Position Summary
Program/Project/Initiative Summary:
The Global Communications Team at IPA plays a vital role in translating and disseminating research and evidence generated by the organization. Our goal is to influence debates in international development and inform decision-making, ultimately improving the lives of people living in poverty.
To do so, we create communications materials and share IPA’s research and
policy achievements with internal and external audiences (of staff, researchers, donors, funders, policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders) via several communications channels, including our website, internal and external newsletters, social media, and more.
Position Summary:
At IPA, we are dedicated to improving lives through research and evidence. We offer year-round internship opportunities for bachelor’s and master’s degree students and recent graduates to support our mission. As an intern, you will gain hands-on professional experience in a global organization. This paid internship program provides a chance to work remotely for up to 20 hours per week, offering flexibility and convenience. Interns can also choose to work in person from our Washington, DC or New York City offices.
IPA’s research spans multiple countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and multiple sectors (learn more here), providing a unique opportunity to collaborate with a diverse set of colleagues located worldwide. During this internship, you will support and amplify colleagues’ work by contributing to a robust and engaging external-facing brand and communications presence for IPA.
Responsibilities
● Ensuring the IPA website is up-to-date with our sectors’ and country offices’ latest achievements by posting and updating event pages, staff profiles, and other web pages as needed to support colleagues’ research and policy dissemination efforts.
● Contributing to IPA website improvement efforts, for example by supporting website updates related to IPA’s 20th anniversary, end-of-year fundraising campaign, “People of IPA” blog series, and other major communications efforts in Fall 2023.
● Helping organize and maintain IPA’s Comms Resources library to equip IPA staff with the communications tools and resources they need to engage in research and policy dissemination work. This includes helping organize and maintain IPA’s photo library and identify photos (from IPA’s photo library and/or Creative Commons sources) for usage in IPA communications products.
● Providing other day-to-day support for communications projects as needed and depending on skill set and interest (for example, if the candidate has specific skills or interest in graphic design, email design, desktop publishing, and/or similar areas). Potential examples include helping improve our templates for newsletters, event invitations, and/or other communications products to incorporate feedback from IPA
sector and country office staff on layout and usability.
Qualifications
● Currently pursuing or a recent graduate with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in communications, marketing, web design/web development, social sciences, international development, or a similar field
● Experience maintaining/administering a website content management system (WordPress, Squarespace, Drupal, or another CMS)
● A strong eye for design and presentation, particularly on the web
● Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (particularly Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator) and/or other graphic design software is a plus
● Resourcefulness and ability to maintain flexibility and a good sense of humor when faced with technical errors or challenges
● Excellent communication skills, with the ability to read, write, and understand complex information in a clear and concise manner, with close attention to detail and accuracy
● Interest in the development sector and a passion for making a positive impact in the lives of people living in poverty
● Excellent organizational skills and the ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines
● Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a diverse team environment
● Availability to work during business hours on U.S. East Coast time (between 9 am-5 pm), though there is flexibility to work some hours outside of business hours, depending on the intern’s academic schedule and/or other commitments
We welcome applications from students or recent graduates from diverse academic and cultural backgrounds who are motivated to learn, grow, and contribute to our mission of improving lives through research and evidence in the international development field.
Compensation
This internship provides a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience working on a highly collaborative, fast-paced communications team. By the end of the internship, the Communications and Website Intern will have gained tangible experience working on projects involving a complex Drupal website content management system and a variety of other marketing and communications products (as listed above), with the goal to support the intern’s professional development toward a future career in digital marketing and communications within the nonprofit and international development sectors. This internship also provides the opportunity for the intern—either virtually or in-person, if based in our Washington, DC or New York City offices—to learn from colleagues’ expertise in communications, research, and policy, and gain exposure to the day-to-day workings of a large, complex, and truly global research and policy nonprofit organization.
We value your contributions and offer a competitive pay rate of $17.00/hour for your dedicated work. Throughout the internship, our team is committed to your growth and development. You will receive guidance and mentorship to enhance your professional skills and understanding of
the international development sector.
About IPA
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 900 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.
IPA's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)
As an organization, IPA is dedicated to improving the lives of the world's most vulnerable populations through evidence and policy. We also recognize how important it is for our staff to reflect the diversity of the places where we work and the communities we work with. As such, IPA is committed to hiring from a diverse pool of candidates, from a range of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. We know that this makes our work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those we work with and for and we encourage people from historically underrepresented groups to apply. Click here to learn more about IPA’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Reports to
Communications Specialist
Desired Start Date
August 15, 2023 (flexible)
End Date
December 15, 2023 (flexible)
Location
Remote (DC, NYC, Eastern Time Zone strongly preferred)
Innovations for Poverty Action is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected class. IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org or via phone at 1-202-386-6200. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the specified position. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs@poverty-action.org. Please note that only qualified applicants will be contacted by the hiring manager
