Your mission
At Planet A Foods, we are revolutionizing the food industry to protect the planet we love. by perfecting centuries-old fermentation technology, we offer healthier alternatives and can save up to 500 Mt of CO2 per year!
We created the world’s first 100% cocoa-free chocolate called ChoViva. Our ChoViva tastes amazing with a solid snap and smooth melt as well as roasty notes and a subtle sweetness. It is completely natural, gluten-free, vegan and made with only seven ingredients! Choviva allows for a breathtakingly low carbon & water footprint. This contributes towards the mitigation of both deforestation & exploitation of child labour.
On our journey to protect our Planet A, we are looking for a motivated Bioprocess Engineer Intern who supports us in our endeavor to develop a cocoa butter alternative. During this internship, you will have the opportunity to work closely with our experienced engineering team. Your main duties will encompass supporting the enhancement and expansion of bioprocesses while also focusing on refining and advancing downstream processes (DSP) for lipid extraction. This internship will provide you with a valuable learning experience and offer exposure to cutting-edge technologies in the field.
Your tasks at Planet A Foods:
Collaborate with the team to design and optimize precision fermentations for the production of cocoa butter alternatives.
Contribute to the operation and maintenance of chemostat bioreactor systems and other essential laboratory equipment.
Collaborate in designing and executing experiments focused on lipid extraction processes, which may involve exploring different separation techniques and equipment setups.
Conduct experiments, collect samples, and perform analytical tests to monitor and evaluate process performance.
Perform data analysis and interpretation to identify trends, optimize process parameters, and troubleshoot issues.
Support process scale-up and DSP activities, including technology transfer and process validation.
Assist in the development of novel strategies and technologies to enhance process efficiency and productivity.
Maintain accurate laboratory records, prepare reports, and present findings to the team.
Your profile
Strong interest and passion for industrial biotechnology and downstream processing.
Knowledge of basic principles and concepts of fermentation and/or process engineering.
Experience with lipid extraction techniques (e.g., solvent extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, membrane separation) is appreciated.
A strong familiarity with bioreactor systems, fermentation processes, sample collection and analysis, and commonly used laboratory equipment in downstream processing is highly advantageous.
Basic understanding of process optimization principles and statistical analysis techniques with data analysis software (e.g., Excel, MATLAB, Python) is a plus.
Attention to detail and ability to follow experimental protocols.
Good analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
Proficiency in the English language, including written and verbal communication skills.
Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Bioprocess Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, or a related field. This position is specifically designed for mandatory internships as part of the applicant's current curriculum. The internship is expected to be pursued for a minimum duration of 4 months, in line with the academic requirements. Please note that we can only consider applicants who meet this mandatory internship criterion.
(Please note we are currently only looking for applicants that already have a work visa/permission to work in Germany, or of course, EU citizenship and we only hire interns that need to make a mandatory internship for university)
How we hire at Planet A Foods
Joining the Planet A Foods team is more than just a job – it's a commitment to our core values that permeate every aspect of our business. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we go above and beyond to embed fairness and equity in our inclusive recruitment and hiring process. We are not only an Equal Opportunity Employer, but also proactive in embedding fairness and equity into an inclusive recruitment and hiring process.
Our Values:Fellowship: We share a great vision that can only be achieved as a team. We prefer enabling others to succeed instead of petting our egos.
On Discovery: We keep our eyes, hearts, and minds open, curious to explore, improve and create new realities beyond the ordinary.
Creating impact: We aim at building a better world. Science is at our hearts, and full of passion we progress on our journey.
Just do it: We rather take a lousy first step than standing still or losing ourselves in discussions. Smart words are worth nothing if they are not accompanied by smart actions.
Why us?
Our hierarchy is flat and communication direct, which means that we operate and learn fast as a team. You can expect the following:
Competitive Salary
Flexible Working Hours
Regular Team Events
Daily Free Lunch + Free Drinks
Daily Free Snacks (Of course with our delicious Choviva!)
Fresh Fruit + Vegetables
A Personalized Macbook Pro
Entitled to 30 Days Holiday
Your “normal” workplace is our office/lab (to build a strong culture we believe in physically meeting and interacting)
We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity. We consider all applications equally. We strongly encourage individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups in tech to apply.
About us
It’s an audacious, incredibly rewarding mission that we are dedicated to achieving. Planet A Foods is built around the idea that everyone should be able to enjoy just, circular and waste-free food. To that end, we create a family of foods by upcycling clean (local/cruelty-free) ingredients with state-of-the-art biotechnology and flavor science.
Exciting challenges lie ahead — Join us on our mission!
