Cities4Forests Research Intern

About the Program:

Cities4Forests is a cross-programmatic effort – including WRI’s Water, Forests, and Cities programs – that aims to catalyze political, social, and economic support among city governments and urban citizens to integrate inner, nearby, and faraway forests into city development plans and programs. Participants share an aspiration to help reduce deforestation, restore forests and trees, and manage forests more sustainably. Cities4Forests’ goal is to amplify current best practices and extend the deliberate city-forest relationship to the global scale on which cities and forests interact. It is a voluntary coalition involving mayors’ offices— and supported by other subnational agencies such as public water utilities and offices of sustainability—from around the world. Cities4Forests encourages peer-to-peer inspiration and learning, and members receive technical support from institutions with expertise in forests, climate change, water, communications, finance, and policy.

**Job Highlight:
**
The intern will work with a team of Cities4Forests and natural infrastructure experts on an ongoing client engagement to identify all of the NBS projects for disaster risk mitigation, climate adaptation, food and water security, and boosting community resilience in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Through desktop literature review and interviews with key project developers in the region, the intern shall contribute to building a project database of NBS projects.

The intern’s role will be three-fold:

(1) identify NBS projects in the region and

(2) analyze the enabling conditions, barriers to finance, capacity constraints, and legal challenges. Research will be a combination of desktop research, partner outreach, and a series of interviews key NBS project developers and governments. All inputs will be catalogued in an excel project database.

(3) Other engagements: occasionally engage with the broader Natural Infrastructure team, to help advance new funding opportunities and project communications across our portfolio

This position is fully remote.

What you will do:

Internship Learning Outcomes:

The intern will work with a team of Cities4Forests and natural infrastructure experts on an ongoing client engagement to identify all of the NBS projects for disaster risk mitigation, climate adaptation, food and water security, and boosting community resilience in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. Through desktop literature review and interviews with key project developers in the region, the intern shall contribute to building a project database of NBS projects. This internship has the potential for a summer extension which may be University sponsored.

The intern’s role will be three-fold:

(1) identify NBS projects in the region and

(2) analyze the enabling conditions, barriers to finance, capacity constraints, and legal challenges. Research will be a combination of desktop research, partner outreach, and a series of interviews key NBS project developers and governments. All inputs will be catalogued in an excel project database.

(3) Other engagements: occasionally engage with the broader Natural Infrastructure team, to help advance new funding opportunities and project communications across our portfolio.Only use technical competency/skills-based duties that relate to the job duties.

What you will need:

• Education: Current or recent graduate in a college program;

• Experience:

  • Strong excel and data management skills
  • Experience or demonstrated interest in conservation finance · Background and interest in environmental management and integrated water resources management, experience with flood risk management a plus but not required
  • Excellent research skills, with attention to detail and quality of source material
  • Experience and/or interest in engaging with and government, financial, and civil society sectors
  • Ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner ·

• Languages: English

• Requirements: Existing U.S work authorization is required this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization. Candidates have to be located in the U.S for the entirety of their internship.

Compensation

The pay range for this internship opportunity is between $16-20/hour, commensurate with qualifications.

Duration and Location

• This is a part-time, 6-months internship with flexible start and end dates based on the student’s availability and needs for the project.
• This is a remote-based internship with the option to work out of the Washington D.C. office once it reopens.
• WRI will provide a laptop for the duration of your internship.

What we offer:

• A competitive salary
• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US.
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work.
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI.
• Long-term commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
• Generous leave days increase with tenure.

**How to Apply:
**
Please submit a resume and cover letter. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

About Us: Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.

Our culture: WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.