Cheese Production / Food Quality Intern - Summer 2025

Description

Lactalis American Group is currently seeking candidates to join our Production team and Quality team in Belmont, Wisconsin.

Lactalis, the world leader in dairy, is a family-owned business with more than 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals worldwide, committed to nurturing the future by providing healthy and delicious dairy products that bring people together every day. We offer an enviable range of dairy brands including Galbani, President, Kraft Natural Cheese, Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Parmalat, Siggi's, and Stonyfield Organic in addition to several brands imported from our affiliates in Europe.

At Lactalis, our core values of AMBITION, ENGAGEMENT, and SIMPLICITY are at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to building a safe, diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace and we know that our candidates come from many different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we still encourage you to apply and share with us your STORY, your PASSION, and your EXPERTISE! You may be just the perfect candidate for this or other roles within our company.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities.

From your PASSION to ours

The Production Intern will analyze and provide recommendations and/or conduct trials for quality, productivity, and efficiency improvements. We are searching for two interns in Summer 2025: one to focus on the operation of the newly installed cheese salter; the other to focus on foreign material reduction.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Production Intern Key responsibilities for this position include:

* Calculate the standard deviation in the salted product per piece and per rack

* Perform trials to optimize set points to achieve the lowest possible standard deviation per format

* Provide findings and recommendations

Quality Intern Key responsibilities for this position include:

* Track foreign material

* Prepare CAPA analysis

Key responsibilities also include:

* Complete paperwork as assigned, accurately and legible

* Maintain open line of communication with all line workers and Supervisor

* Keep work area clean and organized

* Attend departmental meetings and training as assigned by the supervisor and/or manager

* Apply the safety rules and ensure they are implemented and followed

* Take necessary measures if people are performing unsafe acts or are in an unsafe environment

* Apply the Good Manufacturing Practices standards

* Take necessary measures when there is deviation from this policy

* Participate and recommend solutions to common GMP issues

* Follow food safety laws, rules and regulations

* Contribute to the maintenance of the FSSC 22000 system

* Comply with all Lactalis Policies and Procedures

* Uphold all rules pertaining to confidentiality of information regarding Lactalis products, recipes and employee information

* Perform other work duties as assigned

Candidate must have the following attributes/skills; strong attention to detail and accuracy, personal qualities of tact and dependability, possess good manual dexterity, vision abilities (close, distance color and ability to focus ), able to push/pull/lift and carry at least 30 pounds continuously and 50 pounds occasionally, be able to stand for entire shift, be able to perform repetitive movements (e.g. twisting, gripping, lifting, bending, reaching) and must be able to work over 40 hours per week (weekends may be required).

Requirements

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

Education

* High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED)

* Current student in a college level Dairy Manufacturing or Food Science (Dairy Emphasis) program

Experience

* Previous experience working in a cheese manufacturing plant preferred

Specialized Knowledge

* Cheese making technology and processes, food microbiology, food biochemistry, quality, food safety, and health and safety

Skills/Abilities

* Troubleshooting, critical thinking, and complex problem solving is a priority

* Computer operating skills, including Microsoft Office

* Ability to take the raw data and transform it into reports to be shared with the team

The ideal candidate will be proactive and dynamic, flexible and receptive to new ideas, down to earth and pragmatic, analytical and attentive to detail. He or she will also be capable of working independently in adherence to regulations, of managing stress and remaining calm under pressure, and be able to demonstrate an inquiring mind and well-developed observational skills. Will demonstrate a sense of responsibility and high professional standards, honesty and integrity, and objectivity.

Sign On Bonus & Pay

This position is not eligible for bonus or benefits.

Base Pay: $19.00. Weekend premium: 20% more