Summer Internship in Scientific, Regulatory and Nutrition Affairs

Location: Rosemont, IL (Hybrid; In-office 3 days/week)

Duration: Summer 2026 (June 2 – August 7 OR June 9 – August 14)

Weekly Hours: 35 | Monday – Friday from 8:30-4:30 with 1 hour unpaid for lunch

Compensation: $18 per hour

Additional Details:

• Interns do not receive medical/dental benefits or paid time off
• DMI does not reimburse for travel to/from the internship or provide summer housing/a summer housing stipend
• To be eligible for consideration, candidates must currently possess unrestricted authorization to work in the United States. DMI does not intend to sponsor work visas for this position or to provide this position as OPT or CPT.

Accepting applications through March 1, 2026.

About Us:  Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s nearly 28,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. DMI works with state and regional promotion organizations to implement these programs across the country. 

DMI offers a robust internship experience where you can put classroom theory into practice in a professional, friendly business environment. The internship is designed to enhance your educational background and provide an opportunity to build a professional network while gaining valuable experience in a dynamic industry.

Overview:

The Dairy community’s commitment to health and wellness has a broad vision to provide consumers with the nutritious dairy foods they want in a way that is relevant to their lifestyle, needs and values.

National Dairy Council (NDC) is recruiting for a summer internship in Scientific, Nutrition and Regulatory Affairs. NDC’s internship is a paid, 10-week long position designed to support emerging leaders in health and wellness develop their skills and gain meaningful professional experience in the areas of nutrition science translation, education, communication and regulation. The NDC intern will work within a dynamic, cross-functional team to educate diverse groups of stakeholders on the science of dairy’s contributions to health and wellness. The NDC intern will gain a deep understanding of the role dairy foods play in health, wellness and sustainable nutrition and will identify future areas for research, education and engagement for the dairy industry. The intern will be exposed to a variety of career development opportunities, including agriculture/farming/food production, leadership, personal branding, social media and other career enhancing workshops, trainings and opportunities.

The intern will work under the umbrella of the Scientific, Regulatory and Nutrition Affairs team. This impressive, multidisciplinary team is made up of registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) and scientists who are dairy subject matter experts and passionate thought leaders in their respective fields.  

Internship focus areas include:

• Health and wellness
• Science translation
• Nutrition education
• Sustainable nutrition
• School nutrition
• Nutrition communications
• Dietary guidance
• Authoritative professional organizations
• Food and nutrition regulations

• Additional nutrition-focused competencies required by applicant’s academic program will be met on a project- by-project basis

Key accountabilities:

Projects will involve working within a cross-functional team to build trust in dairy's contributions to health, wellness and sustainable nutrition. Examples of key roles and responsibilities for the incoming NDC intern includes:

• Supporting the creation of evidence-based nutrition communication and educational materials for health and wellness professionals
• Developing presentations and resources related to health, wellness and/or sustainable nutrition
• Conducting literature reviews on nutrition and health-related research topics
• Providing support for NDC presence at key food and nutrition conferences
• Leading, developing and delivering a final presentation on a relevant issue or area related to dairy nutrition, health and wellness

Specific projects will be assigned based on the priorities above and the candidate’s professional and developmental interests.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Pursuing a degree (Bachelor of Science or graduate degree) in Dietetics, Nutrition, Food Systems or health related major
• Experience in nutrition, public health, food systems or global health
• Experience in nutrition communications including for social media, educational resource development, professional presentation development
• Excellent writing and communication skills

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Knowledge of nutrition and food systems-related issues, especially as they impact vulnerable communities, public health and the agriculture sector
• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong communication/writing skills
• Self-motivated with the ability to work, exercise sound judgment, and make decisions independently
• Competency in leadership, facilitation, negotiation and teamwork
• Competency in Microsoft programs including Word, PowerPoint and Excel

Application process: 

All applicants will be asked to submit each of the following: 1) a cover letter that shares why the NDC Summer Internship is your program of choice, 2) a recent resume and 3) 1-2 work samples* (see below for more information). Applications that do not include all of the above components will be omitted from consideration.

*Work Samples: Please include 1-2 work samples that showcase your communication or education capabilities, and/or include a link to a professional portfolio. Add these examples to your resume or cover letter.

Application deadline and next steps:

Applications will be accepted through March 1, 2026, and eligible, finalist, candidates will be invited for a phone and zoom interview.  We regret it is not possible to communicate with candidates except those who most closely match our requirements.

Dairy Management Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, gender, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits

Interns do not receive medical/dental benefits or paid time off.