Regulatory and Quality Assurance Intern

Salt & Straw • Portland, OR

1d • $20 - $20 • Onsite

About The Position

The Regulatory & QA Intern will support our Central Kitchen team in strengthening the systems that ensure our ingredients and packaging meet food safety and regulatory standards. This is a hands-on, project-based internship focused on supplier documentation, compliance tracking, and audit readiness. Working closely with the Regulatory Compliance Manager and Quality Assurance team, this role will take ownership of a defined project to assess, organize, and improve supplier documentation systems. The intern will review and structure documentation across a large supplier network, identify gaps, and develop a tracking system to support ongoing compliance and visibility. This work directly supports audit readiness, regulatory compliance, and the continued scaling of our food safety systems, while providing the intern with practical, real-world experience in quality assurance and regulatory processes within a manufacturing environment.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, an undergraduate program (e.g., Oregon State University) pursuing a degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Supply Chain, Business, or a related field
• Foundational understanding of food safety, quality assurance, or regulatory compliance concepts
• Strong attention to detail and ability to review large volumes of information with accuracy
• Organizational skills with the ability to structure and maintain clear, accessible documentation systems
• Analytical thinking skills, including the ability to identify gaps, inconsistencies, and trends in data
• Ability to work independently and create structure in ambiguous or undefined processes
• Self-motivated with a strong sense of ownership and accountability for project outcomes
• Basic proficiency in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets
• Ability to manage time effectively and prioritize work across a defined project
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional partners and ask thoughtful questions
• Curiosity and interest in learning how systems and processes support food safety and production
• Fluency in English

Nice To Haves

• Prior academic or hands-on exposure to food safety, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, or manufacturing environments preferred, but not required
• Experience working with data, spreadsheets, or organized documentation (through coursework, projects, or internships) preferred
• Exposure to manufacturing or food production environments is a plus

Responsibilities

• Conduct a structured review of supplier documentation for ingredient and packaging vendors, including cataloging records and assessing completeness and accuracy
• Identify missing, expired, outdated, or duplicate documentation and document findings clearly
• Organize supplier documentation into a standardized, accessible file structure to support audit readiness and ongoing maintenance
• Develop and maintain a master tracking tool to monitor supplier documentation status, including expiration timelines and gaps
• Analyze documentation trends and support prioritization of follow-up actions for incomplete or non-compliant records
• Partner with the Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance team to ensure alignment with SQF and internal food safety standards
• Prepare a summary of findings, including key risks, gaps, and recommendations for improving document control processes
• Deliver final project outputs, including a supplier documentation tracker, organized file system, gap analysis summary, and final presentation outlining findings and recommendations
• Communicate progress, ask questions, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional partners, demonstrating thoughtful curiosity and attention to detail

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees