R&D CX Intern – Modelling Sensory Data

<div class="content-intro"><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p></div><p><strong>Location:</strong> Wageningen, Netherlands<br><strong>Hybrid:</strong> 3 days per week in the office<br><strong>Start date:</strong> September 2026<br><strong>Duration:</strong> 6 months</p> <p><strong>About the role</strong></p> <p>We are looking for a motivated, proactive, and detail-oriented R&amp;D Consumer Experience (CX) Intern to join our team and contribute to data-driven product development projects for our Spreads portfolio.</p> <p>In this role, you will work at the intersection of sensory science, food formulation, and data science. You will support the development of approaches that link ingredient composition to sensory performance, helping translate complex datasets into actionable insights for R&amp;D teams.</p> <p>You will independently lead a project focused on predicting sensory attributes such as sweetness, firmness, and flavour intensity from ingredient data. You will start by analysing internal datasets that link formulation and sensory information, exploring suitable modelling approaches, and identifying key drivers of sensory performance in spreads.</p> <p>Building on these insights, you will develop a stage-phased approach to achieve a predictive model that translates ingredient composition into expected sensory profiles. A key part of the project will then be translating this model into a practical application by linking it to a dashboard, enabling clear visualisation of predicted sensory performance and improving accessibility of the data for R&amp;D teams.</p> <p>You will work closely with the Consumer Experience team while also collaborating with colleagues in product development and data science. This internship offers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with data-driven product development and modelling, while contributing to projects with direct impact on formulation decisions.</p> <p>You will also take part in the intern challenge, collaborating with other interns on a shared project during your internship.</p> <p>As part of the Consumer Experience team, you will contribute to driving business impact by combining sensory, consumer, and culinary insights to enable data-driven product decisions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What</strong><strong> does it take to be successful in this role?</strong></p> <ul> <li>You are currently a Master’s student in Food Science, Sensory Science, Data Science, or related field at a Dutch or European university.</li> <li>You are enrolled as a student for the full duration of the internship.</li> <li>You have a strong interest in sensory science and data-driven approaches.</li> <li>You have basic knowledge of statistics and/or modelling.</li> <li>You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills.</li> <li>You are structured, detail-oriented, and organized.</li> <li>You are able to work independently and manage own project.</li> <li>You are proactive and curious, open to new methods and tools.</li> <li>You are comfortable with MS Office and leveraging AI tools.</li> <li>You have strong communication skills; able to translate data into insights.</li> </ul> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p><strong>What’s next?</strong></p> <p>If this position sounds interesting, please hit the apply button now! The deadline to apply is the 18^th of June 2026.</p><div class="content-conclusion"><p><span data-contrast="auto">We understand your resume might not be up to date and recommend that you apply with what you have or your LinkedIn Profile. Flora Food Group is dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workplace, we understand that you might not meet all the requirements stated in the description, but we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the right candidate for this role or other roles. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><em><span data-contrast="auto">Flora Food Group is an employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and equal opportunities for all. We recruit based only on values, qualifications, performance, skills, behaviours, experience, and knowledge. We ensure job advertisements are free from unintentional bias. </span></em><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><em><span data-contrast="auto">No personal characteristics should be a barrier to joining Flora Food Group. We prohibit discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or other personal characteristics.</span></em><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p></div>