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BR-2313 Agriculture and Food Business Innovation Undergraduate Intern

Overview


WWF Overview  
For 60 years, WWF has worked to help people and nature thrive. As one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, WWF works in more than 100 countries, connecting cutting-edge conservation science with the collective power of our partners in the field – more than one million supporters in the United States and five million globally, as well as partnerships with communities, companies, and governments.  
 
Our vision for diversity, equity and inclusion at WWF is an organization as diverse as the world we protect; where the richness of all our unique views, experiences, and backgrounds combines to create the most sustainable and inclusive conservation outcomes possible — bringing the greatest benefit to the planet and every person who lives on it.  
 
Across the many cultures and individuals that represent WWF, we are unified by one mission, one brand, and one common set of values: Courage, Respect, Integrity and Collaboration. 
 
BRIDGE – Building Relationships, Inclusivity, Diversity, Growth, and Excellence 
WWF’s diversity-focused internship program, BRIDGE, aims to recruit professionals early in their careers who bring fresh thinking and innovation to the environmental and conservation sector and are well positioned to develop into the next generation of leaders. Our mission is to increase exposure of students from underrepresented populations to conservation and environmental careers, provide professional development opportunities, reduce the barriers to attracting a diverse pool of internship candidates, and develop a pipeline for future WWF hires from underrepresented populations. 
 
Position Summary 
The Senior Director of Innovation Start-Ups on the Markets Institute team is often taking broad ideas identified by the team and digging into them where appropriate to develop new business models and new business strategies across food and agriculture that are environmentally sustainable, socially impactful, and financially profitable so they can happen quickly and at scale. However, many of these ideas begin as just a few thoughts and need further vetting to determine which should become full-fledged projects.  
 
This internship will provide the chance to dig into a variety of food and agriculture topics and ultimately provide research, guidance, and advice on which should move forward for full support by the Markets Institute. There are a few topics identified as key areas of focus and interest, but a new sourcing round of ideas is underway so this list will grow. Exact topics and number of topics will be co-determined with the intern to reflect the intern’s areas of interest and experience, WWF needs and interest, and how much is even available for each idea. 
 
Some identified topics for 2023 include: 
• Innovative ways to make agricultural infrastructure and value-added processing more environmentally sustainable through new systems, new energy sources, integration with stranded assets, or other possibilities. 
• Similar to above, exploring zero carbon transportation potential for agricultural products, especially more perishable ones. 
• New materials for packaging to reduce plastic use and/or innovative ways to make use of plastic waste for new products. 
• Use of big data to predict consumer preferences for groceries/food companies to help reduce waste at farm level. 
• An analysis of new businesses that are likely to develop due to climate change. 
• Mycoremediation possibilities and use cases. 
• Consumer carbon footprints around food choices and if/how consumers would make decisions based on this. 
• Could home lawns be re-purposed for food production to reduce the footprint of grass and promote biodiversity? Would this be better suited to ‘victory gardens’ or a ‘turo rental’ model? 
• Can a market for leather from invasive species be created for luxury brands to replace current exotic leathers? What would be the cost and population needs? 

Responsibilities

Internship Description: 
 
The exact list of tasks and responsibilities will vary depending on which areas of focus (and how many) are chosen and will be crafted in partnership with intern(s) to ensure a positive experience for everyone. However, some tasks and responsibilities may include: 
  • Surveying and analyzing existing data available on a topic. Identifying research needs and potential. Identifying stakeholders, partners, and existing innovation happening in the space. 
  • Determining if a topic has the potential for large-scale impact at an environmental and social level, what those impacts might be, and what else needs to be answered, if anything, to make those determinations. 
  • Completing feasibility analyses of new project areas, including the above but also if it has the potential to be financially profitable. 
  • Exploring ‘what’s coming next’ and what the next generation of possibilities might be. 
  • Reading and reviewing papers, reports, and articles. Speaking to experts and synthesizing information. 
  • Writing summary reports to share project findings. 

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:  
 
  • Must be an actively enrolled student and not received degree at time of internship start date. 
  • Pursuing an Associate’s or Bachelor’s program. 
  • Strong research skills. 
  • Interest in food, agriculture and/or sustainability. 
  • Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration:  
  • Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.  
  • Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.  
  • Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.  
  • Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.  
 
Preferred Qualifications:  
 
  • Some background in science, engineering, or finance. 
 
Learning Outcomes 
 
  • Understanding of role of innovation and market principles in driving sustainability. 
  • Understanding of how to examine alignment of environmental, social, and financial goals. 
  • Practical research skills. 
  • Experience connecting research to decision making and actionable results. 
  • Greater understanding of food and agriculture systems through an environmental lens. 
 
WWF interns will be provided a set of professional development opportunities, aimed at increasing their exposure to conservation and sustainability careers. This includes: 
 
  • Development discussions with their manager; 
  • Up to two online courses through Cornell University’s eCornell program; 
  • Speed mentoring with different WWF teams; 
  • Opportunity to present their work to intern peers and WWF staff; 
  • Session on resume and interviewing best practices. 
 
Interns will also have access to an array of networking opportunities. This includes meetings with WWF’s CEO, the senior management team, Employee Resource Groups, and representatives from other departments.  
 
Location: 
US-DC-Washington or US-Remote: WWF employs interns in all states with the exception of: Alabama, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming. 
 
Compensation: 
Paid - $17 per hour (full-time, 35 hours per week) 
Internship Dates: 
Internship will run from June 5, 2023 to August 11, 2023 
  
How to Apply: 
 
Please submit a resume & cover letter through our Careers pageRequisition# BR-2313. In your cover letter, please describe your relevant skills and experience for this position and include a discussion of 1) how you have demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and 2) what you hope to gain from the internship. 
 
If selected for the role, you will need to provide 1 letter of recommendation as part of the WWF application process.  
  
* Please note that intern must have U.S. work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa. 
 
WWF is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace and requires all US-based staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. WWF will consider requests for accommodation from the vaccine requirement based on disability, medical contraindication, sincerely held religious belief, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.  
  
As an EOE/AA employer, WWF will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status.