If you’d like to know more about research and development, Behr Paint has openings for three summer interns.
The 70-year-old company, headquartered in Santa Ana, started off selling stain and varnish and branched into paint when it became a supplier to Home Depot. Behr was one of the first companies to introduce computer matching and combined paint and primer.
Part of the MASCO Brands portfolio, Behr Paint operates around the world, but feels like a small company. Tending to hire fresh graduates and offer intensive training, the company has been named an Orange County Top Workplace for nine years running.
The company tends to look less at classes completed and more at whether an individual fits in with the company culture. Teams, collaboration, and camaraderie are important company values.
Research manager Ginger Shi said R&D recruits from chemistry, the natural sciences, polymer science, physics, product engineering, and color science. Areas of research include resin chemistry, new thickener technology, new pigments and extenders, zero-VOC chemistry, nanotechnology, green chemistry, and advanced processes.
The Research and Development Department has three branches: Applied Research, Product Development, and the Color Lab. This summer, there are two internship openings in Product Development and one in the Color Lab. The internships run from June 12 to Aug. 18.
Shi said there are two career paths for those entering R&D—one that branches into management and the other moving up the ranks to research fellow.