Impossible Foods Launches 2021 Internship Program

• Impossible Foods is launching its 2021 summer internship program today by posting 26 open roles, ranging from R&D to Communications

• The highly selective program gets thousands of applications from students and new graduates -- and the leading environmental startup has an excellent track record for converting the most successful interns to full-time, permanent hires

• 2021 internships include telecommuting and hybrid roles; several are on site in the company’s global R&D center in the San Francisco Bay Area

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Impossible Foods is launching its 2021 summer internship program today by posting openings for 26 roles across the company, from R&D to Communications.

Impossible Foods’ internship program is one of the most purpose-driven programs in Silicon Valley, giving students and graduates the opportunity to make a direct impact on the world’s most pressing environmental issues. The company receives thousands of applications from students, new graduates, and young leaders from around the world. 

Already considered the world’s No. 1 environmental startup, Impossible Foods’ mission is to reverse global warming and halt the world’s catastrophic biodiversity collapse by creating a mainstream, mass-market, consumer movement to eliminate among the most destructive technologies in human history: animal agriculture. The company’s flagship Impossible™ Burger has already started to displace sales of animal-derived foods, whose production is one of the biggest generators of greenhouse gas emissions and the leading driver of the global meltdown in wildlife.

"Impossible Foods is where the world’s most creative thinkers -- including undergrads, new grads and post-docs -- can help solve the biggest problems facing humanity and our planet,” said Dr. Pat O. Brown, CEO and Founder of Impossible Foods. “Some brilliant, subversive and inspirational ideas have come from Impossible Foods interns, and their fresh perspective and risk tolerance reinforce our company’s unique values and culture.”

The application process is open through the end of March. Internships begin in mid-June. The summer 2021 intern cohort will include 100% telecommuting and hybrid positions; numerous R&D roles will be on site in the company’s R&D center in the San Francisco Bay Area. All positions are paid at competitive hourly rates.

Impossible Foods is focused on recruiting diverse talent and hiring interns that represent the communities they serve. The program aims to build a strong, inclusive culture, where innovation can flourish.   

Interested applicants can view the job descriptions and apply here. 

Interns in the pipeline

Impossible Foods’ first official summer internship program was in 2018, when 18 interns from an applicant pool of more than 1,500 people took on high-impact work to change the global food system. As Impossible Foods rocketed to one of the hottest brands in America, the number of applicants has surged every year since.

The internship program has become a significant pipeline for talent; nearly one in four Impossible Foods interns since 2018 have become full-time, permanent employees after their 10-week internships. The 2020 intern cohort had an even greater rate of conversion to permanent employees; half of the most recent interns converted to permanent roles, with a wide range of benefits, including stock options.

In addition to solving the world’s most pressing environmental challenge, interns participate in career and community-building activities including a Community Service Day with other interns; “Lunch & Learns” with senior executives; mentorship meetings; weekly All Hands meetings with the entire company; and other events. All interns are assigned a mentor to support and inspire them throughout the summer.

“We have high expectations of our interns, who go through the same rigorous application process as any prospective hire,” said Kae Saechin, R&D Recruiting Manager and head of the internship program at Impossible Foods. “And our interns have very high job satisfaction: They establish close bonds with others in their cohort and throughout the company at large. It’s a lot of work and even more fun.”

All Science No Bull

About half of the 2021 internships are in R&D. These internships are in addition to a year-long push to double the size of the company’s R&D team, which currently has about 50 immediate openings. 

The recruiting team is also looking to fill 10 roles as part of the all-new “Impossible Investigator program” -- a high-impact alternative to traditional academic faculty positions. These roles represent an unprecedented opportunity for scientists who want the facilities, resources and innovative environment to create an entirely new technology platform to replace animals as our technology for turning plants into meat, fish and dairy foods.

For details, check out Impossible Foods’ R&D recruiting site, allsciencenobull.com.

About Impossible Foods:

Based in California’s Silicon Valley, Impossible Foods makes delicious, nutritious meat and dairy products — with a much smaller environmental footprint than meat from animals. The privately held company was founded in 2011 by Patrick O. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at Stanford University and a former Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Investors include Khosla Ventures, Bill Gates, Google Ventures, Horizons Ventures, UBS, Viking Global Investors, Temasek, Sailing Capital, and Open Philanthropy Project.

Press kit: (www.impossiblefoods.com/media)

Media Contact: Keely Sulprizio (pr@impossiblefoods.com)

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