FOODMatch | Company Profile

Founded in 1996, FOODMatch is a producer and importer of Mediterranean specialty foods with a distinct expertise in traditionally and responsibly crafted olives, antipasti, spreads, sauces, and ingredients.

FOODMatch plays an integral role in ensuring the quality of our products. The FOODMatch difference begins in the fields and groves. We are vertically integrated with our partners to ensure that each step along the production chain is completed to meticulous standards: from irrigation and pruning, to harvesting, sorting and stuffing by hand, to expertly curing and preserving, we ensure each ingredient delivers its natural flavor, color, and texture. Simply put, no detail is spared.

Mission Statement: Through the hands of our growers, create great tasting, responsibly produced, authentic foods that nurture community and enhance your quality of life.

Internship Description

FOODMatch is seeking one intern for Summer 2019. The Specialty Food – Company Culture & Sales Intern will focus on 2-3 projects under primary supervision of the Culture & Community Manager. They will concurrently be under direction of the department contact they are currently assigned to within their rotation.

The internship will consist of four components. The first week will consist of an introductory rotation/shadowing of departments at FOODMatch headquarters in NYC (Culture & Community, Accounting, Fulfillment & Logistics, Quality Assurance, Marketing, Sales) and two pre-assigned projects and a third that will be determined with the intern based on their areas of interest, talents and strengths.

The intern will attend and represent FOODMatch at The Fancy Food Show, a major specialty food trade show, late June in New York City.

The intern will gain valuable real-world experience working at major player in the specialty food industry. The experience will be customized and an extension of classroom learning.

Program Outline

Week 1: FOODMatch Orientation and Department Rotation

Under the supervision of the Culture & Community Manager, the intern will rotate through each department and learn about their functions and responsibilities. The intern will also visit the warehouse where product is stored and visit customers in the field (i.e. Distributors and End Users).

Objective: Gain a clear understanding of each department and identify areas of interest

Weeks 2-6: Culture & Community Project – Training Materials

Under the supervision of the Culture & Community Manager, the intern will work collaboratively on a project compiling product selling points / key takeaways on all FOODMatch items. These will be incorporated into an employee training portal on FOODMatch.com. It would also be used to flesh out company training videos on our Learning Management System (Grovo).

Information will be gathered from manager and from feedback from Sales/Merchandising teams, collected by intern. This will involve gathering data, building/populating spreadsheets, and interacting with our Sales team.

Weeks 7-9: Sales Development Analytics (SDA) Project – Competitive Analysis

Under the supervision of the SDA Manager, the intern will work collaboratively on a project researching our main competitors and identifying “like” items where we compete.

The intern will be responsible for compiling this information and developing the best format for delivery/sharing this tool with the Sales team and other internal teams.

Some of this research will be performed independently (online research, in person “cuttings” i.e. tastings, etc.) and also completed in collaboration with the SDA, Quality Assurance, Sourcing, and Sales teams. Communication skills will be essential for this aspect of the project.

Week 10-12: Custom Rotation – Based on area(s) of Interest and Expertise

Based on the department rotation, company exposure and the outcomes of the first two rotations and projects, the intern and Culture & Community Manager will select a third and final rotation and project. This may also be a continuation of one or both of the previous rotations depending on project status.

Objectives and deliverables for the third rotation will be outlined with Culture & Community Manager, department supervisor and intern.

 Internship Support

The intern will meet weekly with the Culture & Community Manager to discuss project progress and address any questions, comments, or concerns.

Each intern will be assigned a mentor. The mentor will help the intern get acclimated with company culture, answer general questions, and provide support aside from their direct supervisor.

At the conclusion of the internship, they will meet with the Culture & Community Manager and any additional project supervisors to wrap up and summarize the project and deliverables. The intern will also be evaluated by each project supervisor on their performance.

The intern will also have the opportunity to evaluate their experience at the completion of their internship providing any positive or constructive feedback of the program.

Qualifications

• A love of good food and a desire to continue a career in the specialty food industry is a must. Bonus if you love Mediterranean food!
• We’re looking for a candidate who is a team player with excellent communication skills, who is also technologically savvy, proficient-advance on Excel with some experience using survey tools (Google Forms, Survey Monkey).
• Candidates must have an eye for details and accuracy – an imperative skill for these specific projects.
• Candidates with research project and/or competitive analysis experience are preferred.

Requirements

• Current Undergraduate Student (Junior and Seniors preferred) with relevant academic or professional experience
• Student should be pursuing a degree in one of the following areas: Business, Communications, Food Science, Food Systems, Hospitality/Food and Beverage Management, Sustainability, Marketing or Journalism – with a strong personal/professional interest in the food industry
• Student should be in good standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher