Manufacturing Management Trainee
Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, Fort Wayne, IN, United States
Manufacturing Management Trainee
Are you looking to start your career by driving high-impact transformation with household brands? Do you crave an entrepreneurial, fast paced and engaging growth assignment working with incredible people from across the globe?
At Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, we are excited to start a new chapter of accelerated growth as part of Froneri
a global pure-play ice cream leader. With nearly 100 years of winning experience in the U.S, a robust portfolio of powerhouse brands that consumers know and love such as Hagen-Dazs, Drumstick, Dreyer's/Edy's, Skinny Cow, OREO, Outshine and Frollies, and the backing and coaching of European-based ice cream experts, we know we have the winning recipe.
Headquartered in Walnut Creek, the Bay Area's hub for up-and-coming food trends, our DGIC team across our offices and factories is raising the bar on all things ice cream. Our growth has been tremendous in the past few years
moving from being #2 manufacturer in market to being #1 in 2024. The brands have strong investments in marketing support, quality improvements and exciting line extensions and innovation. DGIC has also been recognized by retail partners as the top manufacturer partner, winning the #1 position in the prestigious Advantage Award in 2024.
At DGIC, we don't just hire for roles, we grow future business leaders.?Here, everyone is encouraged to think like a general manager. That means owning your piece of the business, making bold decisions, and seeing the big picture. What makes us unique? You won't just stay in your lane, you'll get hands-on exposure to everything from Sales, Marketing and operations to Finance and Supply Chain. It's like getting an MBA on the job (but with way more ice cream). If you're curious, driven, and ready to learn a lot about a lot, this is the place to stretch your skills and fast-track your career.
Unleash your potential at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and discover what a sweet career we have in store for you!
At the heart of our culture are four core values that guide our actions and define how we work together.?We Take Ownership?by staying committed from start to finish, making thoughtful decisions, and focusing our efforts on initiatives that drive growth, efficiency, and sustainability.?We Do What Is Right?by prioritizing transparency, setting clear roles and responsibilities, and speaking up when something doesn't align with our values.?We Seek to Improve?through continuous innovation, embracing feedback, and learning from both our successes and setbacks. And?We Are Better Together?by making decisions that benefit the whole organization, fostering inclusion through diverse perspectives, and treating everyone with fairness and respect. These values are not just idealsthey are the behaviors we live by every day.
The Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Manufacturing Management Trainee Program is a full-time, immersive 52?week rotational experience designed to develop the next generation of manufacturing leaders. Over the course of the year, trainees gain hands?on exposure to all major functions of our plant operations, from production and quality to maintenance and people leadership, equipping them with the technical expertise, problem?solving skills, and leadership capabilities needed to thrive in a future supervisor or manager role.
Trainees rotate through structured learning blocks, each ending with a formal debrief and knowledge assessment to ensure deep understanding and readiness for progression.
Weeks 12: HR Onboarding & Plant Orientation
HR onboarding & administrative setup
Plant-wide orientation and facility tours
PPE training and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) awareness
Emergency procedures & safety protocols
Introduction to food safety culture
Weeks 320: Production Operations
Warehouse & Receiving
Inventory and shelf-life control
QA checks at receiving
Non-conformance procedures and vendor claims
Mix Room
Batching and ingredient processes
Mixing equipment fundamentals
Clean-in-place (CIP) for Mix Room operations
Production Operations
Freezer operation and fundamentals
Packaging machinery overview
Fill weights, quality checks, and code date verification
CIP Production procedures
Palletizing & Distribution
Shipping and order preparation
Inventory management principles
Deployment and logistics coordination
Weeks 2124: Quality Assurance
Fundamental Management Practices (FMPs)
Product inspections & sensory evaluation basics
Allergen awareness and allergen changeover processes
HACCP training
Foreign Object Management
Cleaning verification procedures
Microbiology lab shadowing
Weeks 2528: Maintenance & Engineering
Parts receiving, inventory, and purchasing workflows
Machine shop & mechanical troubleshooting shadowing
Electrical shop shadowing
Maintenance planning and scheduling
Line performance analysis and efficiency review
Refrigeration system fundamentals
Wastewater and environmental management
Weeks 2930: Leadership Development Block
Ice Cream School (product, process, and category education)
Delegation and prioritization skills
Coaching and conducting difficult conversations
Cross-functional presentations:
New Product Development
Supply Chain
Procurement
Training & Compliance
Weeks 3152: Applied Leadership in Production
Supervising small teams or designated process areas
Managing schedules, performance, and daily operations
Leading shift handoffs and production meetings
Troubleshooting operational issues
Driving safety, quality, and performance metrics
Continuously improving processes through data and root-cause analysis
A final evaluation and readiness review are conducted at program end.
What You'll Gain
A holistic understanding of end?to?end ice cream manufacturing
Broad exposure to operations, engineering, quality, and supply chain
Strong leadership capabilities and hands?on supervisory experience
Technical knowledge of production systems, food safety, and maintenance
A clear path to a long-term leadership career with Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream
Qualifications
Required:
Bachelor's degree (Engineering, Food Science, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, or related field preferred)
Strong analytical and problem?solving skills
Proven leadership ability (academic, professional, or extracurricular)
Ability to work in a fast?paced manufacturing environment
Strong communication and collaboration skills
Flexibility to work various shifts during rotations
Preferred:
Prior internship or experience in manufacturing, operations, logistics, or quality
Understanding of Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies
Career Path After Completion
Graduates of the program are placed into front-line leadership roles (commonly Production Supervisor or other entry-level management positions) based on performance, plant needs, and individual strengths.
Pay
The pay for prospective employees in this role starts at $75,000 annually.
