Internships

Illinois Pork Producers Seek Youth Ambassador Deadline to apply is December 31st The Illinois Pork Producers Association is seeking youth ages 18-23 to serve as the 2009 Illinois Pork Ambassador/Intern. The purpose of the Illinois Pork Ambassador/Intern Program is to provide an opportunity for a young person to serve for one year as the official youth representative of the Illinois Pork Producers Association and to work as a part of the IPPA staff during the summer. The duties of the Pork Ambassador will include: County Ambassador Program Producer Education & Checkoff Certification programs Birthing Center at IL State Fair Promotion/Consumer Information Presenting at numerous Summer Ag Institutes Applicants must be between 18 and 23 years old and exhibit strong communication and leadership skills. They must also be a member of the Illinois Pork Producers Association and have a genuine interest in the pork industry. The Illinois Pork Ambassador will be asked to work at least 35-40 hours per week during the summer and will be compensated with a $500/month living stipend and a combined scholarship of $4,500 from IPPA and the National Pork Board after successfully completing the internship. The deadline for applying is December 31, 2008. Applicants must submit a completed application form, a current resume, and a one-two page typed essay on “What I will accomplish as the Illinois Pork Ambassador/Intern?”. Applications and further information are available at www.ilpork.com.

Communications Specialist - U.S. Pork Center for Excellence

This job is with the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence which is located at Iowa State University. You must apply for this position through the Iowa State website. https://www.iastatejobs.com/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1225673216365 It is also avialable by going to www.iastate.edu clicking on Emplyers/Job Seekers for positions at Iowa State This position is responsible for communication efforts for the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence. 

The U.S. Pork Center of Excellence was established in September 2005 with the mission to add value to the pork industry by facilitating research and learning for U.S. pork producers through national collaboration.  The Communications Specialist will be responsible for implementing the communications plan for the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence (USPCE) and the Pork Information Gateway (PIG). This entails creation of materials and exhibits; writing an annual report; writing, formatting and delivering a monthly newsletter; writing numerous news releases for PIG and for the USPCE and communicating with media interested in USPCE activities; implementing the marketing plan for the USPCE and (PIG) and providing oversight on the USPCE websites. The latter includes but is not limited to providing content and formatting for both websites. This position will have responsibility for the USCPE brand.  In addition, this position is responsible for various projects and meeting planning. The U.S. Pork Center of Excellence involves research, teaching, and extension the latter of which is PIG. This component will involve working closely with the domain groups, setting up meetings, corresponding with members, etc. This position will be responsible for organizing and coordinating the resource library and its continual upgrade, coordinating the answer center and the teams for experts who will be available to answer new questions, continual supplementation to the image asset library, and the interaction with all the extension ag educators partnering program.  Due to the high level of interaction with the stakeholders and with the public, the person in this position must be personable and able to clearly communicate with people from all facets of life, from producer to faculty to the general public. Responsibilities of this position will require self motivation, and ability to work without constant supervision. This position requires adept skills in MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and MS Outlook, Adobe Creative Suite, Dreamweaver, and be a quick study in other software applications such as Cumulus.  Required Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Ag Communications, Ag Education or a related field and one year relevant communications work experience.  Perferred Qualifications: Experience with project management and meeting planning.  Familiarity with agriculture.  Working knowledge of pork production.  Familiarity with software such as the MS Office Suite as well as publishing software.  Familiarity with web based content management systems.

Regional Marketing Manager - Hot Job!

The National Pork Board is seeking a Regional Marketing Manger for the Central region (which includes Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico).

Responsibilities include: implementing pork marketing activities in his/her geographic region that will result in increased domestic expenditures for pork; the development of National Pork Board retail marketing platforms and programs; serving as the National Pork Board's representative with local retailers, packers, and marketing partners. Qualified candidates will focus on positioning and promoting pork products to effectively yield increased prices and volume purchases through value-added marketing activities, increased ad frequency, and knowledge-based initiatives. Retail managers are also responsible for communication with state pork producer associations to seek alliances and leverage their involvement in National Pork Board platforms.

Equivalent of a bachelor's degree in animal or meat science is desired, but could be waived for significant retail industry experience. Familiarity with retail meat marketing chain from producer to packer to retailer is necessary. Marketing skills, with proven ability to implement comprehensive programs, and knowledge of basic principles of category management in the meat case are required.

A minimum of 3 years experience in retail meat sales, operations, or meat marketing/merchandising is required. This person must be able to competently manage needed activities via computer and other technology vehicles as they will work from a home office. Proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to communicate effectively through written and verbal channels is necessary.

This position requires extensive travel nationally and candidates must have a valid driver's license and good driving record.

Qualified individuals should forward their cover letter, resume and salary requirements to:

hr@pork.org

The National Pork Board, an equal opportunity employer, offers an excellent benefits package and has been voted one of Central Iowa's "Best Places to Work". http://www.pork.org/NewsAndInformation/employmentOpportunities.aspx#511