Intern - Operational Excellence (Operational Excellence)

Who We Are

At Freshpet, our goal is to change the way people nourish their pets forever.  We strive to strengthen the bond between people and our pets so that we both live longer, healthier, and happier lives while being kind to the planet. We believe that if we can create fresh, real foods that pets love and help them live healthier lives, their pet parents will also enjoy the many benefits of a rich life shared with a pet.

We started off with a mission to change the way pet parents feed dogs and cats, but we also wanted to be a company that had a thoughtful approach to how we operate. We wanted to do things differently, make great products, but be gentle to the planet, good to the people who touch our business, and leave a positive impact with everything we do. We work hard every day to ensure that the original vision is met, starting with making the highest quality foods in our kitchens to running our business with integrity, transparency, and social and environmental responsibility.  IT’S AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU START COMPLETELY FRESH!

What You Will Do

Freshpet is looking for an Operational Excellence Intern for Summer 2026 at our Bethlehem, PA facility.  This summer internship's approximate dates are from May 2026 to August 2026.  You will be working Monday – Friday, 40 hours maximum per week.

Proposed Internship Project

Project Identification:  

• Self-Identified (Will be explained during internship)
• Developing & Documenting Management of Change Process

Short Term Goals:  Identify project opportunities and supporting Operations

Long Term Goals:  Work on and document a Management of Change process

How You Will Make an Impact 

This position will support the Operational Excellence Team, which supports Safety, Quality, Production, Maintenance, and Sanitation, and will interact with every aspect of our production process. The OpEx Intern will be assigned duties that provide meaningful, practical hands-on experience across the areas of Operational Excellence. The OpEx Intern will have the opportunity to gain practical knowledge and skills in identifying opportunities for process improvement and supporting functions across the site. Experience will be obtained through learning and participating in team projects, daily meetings, and working with team members within the facility.

Specific tasks and project assignments will cover a wide range of Operational Excellence responsibilities.

Some examples could include:

• Participating in a project team

• Participating in Daily Tier Meetings
• Conducting Safety & Waste Walks
• Presenting Safety & Waste Walks to Leadership

What You Will Bring 

• Enrolled at an accredited college/university while working towards a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, operations, or business technology is preferred
• You are at minimum in your sophomore year, in good standing as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at your college or university
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office Suite – Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• Willingness to roll up sleeves and perform a variety of tasks necessary to support the organization
• Proven leadership skills
• Strong analytical thinking skills and quick acclimation to systems
• Work in a cold environment
• Learn quickly and work well independently
• Collaborate, communicate, and work effectively in a team environment
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Works with assigned priorities, projects, and timelines concurrently

What We Offer

• A competitive internship salary
• Paid holidays that fall within the timeframe of your internship
• Fully stocked cafeteria with all food free to interns and employees
• Free Freshpet food for your dog or cat

 Our Commitment to a Diverse Workforce:

At Freshpet, we embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, sex, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

Freshpet aims to foster, cultivate, and preserve a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our employees are our most valuable assets. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and the  company’s achievement as well. Freshpet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Disclaimers

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas.

Freshpet is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Freshpet via email, the Internet, or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Freshpet. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Freshpet as a result of the referral or through other means.