Job Title:  Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA) Intern
Division:  Agriculture Business Development
Headquarters:  Guthrie Agricultural Center, Charleston WV
FLSA Status:  Non-Exempt

This is a paid internship opportunity through the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA) supervised by the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.

Nature of Work:
Under the direction of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, this position is responsible for the support functions of the state’s international marketing strategies.

Examples of Work:

• Recruit companies to participate in international marketing.
• Conduct market research.
• Attend education and outreach activities.
• Develop and manage SUSTA activities, activity development and management.
• Develop leads for international markets and vendors to supply the market.
• Create collateral and educational materials for the USDA Market Access Program (MAP) fund utilization.
• Other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:
Office environment; sitting, standing, walking, driving, lifting up to 25 pounds.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Basic knowledge of international marketing.
• Strong administrative skills.
• Strong customer service skills with assertiveness to accomplish goals.
• Excellent database management skills.
• Ability to gather data, compile information, and prepare reports.
• Ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies and complete weekly reporting requirements.
• Ability to interpret and analyze company’s needs and provide guidance in getting them to the right program area at SUSTA.
• Ability to maintain a positive work atmosphere by performing and communicating in a manner that gets along with members, clients, co-workers and supervisor.

Qualifications:
Education: Intern must be a “Matriculating” student; per FAS Program Notice 09-003. This consists of any of the following:

• Intern is a student working towards a degree
• Intern has started prior to mid-term of his/her final semester
• Intern is an undergraduate or a graduate student
• Intern has graduated but is allowed to stay on board for up to one year after graduation

Additional Requirements:

• Valid driver’s license is required.
• Satisfactory completion of pre-employment drug testing.
• Satisfactory completion of pre-employment law enforcement background investigation, including DMV records.
• Must maintain a positive image of the Commissioner, West Virginia Department of Agriculture, and the State of West Virginia.