Internship (R&I): Sensory & consumer research

Are you passionate about making sure that consumers have the best possible user experience? Are you looking for an internship where you can help drive user centricity at the heart of innovations in adult nutrition products? Apply now and join our User eXperience Specialized Nutrition team as of 1st of September 2024 in Utrecht, The Netherlands!

About the Job

As our new Sensory & Consumer Research intern, you will be joining Danones global User eXperience team based in our Research and Innovation center (Utrecht, NL). This team focusses on the Specialized Nutrition (SN) product category and is passionate about providing the best possible product experience to patients and Healthcare Professionals.

You will be part of the SN Adult team, where your key role will be to co-lead UX research aiming to obtain insights on people using medical nutrition (e.g. malnourished elderly, oncology patients and people with cognitive decline) and on product experience of this category. You will participate in various innovation and renovation projects to deliver UX insights and to inspire user-centricity. You will be expected to interact with different functions within Nutricia (e.g. product development, marketing, nutrition and science teams) and with external stakeholders (e.g. research agencies/institutes).

Your responsibilities in a nutshell:

• Bring user centric mindset into various projects and support innovation using sensory and consumer science methodologies.
• Support flavour development and prototype screening of medical nutrition products by organizing tasting sessions with cross-functional teams.

• Support the team in building solid knowledge foundation in the tube feeding space by gathering information from literature, support in setting up consumer study, gather online inspiration (via social listening)

• Co-lead UX research programs across different patient population to better understand what is influencing long term treatment follow up and what is the role of product and pack execution (study design, set up, execution and valorization)

You are a master student in area of food science, food design, health innovation or any other relevant area with knowledge in sensory science and/or consumer science. Skills in flavour application & evaluation would be a bonus. You are passionate about nutrition and are able to collect, organize and analyze data from different sources and translate it into actionable insights. You are an excellent communicator who likes to work in a team and to facilitate meetings and/or workshops. You are proactive, curious, enthusiastic and autonomous.

Next to this, there are a few eligibility requirements:

• Enrolled as a Master student during the whole internship period (if you are a non-EU citizen, you need to be enrolled at a Dutch university);
• You have a passion for food science and/or food design and have some knowledge about social science, behavioral sciences and consumer science
• You feel comfortable working with cross-functional team and presenting in front of others
• You can start as of 1st of September for a period of 6 months, 5 days a week.
• You are fluent in English – written and spoken.
• You are able to work minimum 2 days and ideally 3 days a week in Utrecht, the Netherlands
• Please note that you are required to relocate to the Netherlands (if abroad) for this internship and get a BSN.

Working here you’ll need to enjoy a fast-pace, complexity and it can get a little challenging. But it’s packed with opportunities. You’ll work with some of the best-known brands in the world, such as Evian, Nutricia, Activia and Nutrilon and we absolutely guarantee that you can just be yourself. Be innovative and entrepreneurial and the impact you could make might just amaze you. Join our movement for a healthier world. One Planet One Health BY YOU.

We are proud to be an equal employer. We are convinced our differences make the difference and that an inclusive working environment will drive our growth as a business, as teams and as individuals. We will therefore consider all applicants for employment* fostering an inclusive working culture that is accessible for all.

Did you know that as a B-Corp certified company, Danone Benelux meets the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability?

We Offer

Proactivity, empowerment, and diversity are the basis of Danone culture. You will be part of an international environment where every day can be a fresh adventure, full of new possibilities and opportunities to learn.

In the Netherlands we also offer a hybrid working environment which enables each team to meet our peoples desire for flexibility. Across our 3 office hubs in Hoofddorp, Rijswijk and Utrecht this helps us create better opportunities for connection & synergies across our entities, teams, functions and categories.

We offer a gross monthly internship allowance 650 euros per month and a home working allowance/contribution towards travel. Please do keep in mind that we do not offer relocation and/or accommodation benefits for students coming from abroad.

• Please be aware that you must acquire a BSN number to receive the full internship allowance.

What’s next?

Hit the “apply now” button! The recruitment process for internships is as follows: Stage One – submit your application with your CV and Cover Letter; Stage Two– we will invite you to an interview with your team. Please note that sometimes there are slight changes to this process.

To comply with GDPR regulations, we cannot process your personal data without given consent. Therefore, we strongly recommend applying directly via our careers website. Applications sent via email will not be considered.

• all applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.