Product Development Chemist Intern – Year Round 2026
At Henkel, you’ll be part of an organization that’s shaping the future through innovation, sustainability and collaboration. With our trusted brands like Persil®, ‘all®, Loctite®, Snuggle®, and Schwarzkopf® and our cutting-edge technologies, you’ll have countless opportunities to explore new paths and grow.
This position is with our Adhesive Technologies business unit – where we empower our people to transform industries and provide our customers with a competitive advantage through adhesives, sealants and functional coatings.
Dare to learn new skills, advance in your career and make an impact at Henkel.
What you’ll do
Gain hands-on experience creating adhesive formulations for electronic applications in a lab setting
Execute designed experiments by preparing formulations and measuring key physical and chemical properties
Analyze and compile data from formulation testing to support product development decisions
Ensure compliance with lab safety guidelines and actively participate in 5S organizational activities
Support digitalization efforts by using Albert for lab data tracking and reporting
Collaborate with R&D team members to contribute to innovation and continuous improvement initiatives
What makes you a good fit
An undergraduate Senior, 2nd year master's student, or recently graduated student (June 2025 or later) pursuing a degree in Polymer Materials & Sciences, Chemical Materials & Engineering
Must be able to commute to our Irvine location
Laboratory techniques in chemistry/polymer science (e.g., synthesis, characterization, titration, spectroscopy)
Familiarity with lab safety protocols and chemical handling
Experience with analytical instruments (e.g., FTIR, DSC, TGA, NMR, GPC)
Documentation and reporting of experimental results
Collaboration in a research or lab team environment
Some benefits of joining Henkel as an intern
Exciting projects that allow you to make real impact and collaborate with Henkel colleagues worldwide
Countless learning opportunities available through Henkel’s online learning platform with over 9,000 professional courses
Networking events with Henkel business leaders, experts and sustainability ambassadors
Ongoing feedback discussions throughout the internship that allow you to accomplish concrete goals
In-person and virtual social events to connect with other Henkel interns across the country
Following your internship, you may be invited to join Henkel as a returning intern or full-time employee.
Additional information
This internship is NOT eligible for a housing stipend or relocation support.
The anticipated start date for this internship is January 2026 and the anticipated end date is December 2026.
This position requires you to be available to preferably work 40 hours/week; but at least ~20 hours/week during Spring and Fall.
Recruitment for our 2026 internships starts in late August 2025 and runs through early March 2026 or until all our positions are filled.
If selected to move forward in our recruitment process, you will receive an email from our talent acquisition team.
If a position you applied to is filled by another candidate, you will receive an email from our team alerting you that the position is closed.
The salary for this role is $27/hour. This is the rate that we in good faith anticipate relying on when setting wages for this position. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range. This salary range may also be modified in the future.
Henkel is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.