Operations

Discover advanced opportunities.

Having access to state-of-the-art plant facilities provides our emerging Operations professionals with a wealth of knowledge and opportunity. These fast-paced plants are powered by collaboration, passion and a shared commitment to our vision of nourishing the world. As part of our team, your work will touch countless lives through the families and communities you help feed. You will also get the support and inspiration you need to choose your own path in developing an exciting career with global impact.

Operations Internships

Learn before you leap.

As an Operations intern, you’ll develop the skills needed to solve complex challenges across several business functions. By shadowing plant teams and departments, including Risk and Talent Management, Reliability Excellence, Operational and Capital Efficiency, and Continuous Improvement, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of Operations. By working on meaningful projects in the heart of a plant environment, you’ll gain knowledge and confidence that you can carry into your impactful leadership role. Many past interns have gone on to build successful careers as associates. We present you with a variety of paths, where you take your career in Operations is entirely up to you. 

Full-Time Associate Roles in Operations

Develop in Operations.

Your career as an Operations Associate will immerse you in the workflow of plant operations, where every component is crucial. As a result, our success is tied directly to your development. During your time here, the path your training takes will be entirely up to you and may include: 

• Operations
• Environmental, Health and Safety Leadership
• Engineering/Maintenance
• Accounting
• Continuous Improvement
• Human Resources/Talent Management/Employee Relations

The experience gained in Operations will unlock exciting opportunities wherever you want to be. Previous participants have found success as Plant Managers, Environmental Health and Safety Specialists, Supply Chain Professionals, and more. Explore your passions, contribute to successful teams, and begin your impactful career in Operations.

Plant Work Environment

Experience leads to opportunity.

The best way to learn our business is through experience, and that’s exactly what you’ll get by participating in this program. You’ll learn on the job in a fast-paced and productive environment that prepares you for what comes next. We also provide incentives such as relocation assistance, which gives you the opportunity to be placed anywhere across our vast North American network. We feature two different types of plant facilities, each with their own unique environments and roles. Learn about the differences between Grain Facilities and Protein Production Facilities plants and envision yourself in one:

Grain Facilities: When you join one of our Grain Facilities you will get a little dirty and dusty. That’s because these are boots-on-the-ground facilities where you spend 60% of your time outdoors. Here you’ll learn elevator operations and eventually lead a small team. It is sometimes challenging work, but always rewarding.

Protein Production Facilities: Your time at a Protein Facility will keep you fresh and on your toes, as you’ll find yourself constantly in different temperatures depending on your rotation or task. It can be cold, hot, wet and even a little messy at times. It can also be a grind, as several locations work 8 to10-hour shifts and even 6-day weeks depending on customer demand. It takes a team effort, but this dedication and responsibility to co-workers, customers and animals is integral. It’s all part of the process, and your work in these facilities will be vital to our mission of nourishing the world.

Example of Production Role: Production Associate

Learn the job while on the job.

One of the key roles you may find yourself in upon joining our operations department is a Production Associate. As part of the Grain Operations Management Training Program, you will be on the ground floor as you lead a team in the day-to-day activities of plant operations at a grain handling facility. This encompasses a wide range of duties, beginning with the time the commodity comes off the farmer’s truck until it is shipped on a rail, barge, truck or vessel. You will take on the responsibility of leading a team in daily operations to ensure they maximize efficiencies, plan logistics, learning to manage grain inventory and develop customer service solutions.

As an Operations Management Associate, you will complete the New Supervisor Development Program, an up to 18-month training program for new Supervisors and Managers that is designed to help prepare you for your career in Operations leadership.

An agricultural background is not required to be successful on our team – we are looking for intangibles such as leadership, putting people first, communication and grit. During your time as an Associate, you will be exposed to a variety of tasks that you will eventually lead throughout the elevator. You could be flipping lids on a train or barge one day, then measuring bins the next and planning budgets the day after that.

The Associate Program lasts approximately 12-18 months, with most Associates transitioning to a full-time Supervisor role around that time. Upon becoming Supervisor, you will have the opportunity to relocate to a different facility where you’ll apply your skills and value in an exciting new environment.  

Protein Production Facility Projects

Important roles with impactful work.

Projects at our production facilities vary based upon their needs. Every project makes a long-lasting impact on our team members, customers or both – making jobs easier and more efficient and generating value for our customers. Every project aligns with our leadership’s expectations for bringing the outside in (being strategic and a systems thinker), energizing for high performance (putting people first) and executing exceptional results (being agile, resilient, decisive and results driven).

Below are some examples of Production Facilities projects:

• Complete Continuous Improvement projects already identified and recognized. Bring forward potential improvements to increase safety/food safety, efficiency and profitability.
• Manage all phases of a small project at the plant.
• Inventory and catalog all IT Equipment at facility.
• Build Excel spreadsheets to accurately calculate/measure product inventory at facility.
• Prepare all facilities for upcoming changes in critical policy.
• Ensure accuracy of Standard Operating Procedures and Lockout Tagout Procedures.
• Create customer-facing presentations that describe the facility, its capability and its end users to help them understand our overall business and how the plant fits into the business strategy.

Operations Career Path

Follow your path to success.

Preferred Majors

What we’re looking for

Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Education, Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering, Agriculture Systems Management, Animal Science, Business, Feed Science, Grain Science, Mechanized Systems Management, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or a related degree.