Hatchery Intern

Job Description

About the Company

Mountaire Corporation, along with its operating affiliates Mountaire Farms Inc. and Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc., collectively known as Mountaire Farms, are agricultural food production and processing companies. They are currently the fourth largest chicken company in the United States, providing competitive jobs to almost 10,000 dedicated employees. Mountaire Farms operates facilities in Arkansas, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

The company remains family-owned and is deeply committed to giving back to the communities where it operates. Mountaire’s culture is highlighted as one of its greatest strengths and most valued assets, maintaining core values and a family-focused work environment since its inception. The work environment emphasizes support, upliftment, and mutual success among peers, supervisors, and team members, embodying “the Mountaire way.” They strive to be a service to one another and to their customers, demonstrating operational excellence and outstanding performance.

Mountaire’s vision is to provide growth, stability, and opportunities for its people, customers, and communities by profitably delivering wholesome quality chicken.

Mountaire offers a comprehensive total compensation package including:
• Eight paid holidays
• Medical Plans with free onsite Health and Wellness Centers
• Dental and Vision Programs
• Employee Assistance Program for employees and their families
• Retirement Planning with 401(k)
• Profit Sharing
• Employee Discounted Chicken Sales
• Employee Discounts with various partners (e.g., car purchase, phone plans, shopping)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Numerous career development programs

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Job Description: Hatchery Intern at Mountaire Farms

Primary Purpose
As a Hatchery Intern, the main objective is to research how different incubation profiles affect hatch rates, chick quality, and broiler performance. The intern will gain hands-on experience in a large-scale hatchery, focusing on collecting and analyzing data to evaluate real-world outcomes. A key aspect of the role involves presenting findings and recommendations to leadership at the end of the summer, aiming to make a meaningful impact on future hatchery practices.

Project Highlights
The internship project will involve the following key steps:
• Define project objectives collaboratively with hatchery leadership.
• Develop a project scope of work that clearly outlines goals and methodologies.
• Collect and analyze hatchery data specifically related to various incubation profiles.
• Measure outcomes by assessing hatch rate, chick quality, and broiler performance.
• Document findings through reports and presentations.
• Share results with leadership and provide actionable recommendations.

Qualifications
Candidates for the Hatchery Intern position must meet the following criteria:
• Currently enrolled and actively pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university. A Poultry Science Major is preferred.
• Possess a valid Driver’s license.
• Successfully pass the Mountaire Motor Vehicle Record check.
• Be proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Word and Excel.
• Demonstrate ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Be self-motivated and accepting of challenges.
• Exhibit strong detail orientation.
• Be a self-starter.
• Possess an outgoing personality with a positive attitude.
• Show willingness to ask questions, learn, and engage actively with both management and the hourly workforce.
• Be dependable and capable of working early mornings.
• Exhibit good organizational skills.
• Be able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Capable of following established protocols and instructions.

Internship Program Requirements
Participants in the internship program are expected to fulfill these requirements:
• Complete the assigned project as identified by their department mentor.
• Attend weekly seminar series conducted across different Mountaire facilities.
• Be prepared for other duties as assigned.
• Travel to Delaware is mandatory during the last week of the program (August 3 to 7, 2026) for final presentations.
• All interns are required to deliver a 10-minute presentation on their project at the conclusion of the summer. These presentations will take place in Millsboro, DE, at the Administrative Building during the week of August 3rd-7th.
• The anticipated weekly schedule is 7 am – 4 pm, though this can vary based on project needs.
• Housing is available upon request.