Cheese Manufacturing Intern at Tillamook… · Boardman

Cheese Manufacturing Summer Intern

Come join the Tillamook Team, one of the fastest-growing dairy brands in the US, where we Play to Win to create over 200 dairy products in 6 different categories: cheese, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, butter, and cream cheese. Our Uncompromising Quality has led us to become the #1 Cheddar, #2 Cream Cheese and #3 Family Size Ice Cream brand, but we’re not stopping there. We’re loading up for our best years to come and want you to join us.

As a farmer-owned cooperative since 1909, we know that being Good Stewards for our stakeholders and doing a little extra always pays off. We’re looking for team members with a One Team and Genuine Care mindset who are inspired to share the delight of the Tillamook brand with each other and others every day.

About the TCCA Summer Intern Program:

Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA)’s Summer Internship Program is a 10 to 12-week program for graduate and undergraduate students to join the Tillamook team to connect to our 115-year-old heritage. Our interns play a significant role in solving real-world business challenges and enjoy bites of our ice cream, cheese and beloved dairy products every step of the way. As a farmer-owned cooperative, we invite interns to visit the farms of our farmer-owners so they can see what cow care, environmental stewardship and the daily operations of a dairy farm look like, up close. In addition to the farm tour, we host multiple enriching experiences throughout the duration of the program, that include being an honorary Tillamook taste bud for the day with our immersive cheese and ice cream tastings, “college-inspired” cooking class with our executive chef, resume & interview workshop, sales market tours and so much more!

This role is based out of our Boardman, Oregon Plant.

How this work makes an impact:

These projects strongly support the organization's business imperatives by improving operational efficiency, maximizing asset utilization, reducing waste, and strengthening data-driven decision-making.

Develop Financial Flexibility

The tower recipe optimization project can increase throughput and reduce trim loss, creating additional production capacity without significant capital investment. Similarly, the milk shrink and MES-to-D365 variance projects focus on identifying and eliminating sources of product loss and inventory inaccuracies, directly improving yield, reducing costs, and enhancing financial performance. The curd rinse optimization project may also improve cheese yields and consistency, helping maximize the value obtained from every pound of milk processed.

Drive Execution Excellence

Each project supports execution excellence by deepening understanding of process performance and variability. Optimizing tower parameters establish more standardized operating conditions, while the curd rinse study helps define process settings that consistently achieve target moisture, pH, and salt levels. The MES-to-D365 variance analysis improves data integrity and reporting accuracy, and the milk shrink project strengthens operational controls and accountability throughout the manufacturing process. Together, these initiatives improve consistency, visibility, and decision-making across the facility.

Leverage Current Assets to Drive Incremental Margin

These projects focus on extracting greater value from existing equipment, systems, and processes rather than requiring additional capital expenditures. Tower recipe optimization seeks to increase production capacity and quality using current assets more effectively. Improving cheese yield through optimized rinse parameters and reducing milk shrink allows the plant to produce more saleable products from the same milk supply. Enhancing MES and D365 alignment also enables more effective use of existing production and inventory systems, supporting better operational and financial decisions.

Enable Our Best Work

The projects provide employees with more accurate data, clearer process understanding, and improved operating standards. By reducing discrepancies, minimizing waste, and developing data-driven process improvements, production, quality, inventory, and leadership teams can spend less time resolving issues and more time focusing on continuous improvement and value-added activities. Additionally, these initiatives foster cross-functional collaboration and create opportunities to build capabilities in problem-solving, data analysis, and process optimization throughout the organization.

Collectively, these projects contribute to a more efficient, data-driven, and financially resilient manufacturing operation while supporting quality, yield, capacity, and employee effectiveness goals.

The application window will be open until the position is filled or until we reach our cap of 100 applicants. We will review applications and move selected candidates through our interview process with the goal of having all interns identified no later than the end of the year.

What you will do:

• Optimizing tower recipe sequence per cheese type. Including press time, pressure, and guillotine delay. Could find a few seconds to save per cycle to increase capacity while achieving a more ideal block shape and reducing trim.

• Quantify the impact of curd rinse flow and cheddar cheese rinse water temperature on moisture, pH, and salt absorption.

• Analyze and identify the root causes of pound (lbs.) variances between the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and Dynamics 365 (D365) by comparing production reporting, material consumption, and inventory transactions. Develop recommendations to improve data accuracy and reduce reporting discrepancies across systems.

• Investigate sources of milk shrink throughout production, storage, and packaging processes by analyzing yield losses, inventory variances, and operational practices. Implement and monitor improvement opportunities to reduce product loss and improve overall production efficiency and inventory accuracy.

Here’s a day in the life:

• In addition to leading project work, an intern would spend time on the production floor learning the cheese-making process from milk intake through packaging and warehouse operations. They would collaborate with operators, production supervisors, quality assurance, maintenance, and inventory teams to understand daily challenges and identify improvement opportunities.

• Day-to-day responsibilities may include collecting and analyzing production data, participating in process improvement initiatives, conducting floor observations, assisting with inventory reconciliation, attending production meetings, and supporting continuous improvement efforts focused on safety, quality, yield, and operational efficiency. Interns also gain hands-on experience troubleshooting process issues, validating data accuracy, and communicating findings and recommendations to plant leadership.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Education level: Any undergrad student or Graduate student

• Preferred fields of study: Dairy Science or Engineering

• A successful intern in a cheese manufacturing environment should have strong analytical and problem-solving skills to evaluate production data, identify process inefficiencies, and recommend practical improvements. Effective communication skills are essential for collaborating with operators, supervisors, quality teams, and plant leadership, as well as presenting project findings clearly and professionally.

• Additionally, interns should be detail-oriented, comfortable working with data in systems such as MES and D365, and willing to spend time on the production floor learning processes firsthand. Adaptability, initiative, and a commitment to safety are also critical, as manufacturing environments are fast-paced and require employees to balance multiple priorities while maintaining high standards for food safety and product quality.

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s program and not due to graduate the semester prior to the internship.

We are committed to creating a diverse culture and inclusive conditions where all employees are heard, valued and feel a sense of belonging. We rely on different perspectives, thoughts, backgrounds and cultures to inform our work, to help us be better as a brand and as an employer and to fuel our success. We are seeking talent from a wide range of diversity, perspectives, and backgrounds to join our exceptional organization and help us build our future.

Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) is a Drug-Free Workplace. EEO/AA

TCCA prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability status (including those related to pregnancy and childbirth), protected veteran status, membership/non-membership in a labor organization, or any other characteristic protected by law.