INTERNSHIP DETAILS

R&D Co-Op - 2027

CompanyRust-Oleum
LocationPleasant Prairie
Work ModeOn Site
PostedSeptember 14, 2026
Internship Information
Core Responsibilities
The co-op will assist in creating paint sample batches, conducting performance testing, and documenting experimental results. They will also support manufacturing operations through the scale-up process and batch adjustments.
Internship Type
full time
Company Size
1536
Visa Sponsorship
No
Language
English
Working Hours
40 hours
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About The Company
Solving challenges is the very foundation of who we are. After all, in the beginning, our founder, sea captain Robert Fergusson, didn’t particularly care about paint. He just wanted to keep his ship intact. That’s why, when he noticed that an accidental splash of fish oil had stopped the relentless spread of corrosion on his rusty metal deck, he immediately recognized it for what it was: A valuable solution. The same passion that drove the Captain to spend his next few years creating the world’s first rust-preventative paint still drives us today. When we see a problem, we work diligently until we've perfected a solution—which has led to some of the most cutting-edge, durable and innovative products in the industry. If you've got a surface you need to protect or a look you want to transform, you've come to the right place. We have a coating for every challenge. Welcome to Rust-Oleum, home of trusted quality—and powerful solutions—since 1921. __ Rust-Oleum Corporation is a subsidiary of RPM International, Inc.
About the Role

Job Title: R&D Co-Op, 2027 

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm / Full Time / 40hrs/wk 

Pay: $25.00/hr 

 

What to expect:  

  • Job Duties: Summary: Co-op/Intern students are treated as coatings chemists in training, with a focus on professional growth and skills development in a teamwork-based environment. Students work on and learn about a variety of product types from metal to concrete coatings and decorative to high performance systems. Interaction with chemical suppliers, marketing brand managers, and manufacturing operations is incorporated with increasingly complex projects throughout the co-op career. They will train cross functionally under the different product platforms. 
  • Typical work assignments include Creating sample batches of paint for formula development, conducting performance testing on lab samples and competitive products, documenting data and interpreting/reporting results and assisting with production support through the scale-up process and batch adjustments. 
  • Required Skills: Current undergraduate student pursuing Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a comparable scientific degree. 

 

Housing Provided: UW Parkside - Pike Rive Suites: https://www.uwp.edu/live/offices/residencelife/residence-halls/

Rust-Oleum is an equal-opportunity employer. Employment selection and related decisions are made without regard to sex, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, or other protected class.

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Key Skills
ChemistryChemical engineeringFormula developmentPerformance testingData documentationData interpretationProduction supportScale-up processBatch adjustmentsLaboratory testingCoatings chemistry
Categories
Science & ResearchManufacturingEngineering
Benefits
Housing provided