Visa sponsorship not available. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States now and in the future. The company does not provide visa sponsorship or any immigration support (including STEM OPT training
Are you looking to start your career by driving high-impact transformation with household brands? Do you crave an entrepreneurial, fast paced and engaging growth assignment working with incredible people from across the globe?
At Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, we are excited to start a new chapter of accelerated growth as part of Froneri
a global pure-play ice cream leader. With nearly 100 years of winning experience in the U.S, a robust portfolio of powerhouse brands that consumers know and love such as Hagen-Dazs, Drumstick, Dreyer's/Edy's, Skinny Cow, OREO, Outshine and Frollies, and the backing and coaching of European-based ice cream experts, we know we have the winning recipe.
Headquartered in Walnut Creek, the Bay Area's hub for up-and-coming food trends, our DGIC team across our offices and factories is raising the bar on all things ice cream. Our growth has been tremendous in the past few years
moving from being #2 manufacturer in market to being #1 in 2024. The brands have strong investments in marketing support, quality improvements and exciting line extensions and innovation. DGIC has also been recognized by retail partners as the top manufacturer partner, winning the #1 position in the prestigious Advantage Award in 2024.
At DGIC, we don't just hire for roles, we grow future business leaders.?Here, everyone is encouraged to think like a general manager. That means owning your piece of the business, making bold decisions, and seeing the big picture. What makes us unique? You won't just stay in your lane, you'll get hands-on exposure to everything from Sales, Marketing and operations to Finance and Supply Chain. It's like getting an MBA on the job (but with way more ice cream). If you're curious, driven, and ready to learn a lot about a lot, this is the place to stretch your skills and fast-track your career.
Unleash your potential at Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream and discover what a sweet career we have in store for you!
At the heart of our culture are four core values that guide our actions and define how we work together.?We Take Ownership?by staying committed from start to finish, making thoughtful decisions, and focusing our efforts on initiatives that drive growth, efficiency, and sustainability.?We Do What Is Right?by prioritizing transparency, setting clear roles and responsibilities, and speaking up when something doesn't align with our values.?We Seek to Improve?through continuous innovation, embracing feedback, and learning from both our successes and setbacks. And?We Are Better Together?by making decisions that benefit the whole organization, fostering inclusion through diverse perspectives, and treating everyone with fairness and respect. These values are not just idealsthey are the behaviors we live by every day.
The Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream Manufacturing Management Trainee Program is a full-time, immersive 52?week rotational experience designed to develop the next generation of manufacturing leaders. Over the course of the year, trainees gain hands?on exposure to all major functions of our plant operations, from production and quality to maintenance and people leadership, equipping them with the technical expertise, problem?solving skills, and leadership capabilities needed to thrive in a future supervisor or manager role.
Trainees rotate through structured learning blocks, each ending with a formal debrief and knowledge assessment to ensure deep understanding and readiness for progression.
Weeks 12: HR Onboarding & Plant Orientation
HR onboarding & administrative setup
Plant-wide orientation and facility tours
PPE training and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) awareness
Emergency procedures & safety protocols
Introduction to food safety culture
Weeks 320: Production Operations
Warehouse & Receiving
Inventory and shelf-life control
QA checks at receiving
Non-conformance procedures and vendor claims
Mix Room
Batching and ingredient processes
Mixing equipment fundamentals
Clean-in-place (CIP) for Mix Room operations
Production Operations
Freezer operation and fundamentals
Packaging machinery overview
Fill weights, quality checks, and code date verification
CIP Production procedures
Palletizing & Distribution
Shipping and order preparation
Inventory management principles
Deployment and logistics coordination
Weeks 2124: Quality Assurance
Fundamental Management Practices (FMPs)
Product inspections & sensory evaluation basics
Allergen awareness and allergen changeover processes
HACCP training
Foreign Object Management
Cleaning verification procedures
Microbiology lab shadowing
Weeks 2528: Maintenance & Engineering
Parts receiving, inventory, and purchasing workflows
Machine shop & mechanical troubleshooting shadowing
Electrical shop shadowing
Maintenance planning and scheduling
Line performance analysis and efficiency review
Refrigeration system fundamentals
Wastewater and environmental management
Weeks 2930: Leadership Development Block
Ice Cream School (product, process, and category education)
Delegation and prioritization skills
Coaching and conducting difficult conversations
Cross-functional presentations:
New Product Development
Supply Chain
Procurement
Training & Compliance
Weeks 3152: Applied Leadership in Production
Supervising small teams or designated process areas
Managing schedules, performance, and daily operations
Leading shift handoffs and production meetings
Troubleshooting operational issues
Driving safety, quality, and performance metrics
Continuously improving processes through data and root-cause analysis
A final evaluation and readiness review are conducted at program end.
What You'll Gain
A holistic understanding of end?to?end ice cream manufacturing
Broad exposure to operations, engineering, quality, and supply chain
Strong leadership capabilities and hands?on supervisory experience
Technical knowledge of production systems, food safety, and maintenance
A clear path to a long-term leadership career with Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream
Qualifications
Required:
Bachelor's degree (Engineering, Food Science, Operations, Supply Chain, Business, or related field preferred)
Strong analytical and problem?solving skills
Proven leadership ability (academic, professional, or extracurricular)
Ability to work in a fast?paced manufacturing environment
Strong communication and collaboration skills
Flexibility to work various shifts during rotations
Preferred:
Prior internship or experience in manufacturing, operations, logistics, or quality
Understanding of Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement methodologies
Career Path After Completion
Graduates of the program are placed into front-line leadership roles (commonly Production Supervisor or other entry-level management positions) based on performance, plant needs, and individual strengths.
Pay
The pay for prospective employees in this role starts at $75,000 annually.
Visa sponsorship not available. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States now and in the future. The company does not provide visa sponsorship or any immigration support (including STEM OPT training