Quality Assurance Analyst Intern (Summer 2026)

Job Title: Quality Assurance Analyst Intern
Location: Waukegan, IL
Department: Quality
Reports To: Senior Manager of Quality and Food/Quality Assurance Lab Manager
Work Hours: M-F; 8 am - 5 pm; May 26 - August 14

Description
Woodland Gourmet - Cultivating Culinary Passion for over 35 Years
Since 1989, Woodland Gourmet®, formerly Woodland Foods, has been a trusted source of culinary inspiration, deeply rooted in global flavor knowledge and exploration of specialty and dry ingredients. With an unparalleled passion for innovation, partnership with customers to craft custom solutions, responsible ingredient sourcing, and operational excellence, Woodland Gourmet cultivates lasting partnerships through collaborative efforts that cater to the diverse needs of foodservice, industrial and retail customers. Joining the Woodland Gourmet team provides an opportunity to work with a team of people who are committed to collaboration, innovation, creativity and high-quality products that make us a leader in the specialty food products industry.

Woodland Gourmet is looking for a Quality Assurance Analyst Intern.   This internship will provide on-the-job experience at our corporate office.   This candidate must be enrolled in a science-based degree program such as Biology, Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry or Statistics degree program.

This Quality Assurance Analyst internship is structured to provide practical training aligned with coursework in laboratory science, food safety, quality systems and data analysis. The intern will apply technical knowledge in a professional setting and gain exposure to analytical testing, ingredient evaluation, product quality standards and cross-functional operations.

This position is paying $20/hour.

The Quality Analyst Intern Duties and Responsibilities:

• Identify recurring issues or patterns (process, equipment, supplier).
• Help implement small improvements in testing efficiency, documentation, or workflow.
• Participate in root ‑ cause analysis sessions (5 Whys, Fishbone, etc.).
• Help with the trending of current KPI’s (key performance indicators)
• Support data for Power BI

Desired Skills:

• Basic understanding of laboratory principles or food science concepts.
• Competence with data entry and structured documentation.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow written procedures.
• Effective communication of test results and observations.

Desired Qualifications:

• Enrollment in a science-based degree program such as Biology, Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, Nutrition, or Statistics.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, Teams).
• Strong academic foundation in laboratory coursework or data analysis.
• Authorized to work in the United States.
• Strong verbal and written communication.

Education:
Must be enrolled in a science-based degree program such as Biology, Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology, Nutrition, or Statistics program pursuing a Bachelor's Degree with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Equal Opportunity Employment:
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

E-Verification:
Woodland Gourmet is a participant in the federal E-Verify program. As part of the hiring process, we will verify the information provided on your Form I-9 to confirm your eligibility to work in the United States.

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from your Form I-9 to government records to confirm employment eligibility. For more information on E-Verify and your rights, please visit the E-Verify website .