Animal Food Safety & Regulatory Intern - Summer 2027

POET • Sioux Falls, SD

4d • Onsite

About The Position

As an Animal Food Safety & Regulatory Intern, you will gain hands-on experience at the intersection of agriculture, science, regulatory affairs, and communication while learning how animal food ingredients are produced within the bioethanol industry. You will work closely with Quality and Regulatory team members to learn manufacturing processes and translate technical animal food safety and regulatory concepts into engaging, practical training resources. A key focus of this internship will be developing animal food safety training content and videos that bring food safety concepts to life for our team members. You will have the opportunity to visit bioprocessing facilities, interact with subject matter experts, learn how regulatory requirements apply in a manufacturing environment, and turn what you learn into meaningful educational content. This is an on-site internship located at our corporate headquarters in Sioux Falls, SD.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Agricultural Science, Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, Agricultural Communications, Agricultural Business, or a related field.
• Interest in animal agriculture, animal nutrition, food/feed safety, quality, regulatory affairs, or agricultural communications.
• Enjoy learning about science and understanding the "why" behind processes and requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and can make technical information understandable to different audiences.
• Curious, organized, and comfortable asking questions.
• Enjoy working with people and collaborating across different areas of an organization.
• Interested in creating educational content and communicating through presentations, videos, visual materials, or other creative formats.
• Willing to travel to POET Bioprocessing facilities as needed to learn about operations and capture training content.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with PowerPoint, video editing, photography, graphic design, or other communication tools is beneficial but not required.
• Curiosity about how science, regulations, and agriculture come together in a real-world manufacturing environment.
• Ability to translate complex scientific and technical information into clear, engaging, and easy-to-understand content.
• Enthusiasm for creating educational content that can have a meaningful and lasting impact across the organization.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a willingness to ask questions, engage with others, and learn from subject matter experts.

Responsibilities

• Learn how POET's bioethanol production process creates high-quality animal food ingredients and other valuable bioproducts.
• Partner with Quality, Regulatory, and other team members to identify important animal food safety concepts and training needs.
• Research animal food safety regulations, industry guidance, and scientific concepts to support the development of accurate training materials.
• Translate technical and regulatory information into clear, engaging content that is meaningful to team members.
• Visit POET Bioprocessing facilities to observe manufacturing and animal food safety practices firsthand.
• Develop scripts, visual aids, quick-reference materials, and other short educational training resources.
• Interview subject matter experts and facility team members to capture practical knowledge and real-world examples.
• Gain exposure to FDA animal food regulations, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), and food safety plans.
• Learn about programs such as sanitary transportation, pest management, chemical control, foreign material prevention, mycotoxin management, traceability, and product withdrawal and recall.
• Collaborate across teams to better understand how regulatory requirements, quality programs, operations, and customer expectations work together.
• Support additional Quality and Regulatory projects based on business needs and your areas of interest.

Benefits

• A multifaceted wellness program encompassing the whole person – mentally, physically, and spiritually
• On-site fitness centers or fitness reimbursements
• Safety and cold-weather gear reimbursements

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern