Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement Intern

About the role

An established Australian manufacturer of thermoformed plastic packaging for the food, retail and medical industries is looking for a motivated, detail-oriented intern to support quality assurance, food safety and continuous improvement in its manufacturing operations. The internship is based on site in Moorabbin, Victoria, lasts 3 months and runs 2 days per week. It covers quality management systems, manufacturing processes, compliance documentation, internal audits and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Assist with maintaining, reviewing and updating quality management systems and food safety systems, including FSSC 22000 where applicable, and help implement quality and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain HACCP plans, monitoring records, verification activities and other food safety documentation, and keep production records and procedures accurate.
• Support internal audits, GMP audits and workplace quality inspections, document findings, corrective actions and follow-up activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, documentation and workflow, and help review procedures and recommend improvements.
• Prepare, review and maintain SOPs, work instructions, checklists and quality records, and help coordinate quality system documentation.
• Support training materials and awareness activities on quality, hygiene, GMP and workplace procedures, and communicate quality requirements with production and management.

Required profile

• Currently studying or recently graduated in Food Science, Food Technology, Quality Assurance, Industrial or Manufacturing Engineering, Chemical or Materials Engineering, Polymer Science or a related discipline.
• Interest in manufacturing operations, product quality, quality management systems and continuous improvement.
• Strong attention to detail, good analytical, problem-solving and documentation skills, and effective written and verbal communication.
• Willingness to learn about manufacturing processes, quality standards and compliance requirements.

Required skills

• Desirable but not essential: familiarity with HACCP, GMP, FSSC 22000, ISO quality management systems or internal auditing.
• Desirable but not essential: previous exposure to manufacturing, packaging, food production, plastics or medical product environments.
• Desirable but not essential: knowledge of root cause analysis, CAPA, Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement methods, and experience preparing SOPs, audit reports or quality records.

To apply, candidates submit a CV outlining their academic background, relevant skills, availability and interest in quality assurance and manufacturing, highlighting any university projects, laboratory work, manufacturing experience or quality-related coursework.