(Remote) Intern, WES Fund

Hourly rate: $23.00

Launched in 2019, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund (the Fund) is a philanthropic initiative aimed at catalyzing economic inclusion, opportunities, and mobility for immigrants and refugees in the U.S. and Canada. Through grantmaking, impact investing, partnerships, and field-building, the Fund supports efforts to build inclusive economies and ensure all immigrants and refugees can achieve their aspirations and thrive. To date, the Fund has supported more than 50 grantee and investee partners in both U.S. and Canada, who share our commitment to building inclusive, equitable economies where all immigrants and refugees can thrive. Ensuring that immigrant and refugee workers can access good jobs and advance in their careers requires a range of solutions and approaches. Our partners bring expertise in workforce training and adult education; immigrant and refugee integration; innovation and social finance; worker organizing; financial inclusion and community wealth-building; policy development and advocacy; and much more. Read more about our work here.

WES is looking for an intern to support the WES Mariam Assefa Fund. The Intern will have a mix of research, analysis, and team coordination responsibilities, which may evolve over the course of the semester as the Fund’s activities and operations continue to expand in 2022-23. They will report to the Associate Director, Canadian Strategy & Programs, and will also support the Fund’s Program Managers in Canada. They will collaborate with other members of the WES team in Canada and the US, as well as with other colleagues at the broader WES Social Impact team, who are involved in research and knowledge management activities. This role will provide an exciting opportunity to gain exposure to multiple areas of program strategy and operations in an innovative philanthropic organization. The internship will run from September through December 2022, with the possibility to extend through Winter 2022-Spring 2023. The position will be based remotely. 

Duties included but not limited to:

1) Research and Ideas Sourcing

Conduct literature reviews on key research topics related to the Fund’s Canada strategy and grantmaking approaches, such as employer practices for recruiting and retaining immigrant and refugee workers, worker organizing and collective ownership, best practices in philanthropy, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and more, and researching common trends or themes regionally and nationally.
Work with other team members to coordinate, compile and disseminate the WES Fund Weekly Review email update and Monthly Partner Newsletter, sourcing relevant news and articles, events and partner updates to share with key stakeholders in the WES Fund network.
Collect and compile data and statistics around the Fund’s topics of interest such as the immigrant-serving sector, labour gaps, etc. to continue developing the team’s statistical database.
2) Team Coordination and Other Ad-hoc Support

Support planning and preparations for key virtual internal meetings and events, including presentations to the WES Board and meetings with WES staff.
Help to conceptualize and design virtual workshops and trainings, including grantee working sessions and other key meetings with external partners by generating reference materials, summaries and copy-editing content.
Assist the Canada Fund team with preparations for, organizing and conducting regular meetings with grantee partners, including compiling and/or updating contact information and compiling meeting notes.
Develop story ideas, interview questions, and draft copy for the WES Fund’s Insights blog.
Provide administrative support to the Associate Director, Canadian Strategy & Programs and Canada Program Managers, as needed.
The Ideal Candidate will:

An action-oriented person who is a self-starter and can work independently, as well as in teams.
Have a deep-rooted intellectual curiosity and openness to diverse ideas and perspectives.
Thrive in an environment that values transparency, collaboration, and an orientation for results.
Bring a “can-do” attitude and have a willingness to stretch up and down in their role.
Build informal working relationships, quickly establish credibility in new areas of work, and mobilize people at all levels towards collaborative goals (including more senior colleagues and external partners).
Requirements:

Current candidate and/or recent graduate from a public policy, international relations, economics, business, and/or other relevant graduate program.
At least 1-2 years of professional experience focusing on workforce development, immigration, refugee resettlement, economic development, and/or social sector consulting.
Awareness of and interest in the philanthropic sector.
Ability to research, synthesize and integrate disparate pieces of data, analysis, and information.
Demonstrated analytical skills to break down complex problems into component parts and frame trade-offs in decision-making.
Track record of delivering high-quality, accurate work in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent written and oral communication skills to convey complex information appropriately to stakeholders with different backgrounds and needs.
Fluency in English required; ability to speak additional global language preferred.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
 AODA Statement: WES Canada is committed to providing accommodation for persons with disabilities. If you require accommodation, please advise Human Resources and we will work with you to meet your needs.