Agronomy/Seed Sales Intern

Northern Partners Cooperative (NPC), a farmer-owned cooperative serving the Bureau and La Salle County area in North Central Illinois , is looking for 2024 Spring/Summer Interns. Our interns will have a hands-on opportunity to connect classroom learning to the field while discovering a potential career path at the local co-op. All interns will receive the appropriate training for the duties assigned. Must participate in safety training and meetings. At all times, interns must strictly follow all safety guidelines and procedures.

Essential Functions:

1. Operations: Assist in general scouting, weed identification, insect identification, and disease identification for corn and beans. Learn and utilize Climate© as a scouting tool for customers. Assist with any SeedLink operations (flipping boxes, returns, painting, etc.). (30%)
2. Trial Maintenance: Performs root worm trials; checked weekly to find the root worm beetle pressure in bean fields following corn. Takes notes on SeedLink plots, population counts of hybrids, notes on diseases by hybrids, along with other hybrid characteristics. Check-ins on other NPC trials as well. (25%)
3. Safety: Follows all safety procedures and reports any incidences that could compromise the safety integrity of Northern Partners Cooperative. Maintains a safe working environment and promotes safety amongst customers and employees. If any unsafe working conditions arise, notifies Seed Sales Specialist or Seed Division Manager immediately. (20%)
4. Customer Service: Projects a positive attitude to co-workers and customers always. Provides outstanding and courteous customer service. Promotes the business with existing and potential customers. (10%)
5. Locational Duties: Keeps the Seed Sales Specialist or Seed Division Manager informed of operational, customer, vendors, or employee issues that may arise. Assists in keeping all inside and outside work areas extremely neat and orderly. (10%)
6. Other duties as assigned. (5%)

Qualifications:

1. Must be a currently enrolled college student with interest in careers in agriculture.
2. Major in an agriculture-related field required; coursework in plant/soil science preferred for sales positions.
3. Ag background, knowledge and/or work experience is required.

Compensation:

Interns are as paid, temporary employees through a designated staffing agency and are paid with an overtime rate for hours worked over 40 hours. The duration of internships is mid-May to early August. Start date may be earlier in the spring if intern is available.

Deadline:

Deadline to apply is 12/31/2023. Apply online at www.northernpartners.net/employment