The application deadline was 15 September 2026.
International Flavors & Fragrances is offering a one-year internship in Johannesburg within its Innovation, Creation & Design team. The IFF Internship 2026/2027 gives students or recent graduates from Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry or a related field practical exposure to flavour creation, food applications, laboratory work and product-development support. The placement is based on site and places the intern alongside technical specialists who prepare flavour applications, compound samples, evaluate products and support customer projects. It is a science-focused internship for someone interested in seeing how laboratory knowledge is used in commercial food and flavour development.
IFF Internship Overview
- Company: International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF)
- Team: Innovation, Creation & Design (IC&D)
- Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
- Programme Type: Internship
- Duration: 1 year
- Internship Period: 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027
- Work Arrangement: On-site
- Requisition: R19272
Intern Responsibilities
The intern supports flavourists and designers with the practical work needed to develop and test flavour solutions. This includes laboratory preparation, product application activity and the organisation of samples and raw materials. The role also gives exposure to projects serving local and global customers, allowing the intern to see how technical laboratory work connects with product and customer requirements.
- Support flavour applications, compounding and sample preparation.
- Assist with projects for local and global customers.
- Participate in product tastings, evaluations and sensory analysis.
- Prepare and maintain laboratory samples and raw materials.
- Support accurate laboratory documentation and project records.
- Work within laboratory safety and quality practices.
Qualification Requirements
Applicants should be currently pursuing or have recently completed a degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry or a related field. The academic requirement reflects the technical nature of the internship, where scientific understanding is applied to ingredients, flavour systems, food applications and laboratory processes.
Laboratory and Product Development Exposure
The Innovation, Creation & Design environment combines practical laboratory work with product-development thinking. Sample preparation and compounding help the intern understand how formulations are created, while tastings and sensory evaluation show how technical teams assess the way a flavour performs in an application. Maintaining raw materials and documentation also introduces the discipline required for repeatable technical work.
The internship is useful for a science student or graduate who wants exposure beyond a university laboratory. Commercial flavour development involves not only preparing a sample but also understanding how it performs, how results are documented and how technical work responds to a customer brief.
Skills and Technical Interests
- Interest in flavours, food applications and product development.
- Basic understanding of laboratory practices and safety standards.
- Attention to detail when handling samples, raw materials and records.
- Ability to work collaboratively with technical specialists.
- Interest in sensory evaluation and practical product testing.
Learning Within the IC&D Team
IFF’s IC&D function brings together technical expertise used to create and evaluate flavour solutions. Working alongside flavourists and designers gives the intern insight into different stages of product development, from compounding and sample preparation through to application testing and sensory evaluation. Exposure to local and global customer projects also helps show how technical work changes according to different product needs.
About International Flavors & Fragrances
IFF develops ingredients and solutions used across food, beverage, scent, health and related consumer-product categories. Its technical teams work with formulation, applications and sensory science to support product development. The Johannesburg placement gives a science-focused intern direct experience inside this type of commercial innovation environment.
How to Apply
Applications are completed through IFF’s official Workday careers platform. Search for requisition R19272 and submit the online application for the Johannesburg IC&D internship.
Apply for the IFF Innovation, Creation & Design Internship
