Summer Internship Program

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) Summer Internship Program offers one undergraduate or recent graduate firsthand experience with the association’s efforts to advocate on dairy policy with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and federal officials in regulatory agencies. The selected candidate will work in Washington, D.C., to support IDFA’s efforts on regulatory and legislative activities.

Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Intern (3-month summer internship)

IDFA will begin accepting applications in the fall of 2021 for the summer internship of 2022.

All applications and supporting material must be submitted either by email to hsoubra@idfa.org or by mail to Heather Soubra, IDFA, 1250 H Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20005.

Position Qualifications

Degree: Bachelor level students or recent graduates with a major related to business, political science, international affairs, agriculture, the food and beverage industry or a related field.
Citizenship: Must be authorized to work in the United States

Students must be currently enrolled in a BS/BA program with a major related to business, political science, international affairs, agriculture, the food and beverage industry or a related field.

Qualified candidates should possess an interest in the political process or government affairs. Candidates should also have strong researching skills and writing abilities; creative problem solving skills; a careful attention to detail; and the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Candidates must work well in a team environment and possess strong overall computer skills, particularly in Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Selection is based on student credentials, interview results and the matching of student's skills to available openings. This is a PAID internship opportunity.

Position Description

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with the International Dairy Foods Association legislative and regulatory affairs teams in Washington, D.C., assisting with projects, events and research. Tasks that may be required to perform include but are not limited to:

1. Interact with external audiences, including other trade associations, federal agencies and Capitol Hill to maintain/develop relationships
2. Represent IDFA at relevant meetings and political events
3. Facilitate meeting/conference scheduling
4. Draft correspondence and assist with various administrative duties
5. Research and track key legislative and regulatory issues
6. Complete various tasks associated with key dairy issues
7. Attend relevant hearings or agency meetings, when appropriate, and provide written summaries
8. Assist with communications in the form of relevant one pagers, talking points and presentations
9. Participate in Hill and agency outreach and coalition meetings with IDFA team
10. Plan an intern luncheon/dinner/happy hour/outing for other D.C. food and agriculture industry interns

“We are pleased to provide an exceptional learning opportunity to a potential future leader in the dairy industry and offer an inside look into dairy policy development and regulations in Washington,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “We welcome an outstanding student with an interest in food and agriculture policy to work alongside our subject matter experts to experience the legislative and regulatory process from a front-row seat.”

“For students interested in policy or regulations, or even jumpstarting a career in dairy, I highly recommend applying for this internship,” said Cary Frye, IDFA senior vice president of regulatory affairs. “After Rylee Sterrett participated as IDFA’s first summer intern in the program, she was hired at Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. and was promoted recently to corporate quality assurance coordinator. It’s a great first step on the path to a dairy future.”

To learn more about the internship and to apply, students may contact Heather Soubra, IDFA chief of staff, at hsoubra@idfa.org or (202) 220-3551.