Research and Development Intern
Brown-Forman seeks a student to participate in a 5 semester rotation through our Research & Development Department. The rotations will include internships with B-F’s Sensory Lab, Production Development and Analytical Support. To qualify for this internship, the student must be enrolled in school and remain in school throughout the entirety of the internship (with the exception of summers). Please see below for descriptions of each rotation and requirements for each.
We are flexible on days and hours but student must be available to work in our Louisville office between 10-20 hours each week. If student cannot commit to full 5 semesters we can adjust the rotations accordingly.
Semester 1
Title: Sensory Laboratory Intern
Prepares and conducts testing for the sensory evaluation of alcoholic beverages by employee panels.
- Prepares products and sets up glassware in accordance with defined scientific standards
- Designs testing protocols using specialized software to meet test objectives
- Recruits and schedules panelists for data collection sessions
- Works with panelists during data collection sessions
- Incentivizes panelists to attend data collection sessions
- Analyses data using simple statistical methods; reports results to supervisor
- Maintains sensory laboratory and sensory booths clean and organized
- Maintains database of panelists up to date
- Attends R&D Department and Sensory Laboratory meetings
Requirements:
- Pursuing an Associate Degree or a Bachelor Degree in Science
- Availability for a minimum of 10 hours and up to 20 hours per week during regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 5:00 pm); variable flexibility on different days of the week
Semester 2
Title: Product Development Intern I
Compounds alcoholic beverages in a laboratory setting to support new product development projects.
- Receives formula from supervisor and compounds product by blending ingredients in laboratory
- Uses laboratory equipment accurately: weight and volume measurement equipment; blending equipment; carbonating equipment
- Sources ingredients from various locations within laboratory and production plant
- Records formula accurately in electronic database
- Label all formulas
- Uses mathematics to adjust formula recipes to meet specifications
- Maintains own work area clean and organized
- Maintains ingredient inventory
- Makes stock solutions of commonly used materials
- Attends R&D department meetings
Requirements:
- Pursuing an Associate Degree or a Bachelor Degree in Science
- Availability for a minimum of 10 hours and up to 20 hours per week during regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 5:00 pm); variable flexibility on different days of the week
- Satisfactory completion of at least one semester in the position of Sensory Laboratory Intern
Semester 3
Title: Product Development Intern II
Compounds alcoholic beverages in a laboratory setting to support new product development projects. Communicates with staff in R&D partners groups to coordinate testing of compounded products. Adjusts course of action based on testing results.
- All of the above tasks
- Submits samples to Analytical group for testing; receives and interprets results and compares to expected ranges
- Independently adjusts compounding in light of received results in order to reach expected ranges
- Submits samples to Sensory group for testing; receives and interprets results and determine next steps
- Assists supervisor in a new product development project from beginning to end; gets exposed to all the steps of new product development
- Observes and reports any issues in batching procedures
- Implements basic Analytical and Sensory testing
- Attends R&D project meetings
Requirements:
- Pursuing an Associate Degree or a Bachelor Degree in Science
- Availability for a minimum of 10 hours and up to 20 hours per week during regular business hours (Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 5:00 pm); variable flexibility on different days of the week
- Satisfactory completion of at least one semester in the position of Product Development Intern I