Intern, Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative Fellowship Program (NEW)
Who We Are
At IREX we strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world—where individuals reach their full potential, governments serve their people and communities thrive.
But around the globe, persistent poverty, repression, and injustice prevent too many people form achieving their full potential. To address these problems, we focus on people, not on vaccines, roads, or wells. We support individuals and institutions to create change in their own communities—and to create person to person bridges between nations.
IREX works with partners in more than 100 countries in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.
IREX seeks a full-time intern for its Leadership Practice to provide programmatic support for the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program. This program connects entrepreneurs from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada with U.S.-based businesses, start-ups, and organizations for a six-week fellowship. The intern will contribute to the assigned program in areas of administration, stakeholder communication, research, internal report preparation, and logistics management for an in-person fellowship program. This position provides support to the Fellow Support component of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program, including recruiting and selecting prospective fellows, administrative, operational, logistical tasks, and other program activities.
The intern may carry out additional duties and tasks to meet the needs of the organization, team, or as assigned by supervisor. Other duties may be assigned as needed to support program operations, logistics, and/or event planning.
The intern will be expected to work full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week) for six months from mid-November 2023 until mid-May 2024. This is a hybrid position, but the intern should be based in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. Additionally, the intern must be available for the following in-person time periods:
Pre-fellowship preparations in IREX’s offices in downtown Washington, D.C. two weeks of February
Travel with the team to Houston, TX first week of March for Opening Orientation event (flight and lodging covered by program)
Closing Forum preparations and event in Washington, D.C. area two weeks of April
We are doers. Our decades of on-the-ground experience help us create greater impact, practical recommendations, and lasting partnerships.
Are you the next member of our team?
Your Background & Skills
Experience or interest in entrepreneurship programming, leadership development, and international education or exchange
Strong written and oral communication skills
Ability to work well on a team, including eliciting and incorporating input, supporting collaborative tasks, and providing respectful feedback where appropriate
Excellent interpersonal skills, including empathizing, engaging, and managing conflict
Experience working or living in a multicultural and diverse environment
Ability to multitask and prioritize in a fast-paced working environment, and remain flexible while adhering to strict deadlines
Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
Speaking, reading and writing proficiency in English required.
Familiarity with Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), as well as SharePoint and Salesforce platforms, preferred but not required
A Bachelor’s degree related to international development, international education, communication, Latin American and Caribbean studies, business, or related field preferred but not required
Experience studying, working, and/or living in Latin America or the Caribbean, preferred but not required
Knowledge of Spanish, French or Portuguese, preferred but not required
You must have unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.
Your Daily Tasks
You will be a member of a team that supports and connects entrepreneurs across the Americas and values integrity, openness, and a sense of humor;
Provide support with day-to-day administrative and logistical support for many aspects of the YLAI Fellowship;
Compile and accurately track large quantity of participant information and program data, maintaining accuracy and completeness including but not limited to tracking ongoing housing and travel logistics using tools such as SharePoint, Excel, and Salesforce;
Work with program partners and participants, including communicating program updates, answering questions, and assisting with logistics;
Contribute to the production of program deliverables, including participant materials, templates, and guides for program partners;
Support communications about the program in a clear, professional, and friendly manner. Accurately answer questions about program requirements, expectations, and timeline. Guidance before engaging external stakeholders will be provided;
Clearly communicate progress and challenges verbally and in writing to supervisor and team;
Provide input and contribute perspective to team decision-making;
With supervision, provide input to internal/external reports, presentations, and other products;
Represent IREX and Leadership Practice interests both within and outside of IREX;
Develop and share goals for professional growth with your supervisor and work together to identify opportunities for development and advancement;
Other duties as assigned
IREX will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008.
Successful candidates are subject to background screenings
This position is eligible for Telework.
This position is not ineligible for Immigration Sponsorship
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE
EOE – Equal Opportunity Employer
We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity.
All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. AA/EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled