Select Sires Member Cooperative (SSMC) Internship Program 2026

At Select Sires Member Cooperative (SSMC), we support our team, cattle producers and their local communities. We value teamwork, collaboration, expanding knowledge and advancing success. We are committed to expanding knowledge and providing professional development opportunities for our team. This promise ensures the highest quality service to our member-owners while enhancing our team’s growth and experience. To sustain a growing and challenged team, SSMC offers internships to students interested in genetics and/or reproduction to provide exposure to the next generation of employees. We utilize professional development opportunities such as Predictive Index Talent Optimization, New Employee Orientation and Select University to expose interns to internal programs as well as professional development during the internship. SSMC seeks highly motivated students looking to broaden their understanding of the modern dairy and beef industries. Students will work with a cross section of the staff to be exposed to many aspects of the business and further develop their individual artificial insemination knowledge, skill and sales opportunity awareness.

Select Sires Member Cooperative is excited to open the summer 2026 internship application portal. There will be multiple interns selected throughout SSMC’s 27 state territory.

In areas with summer breeding programs and dense cow populations, an Artificial Insemination (A.I.) Technician internship may also be offered. This A.I. internship program focuses on developing the skills to successfully breed and manage a technician service route. Students will be participating in A.I. training, semen handling, reproductive trouble shooting and management of the daily technician route. This program is focused at least 80% of the time on the responsibilities of daily A.I. technician service. Extended and weekend hours as well as serving almost exclusively in a farm setting is expected for this program. There will be less exposure to other facets of the cooperative's business.

Artificial Insemination (A.I.) Technician Internship Opportunities:

Participate in all aspects of the SSMC Artificial Insemination (A.I.) Technician program. This may include active involvement and learning in the following areas:

• A.I. Systems in Dairy or Beef - Technician Services for Large Herds, Daily Call In Service for Smaller Herds, Anatomy, Physiology, A.I. Technique, Timing of Insemination, Estrous Detection, Synchronization, Tail Chalking, Semen Handling Protocols, Care and Maintenance of Semen Tanks, Semen and Product Inventory, Route Management, Client Service, etc.

• Sales Services- Team Account Management, Inventory Management

• Reproductive Solutions - Understanding Genetics and Genomics, Date Utilization to Better Serve Member-Owner Herds

• Cow/Calf Monitoring – CowManager System Needs Assessment and Proposal Selling, Installation, Support, Utilization in A.I. Programs

• Online Learning – Complete assigned learning modules on the internal career development website

Artificial Insemination (A.I.) Technician Logistics:

• Location: Most likely locations Arizona, California, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, North Central Texas, Washington.

• Availability: 12 weeks, from May 18, 2026 to August 7, 2026, full-time (or the equivalent of a 40-hour work week depending upon departmental work and assigned supervisor’s schedule).

• Compensation: Intern will be paid a monthly stipend on a bi-weekly basis or daily wage dependent up position.

• Transportation: Intern must provide his/her own transportation. Travel will be required including some overnight travel. All arrangements will be made by a supervisor and expenses will be paid or reimbursed to the intern.

• Must be willing to breed cows on a daily basis

• Housing: Each student is responsible for his/her own housing. 

The Sales & Service internship program focuses on exposure to the client facing positions within the cooperative. Students may be participating in daily sales routes, cold calling, product marketing, semen inventory, genetic auditing and client presentations. Travel will be required; this position does not work in an office setting regularly. Hours will vary daily, based on the responsibilities of each day. This position will be exposed to artificial insemination (A.I.) service to learn how to breed cows as this is a required skill of all our client facing field personnel. Interns will assist in record keeping, sanitation, inventory recording and product delivery for the service area they are assigned. Extended and weekend hours as well as working almost daily in a farm setting is expected for this program.

Sales & Service Internship Opportunities:

Participate in all aspects of SSMC field programs. This may include active involvement and learning with the following teams:

• Sales Representation - Account Management, Needs Discovery, Solution Selling, Client Service, Inventory Management

• Reproductive Solutions - Performance Analysis, Consultation, Recommendations

• Genetic Consultation - Breeding Strategies, Genetic Selection, Mating Systems, Genomic Testing

• Cow/Calf Monitoring – CowManager System Needs Assessment and Proposal Selling, Installation, Support.

• A.I. Systems in Dairy or Beef - Technician Services, Estrous Detection, Semen Handling, etc.

• Online Learning – Complete assigned learning modules on the internal career development website

Sales & Service Internship Logistics:

• Location: Intern can work in any of the five service areas, see map below.

• Availability: 12 weeks, from May 18, 2026 to August 7, 2026, full-time (or the equivalent of a 40-hour work week depending upon departmental work and assigned supervisor’s schedule).

• Compensation: Intern will be paid a monthly stipend on a bi-weekly basis or daily wage dependent up position.

• Transportation: Intern must provide his/her own transportation. Travel will be required including some overnight travel. All arrangements will be made by a supervisor and expenses will be paid or reimbursed to the intern.

• Housing: Each student is responsible for his/her own housing. 

Please click to view the Select Sires Member Cooperative Service Map.

• Major in Dairy Science, Animal Science, Agriculture Business, Agriculture Communications or related area of study with a familiarity and passion for the dairy/beef industry

• Completed at least two semesters (quarters) of college at the start of the internship

• Consents to a background check

• Valid driver’s license

• Ability to pass a drug test

Intern applications will be evaluated on cover letter, resume, application and future plans. All applicants will be given consideration, but are not guaranteed an interview. Students chosen for an interview, will be asked to participate in a virtual interview with a committee to include a member of the executive management team, area business director, plus additional staff members. A minimum of five students will be offered an opportunity for the summer of 2026. Orientation for all Sales & Service interns will be the week of May 18, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. Artificial Insemination (A.I.) Technician interns may or may not participate in orientation based on the breeding project and area needs.