Pilot Plant Engineer Intern

About Us

Sumitomo Biorational Company is a worldwide leader in the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products for the agriculture, public health, and forestry markets. We have more than 60 years of experience bringing biorational products to market, and o ur products are used in sustainable operations in 95 countries around the world. Biorational products maximize plant quality, productivity, and sustainability.

Sumitomo Biorational Company is a worldwide leader in the research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of biorational products for the agriculture, public health, and forestry markets. We have more than 60 years of experience bringing biorational products to market, and o ur products are used in sustainable operations in 95 countries around the world. Biorational products maximize plant quality, productivity, and sustainability.

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Chemical, Sumitomo Biorational Company operates with the Sumitomo Spirit mindset, which means to benefit both self and others, recognizing that private and public interests are one and the same. It's about contributing to society, as well as making a profit.

The Sumitomo Biorational manufacturing site located on an expansive 73-acre site in Osage, IA is a state of the art 130,000 square foot plant and is the largest purpose-built biorational facility in the world. It serves as the manufacturing and quality control center for Sumitomo Biorational Company's broad portfolio of fermentation products.

As a Pilot Plant Intern at Sumitomo Biorational you will learn and be exposed to various engineering tasks, such as monitoring, troubleshooting and improving current fermentation, recovery and formulation processes. You will be assigned a product with particular emphasis on optimization in order to increase yield and reduce cycle times, while focusing on safety and environmental impact. You will collaborate with Research and Development Scientists as well as Production Engineers to determine feasibility of their proposed methods and will be required to work in the lab to help developing and optimizing the process, write/update operating instructions and then if successful in the lab help with implementing the method in production.

In addition, you will be exposed to good laboratory practices while using the lab fer mentors and recovery equipment and documenting the experiments. You will be required to write a project charter, all applicable protocols and procedures, and if successful, provide a final method transfer report.

• Support and comply with all safety and environmental training policies and programs
• Under the supervision of the Pilot Plant Team, set up and monitor pilot-scale fermenters and downstream process unit operation
• Analyze, summarize and present pilot data to Research and Production Teams Recommend and implement process improvement ideas to Production
• Heat and mass balance
• Mathematical modeling of metabolism and fermentation

• Majoring in bioengineering, biotechnology, biochemical engineering, biology, chemical engineering or related fields is required.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Must be able to work independently and as a part of an interdisciplinary, diverse team.
• Excellent computer skills are desired.
• Must have flexibility to work some limited off-shift and weekend hours to support all production shifts when needed.

We work together to power our sustainable future. Here's what drives us:
Sumitomo Biorational Company has a strong commitment to both sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). In fact, being a responsible corporate citizen has been ingrained in our culture since the company's founding. Today, it remains at the forefront of everything we do.

• Sumitomo Biorational Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation and/or identity, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, disabilities, or protected veteran status.