Value Creation Packaging Intern (R&D)

Location: Nijmegen, Netherlands. Full-time, 6-month internship starting January 2027. EU working rights are required; non-EU students must be enrolled at a Dutch university for the full internship.

Company

hirify.global is a global food and beverage producer with more than 200 brands, products in over 40 countries, and a focus on sustainable growth.

What you will do

• Support the development and evaluation of fiber-based and plastic flexible packaging structures while maintaining shelf life and product quality.
• Identify structures, products, formulations, and business-unit use cases for design-of-experiments and shelf-life studies.
• Review previous work, consolidate data into reports and a technical knowledge base, and strengthen shelf-life study methodology.
• Build analytical data on flexible resin packaging characteristics and identify precursors affecting product quality and shelf life.
• Conduct pilot plant trials, packaging analyses, shelf-life studies, and analytical and sensory assessments.
• Present project status and key findings to R&D Packaging, Product, and other internal stakeholders.

Requirements

• Currently studying at Master’s level in Food or Packaging Technology, Food Packaging Processing Technology, Food Quality, or food-related engineering.
• Enrolled at a university for at least a 50% study load throughout the internship.
• EU working rights through EU citizenship, study in the Netherlands, or a relevant student work visa.
• Non-EU students must be enrolled at a Dutch university for the full duration of the internship.
• Fluent written and spoken English with strong communication skills.
• Knowledge of flexible resin packaging, ingredient functionality, food processing, and unit operations.
• IT savviness and the ability to simplify complex challenges into practical solutions.
• Confidence, willingness to give pushback, curiosity, positivity, enthusiasm, and strong networking skills.

Nice to have

• Dutch is not required; knowledge of other languages is a plus.

Culture & Benefits

• Work as an integrated member of the D&EM R&D team with exposure to senior stakeholders, team meetings, zone connects, and category meetings.
• Receive one-on-one mentorship and support for personal learning goals.
• Own projects and take responsibility for personal career development.
• Join a close intern community and a young, ambitious, collaborative work environment, including online collaboration.
• Work in a culture based on ownership, meritocracy, collaboration, learning, and sustainable practices.

Hiring process

• CV review focused on key eligibility criteria, including EU working rights.
• Online Pymetrics assessment, Microsoft Teams screening interview, and hiring manager interview.
• Successful candidates receive an offer; the process takes approximately 4–6 weeks from application to offer.