Animal Food Safety & Regulatory Intern - Summer

ABOUT POET

At POET, it is our mission to be good stewards of the Earth by converting renewable resources to energy and other valuable goods as effectively as humanly possible. For over thirty-five years, our drive and passion to change the world has enabled us to become the largest producer and marketer of bioethanol and a leader in sustainable products in the world.

We're all on the same team. We always communicate. And we park our egos at the door. These aren't just slogans on our walls. It's the way we do things  provide an environment for team members to maintain a healthy work-life balance. It's the best way to optimize health, wellness, and productivity in a sustainable way. We work hard. We play hard.

We have frequent team events, volunteer efforts, and we know how to celebrate wins!

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.

Responsibilities include:

• 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.

The POET Never Satisfied Internship openings are for Summer 2027. We post Internships in early September with the intention of having interns selected by November 1st.

You are currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Agricultural Science, Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, Agricultural Communications, Agricultural Business, or a related field. You have an interest in animal agriculture, animal nutrition, food/feed safety, quality, regulatory affairs, or agricultural…