Plant Accounting Intern

Job Description

Year-Round Accounting Intern | Tyson Foods

The Tone:
This is a year-round, paid internship at Tyson Foods, located in Dakota City, NE. Tyson Foods is a Fortune 100 food company, and this role is situated within the plant accounting team at its multi-billion dollar flagship beef complex. This isn’t a typical internship; instead, you’ll gain real, hands-on exposure to the core financial mechanics that keep one of the largest beef operations in the country running smoothly. Your work will directly support vital functions such as cattle payments, payroll processing, and critical yield and cost analysis, which plant leadership relies on for daily decision-making, offering a true bridge into full-time Plant Accounting/Controller roles.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Year-round (up to 20 hours/week during school year, full-time during summer and school breaks)
• Location: In-person Dakota City, NE
• Team: Plant accounting team, reporting to the plant Controller and collaborating with the Beef Operations Finance team.
• Mission: This person supports the financial operations of a flagship beef complex by processing payments, assisting with payroll, and analyzing yield and cost data to inform plant leadership decisions.
• Tech Stack: Microsoft Office (Excel)

What You’ll Actually Do
• Cattle Procurement Support: Process and reconcile daily cattle payments and settlements, verifying weights and grades against contract terms, and resolve payment discrepancies with the live cattle team.
• Payroll Assistance: Assist with comprehensive data entry, validation, and reconciliation processes for both hourly and salaried team members within the plant.
• Financial Performance Analysis: Translate daily yield data into tangible plant financial performance metrics, meticulously tracking actual versus standard yield and highlighting cost variances.
• Financial Reporting Preparation: Help prepare essential weekly and monthly plant financial reporting and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) packages specifically for plant leadership’s review.
• Discrepancy Resolution: Apply problem-solving skills to conduct thorough research and resolve financial, payroll, and reporting discrepancies, ensuring accuracy across all records.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Incoming junior, senior, or graduate student with at least one semester remaining, pursuing a degree in Accounting, Finance, Agribusiness, or a related field.
• Experience: Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, is required.
• Skills: Strong numerical aptitude, keen attention to detail, and a willingness to learn plant operations.
• Bonus: Exposure to SAP systems.