Co-ops at Cargill

Imagine a co-op where you get the chance to apply knowledge gained in the classroom to a real-life environment and then multiply that tenfold. From day one, you will be a key part of the team. Co-ops are 7-8 months long, and we pride ourselves on having one of the most diverse co-op programs in the industry. During the co-op, you will tackle real challenges, cultivate your curiosity, have client exposure, enjoy both personal and team accomplishments and have your initiative acknowledged along the way. You will collaborate and build relationships with colleagues and clients who represent diverse work, culture and resolution styles. We look for people who want to grow, support, think and produce. You've got big plans. We can help you pursue them.

Position Objective

Our Engineering Co-ops work in one of our many production facilities located in communities across the United States. There, you will learn to lead production or maintenance employees, project teams, contractors or technical operations teams executing on critical initiatives and projects in a fast-paced, production environment. Although business processes vary, the design of this role provides appropriate exposure to the people management and technical components of the role.

Principle Accountabilities

Engineers begin their careers in one of many different roles within our diverse businesses including: Agricultural Supply Chain North America, Cocoa and Chocolate, Global Edible Oil Solutions North America, Industrial Specialties, Protein, Salt, Starches and Sweeteners and Texturizing Solutions. The intent of the Engineer role is to allow individuals to be exposed to the technical and management aspects of engineering, while beginning to develop an interest for longer term career aspirations.

Our Engineer Co-ops will gain experience inOperations Leadership and/or Maintenance & Reliability Engineeringrole. What lies ahead as a full time engineer could be a career path in any of the following:

• Production Management Engineers -Lead people, process, and input/product in a plant environment. They will be involved in day-to-day direct supervision of operators and production activities and participate in daily production management meetings. Engineers will learn how to comprehend and handle all aspects of government regulations and compliance programs including environmental, health, safety, maintenance, and housekeeping. Production Management Engineers typically develop teams of production employees within the first two years of their careers and have responsibility for hiring, scheduling, motivating, and handling employee relation issues. They will also be involved in process optimization, equipment and process reliability, and may run capital projects.
• Environmental Engineers -Work with various teams, processes and assets related to the effective operation of refrigeration, steam, fresh water distribution, hot water and compressed air systems in a plant environment. As well as the operation of a large scale Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) and be responsible for the programs related to environmental compliance and regulatory permitting. They will be involved in the day-to-day supervision of operators and technicians, have responsibility over their daily work and planning activities. This could include weekly maintenance, capital projects and process improvement.
• Process/Project Engineering -Responsible for business case development, vendor selection, budget management, and project management responsibilities for major projects and improvements involving process optimization, safety, quality, infrastructure, and energy use. They have heavy involvement with various innovation processes, idea generation systems, and reliability centered design, and they help implement technical initiatives driven from global Process Development Groups, Centers of Excellence, and Research & Development.
• Maintenance & Reliability Engineers –Engage teams, improve processes and utilize assets related to the effective operation of facility production to ensure downtime and repair costs are minimal. Supervise specialized teams and work activities related to runtime. Lead short and long term planning activities including weekly maintenance activities, capital projects and process improvement utilizing tools such as: Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), 5S and 5-Why to the prevention of equipment failures.

Environment

• Various plant locations across the U.S.- must be open to relocation.
• The plant environment is team based, fast-paced, and hands-on
• The culture will focus on Safety, Employee Engagement, Inclusion and Innovation
• Our plants are industrial/processing environments
• This role requires the associate to learn about the business through performing critical tasks executed within the production environment and will involve physical activity in our food, and/or grain processing facilities. This generally requires a moderate amount of physical exertion on a fairly regular basis. The work may also involve other conditions or exposures (i.e. heat, cold, grain dust, etc.).

Co-op Programming

• We offer both housing assistance and relocation reimbursement to co-ops who qualify (based on mileage).
• Day–to-day transportation to and from work is the responsibility of the co-op.
• Throughout the internship, interns and co-ops are encouraged to take part in events that will give exposure to leadership, provide development opportunities, and offer the ability to network with cross-functional interns/co-ops across the U.S.
• Co-ops who demonstrate outstanding performance and a curiosity to learn more may be offered a second internship/co-op or full-time position for the following year.
• As employees, co-ops receive access to volunteer and community outreach opportunities and paid time off to participate in volunteer activities.
• Co-ops are paid and are at least 7-8 months in duration

Your Personal Board of Directors

We want you to excel! We truly believe that combining your interpersonal skills and curiosity with a top team of professionals will be the combination needed to thrive. During your work experience, you will have three allocated resources assigned to you: university recruiter, supervisor and mentor. In addition to these individuals, you will also expand your network across our global business as you build your own network of resources to help you grow in your career.

Professional Networks

We promote a culture that celebrates differences. This is a reflection of the clients we serve and generates intellectually diverse set of employees. Our Business Resource Groups (BRGs) help us embrace our diversity, make our culture more inclusive and maximize our employees’ outstanding talents and perspectives to benefit our organization and employees.

Our U.S. Business Resource Groups include

• Asian Alliance Network
• Cargill Young Professionals Network
• Cargill Ability Network (iCAN)
• Cargill Ebony Council
• Group Responsible for Orienting and Welcoming (GROW)
• Hispanic-Latino Council
• Cargill Pride Network
• Veterans & Military Support Network
• Cargill Women’s Network

Required Qualifications

• First-years, sophomores, juniors or seniors currently pursuing a Bachelor or a Master’s degree in chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biosystems Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Mining Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Packaging or other related engineering field
• Right to work in the U.S. that is not based solely on possession of a student visa or a visa sponsored by a third-party employer
• Proven ability to work optimally with individuals from a diverse set of backgrounds and cultures
• Candidates must be geographically flexible and willing to relocate for a co-op opportunity anywhere in the U.S.
• Able to complete a 7-8 month co-op term (January – August 2023)
• Must possess a high degree of initiative and resourcefulness in completing work with limited guidance

Preferred Qualifications

• Overall 2.7 GPA preferred.
• Previous plant, production, co-op, or intern experience preferred
• Ability to relate technical knowledge to job-related duties.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems and make decisions independently.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Leadership experience

Cargill highly encourages vaccinations but does not mandate at this time. Upon hire, you will be asked to provide your vaccination status, and if unvaccinated or if you choose not to disclose, you would be expected to follow Cargill’s safety protocols for unvaccinated employees (i.e., mask mandates, and social distancing).

Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Vet.