Operations Internships (Multiple Positions)

The Protein Brewery; Breda; On-site; EUR 10,000 - 13,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Internship compensation

Job summary

The Protein Brewery is seeking an intern for a 5-month project at our Breda, the Netherlands facility. You will own and drive a single improvement project from scope to delivery, working on-site with direct supervision.

You will apply structured methods such as DMAIC or Lean to analyze and improve production processes, with exposure to fermentation, drying, and process monitoring. Fluent English is required, Dutch is a plus.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a related technical field.
• Analytical mindset and curiosity about how a process performs.
• Able to work independently and on-site on a production floor.
• Fluent in English; Dutch is optional.

Responsibilities

• Scope and own a 5-month improvement project with supervisor within the first two weeks.
• Apply structured methodologies (DMAIC, Six Sigma, Lean) to the project.
• Engage with operators and understand current processes on the production floor.
• Present findings and recommendations to management at project end.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Independent working

Fluent English

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Food Technology, Biotechnology, Process Technology, Chemical Engineering, Operations Management or related technical field

Job description

Multiple positions | Breda, the Netherlands | On-site

Duration: minimum of 5 monthsStart date: in consultation

In July 2026, FERMOTEIN® became the first whole-food mycelium ingredient authorised under the EU Novel Food Regulation. Proving the science took six years. Producing it reliably, efficiently and at industrial scale is the part still being figured out, and it is the part you would work on.

What you would work on

Our plant is young. Almost every process in it can still be measured, questioned and improved, and there is considerably more improvement work available than there are people to do it.

That means interns here do not get a side project to stay busy. You take one improvement question, own it for five months, and hand back something we can implement.

Current project areas include:

• Drying and downstream processing yield
• Fermentation capacity utilisation
• Energy and utilities consumption
• Process data, monitoring and control

You will scope the project with your supervisor in your first two weeks, using a structured methodology such as DMAIC, Six Sigma or Lean, and we will help you shape it to meet your programme's requirements.

Who we are looking for

• Pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Technology, Biotechnology, Process Technology, Chemical Engineering, Operations Management or a related technical field
• Analytical, and genuinely interested in why a process performs the way it does rather than only in whether it passes
• Comfortable on a production floor, and comfortable asking the operators questions
• Able to work independently, and willing to say when you are stuck
• Fluent in English, written and spoken (Dutch is useful but not required)

What we offer

• A defined project with a real decision attached to it, and a named supervisor who is accountable for your progress
• Access to the full production process, from fermentation through to finished powder
• Autonomy and flexibility in your work and work hours
• A flat organisation where you present your findings to the management team yourself
• An internship compensation