a farmer-owned cooperative since 1909, we know that being Good Stewards for our stakeholders and doing a little extra always pays off. We’re looking for team members with a One Team and Genuine Care mindset who are inspired to share the delight of the Tillamook brand with each other and others every day. 

About the TCCA Summer Intern Program: 

Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA)’s Summer Internship Program is a 10 to 12-week program for graduate and undergraduate students to join the Tillamook team to connect to our 115-year-old heritage. Our interns play a significant role in solving real-world business challenges and enjoy bites of our ice cream, cheese and beloved dairy products every step of the way. As a farmer-owned cooperative, we invite interns to visit the farms of our farmer-owners so they can see what cow care, environmental stewardship and the daily operations of a dairy farm look like, up close.  In addition to the farm tour, we host multiple enriching experiences throughout the duration of the program, that include being an honorary Tillamook taste bud for the day with our immersive cheese and ice cream tastings, “college-inspired” cooking class with our executive chef, resume & interview workshop, sales market tours and so much more! 

This role is based out of Boardman, Oregon Manufacturing facility.

How this work makes an impact:

By focusing on optimizing recipes and pump outs with our new recipe editor programming and overlapping pump out automation we will be able to more efficiently and more consistently hit moisture targets and bring yields up. At the same time, we will be more consistent and create less b-grade. This is going to help us execute our cheese production in Boardman at a world class level and allow us to fully utilize the Boardman facility to deliver on our brand growth across the country without heavy investments in a new facility to increase capacity.

The application window will be open until the position is filled or until we reach our cap of 100 applicants. We will review applications and move selected candidates through our interview process with the goal of having all interns identified no later than the end of the year.

What you will do:

Recipe Optimization in Boardman - Using our new recipe editor and the overlapping pump out capabilities in Boardman we will be able to better optimize recipes

Here’s a day in the life

• Learn the cheese make process and understand how process changes impact cheese composition and quality.

• Cheese make data collection and data management. 

• Use in-process and finished product chemistry data to recommend process changes with support of technical mentor.

• Validate new cheese chemical analysis methods compared to current standard methods.

• Collaboration with other technical, quality, and manufacturing team members to execute projects and make sustainable process changes.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Education level: Upper classman - undergrad, Graduate student

• Preferred fields of study: Food Science

• Food science, chemistry, biology, engineering. Interested in food processing and food science.

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s program and not due to graduate the semester prior to the internship.

We are committed to creating a diverse culture and inclusive conditions where all employees are heard, valued and feel a sense of belonging.  We rely on different perspectives, thoughts, backgrounds and cultures to inform our work, to help us be better as a brand and as an employer and to fuel our success.  We are seeking talent from a wide range of diversity, perspectives, and backgrounds to join our exceptional organization and help us build our future.   

Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) is a Drug-Free Workplace.   EEO/AA

TCCA prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability status (including those related to pregnancy and childbirth), protected veteran status, membership/non-membership in a labor organization, or any other characteristic protected by law.