Reopened GHFP-II Position: Innovative Financing Intern
Innovative Financing Intern
The Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact, Global Health Initiative Office of the Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Global Health, United States Agency for International Development
Location: Washington, DC/Arlington, VA | February 2016 – May 2016: Compensated 12 week Internship | INT-P5-015
The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute in partnership with Global Health Corps, GlobeMed, Management Systems International and PYXERA Global. GHFP-II is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
GHFP-II’s goal is to improve the effectiveness of USAID health programs by addressing the Agency’s immediate and emerging human capacity needs. The program seeks to accomplish this goal first through the recruitment, placement and support of diverse health professionals at the junior, mid and senior levels. These program participants include fellows, interns, corporate volunteers and Foreign Service National professionals. The program then provides substantial performance management and career development support to participants, including annual working planning assistance, and ensures that professional development opportunities are available.
Looking to the future, GHFP-II also seeks to establish a pool of highly-qualified global health professionals that will ensure the Agency’s ongoing technical leadership and effectiveness. This objective is supported by an extensive outreach program that brings global health opportunities and specialized career advice to a diverse range of interested individuals, with a particular focus on those underrepresented in the field of global health.
BACKGROUND
The Innovative Financing Intern (Intern) will be assigned to the Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact (CII) within the Global Health Bureau (GH). USAID has a long-standing record of success in the development, introduction and scale-up of high-impact health products and interventions in the developing world, yet working in these markets presents a variety of challenges. With myriad life-saving health technologies readily available in the 21st century, too few are accessible to people of disease-burdened, low-income countries. Those health technologies and interventions that do reach the last mile in places like sub-Saharan Africa often take years-even decades-to get there. Because successful product development and introduction requires viable public and private markets with clear pathways to achieve scale, the Agency must rely on cutting-edge thinking to push boundaries and address formidable barriers to adoption-from regulatory inefficiencies and market failures, to limited user-demand and supply chain hurdles-which, all too often, prevent innovative technologies from reaching those most in need.
To tackle these challenges, USAID established a center of excellence in the GH to accelerate the development, introduction and scale up of priority global health interventions. In this role, CII promotes and reinforces innovative, business-minded approaches and solutions to accelerate impact against some of the world’s most important health challenges, convening private sector experts and academic thoughts leaders to inform our thinking. The Center’s work falls into three main categories: 1) identifying state of the art practices; 2) catalyzing innovation and partnerships (such as through Grand Challenges for Development); and 3) supporting the rapid introduction of, and access to, key interventions.
INTRODUCTION
The Innovative Financing Intern will support the Center to apply business-minded and private sector approaches to the work of GH. In partnership with technical advisors, the Center develops innovative financing mechanisms to increase access to life-saving commodities, mobilize private capital, or improve the sustainability of USAID’s health programs.
As a member of the Center, the Intern will assist with the creation of innovative financing tools and mechanisms within GH. The Intern will also support the continued rollout of the Financing Framework for Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths (EPCMD). The Financing Framework considers how and when identified symptoms within the health ecosystem may be evidence of an underlying financing issue, and provides guidance on the solutions and tools available to address them. The tool is a learning resource for USAID and partners to demonstrate the potential value of sustainable financing tools by linking them to USAID’s global health and transition goals.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Gaining experience in the application of private sector approaches to include financing tools in global health.
• Gaining a greater understanding of increasing access to life-saving commodities and the Financing Framework for EPCMD.
• Deepening skills in collaboration and coordination within a complex organizational and implementation structure.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
• Assisting with conceptual development for innovating financing mechanisms in global health (i.e., development impact bonds).
• Assisting with capacity building activities, such as the dissemination of evidence, best practices, and tools on innovative financing.
• Developing an online database of contracts, tools and educational materials to catalyze the use of innovative financing solutions at USAID.
• Writing and editing case studies for the Financing Framework and User’s Guide.
• Participating in meetings and events with internal and external partners focused on the creation and deployment of innovative financing tools.
• Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on organizational and programming need and/or the Intern’s own interests.
QUALIFICATIONS
• Currently enrolled master’s or other post-bachelor’s degree candidate in a program related to business and/or public health and/or public policy (MBA, MPH, MPP, etc); or completion of such within the past 12 months.
• Experience in innovative financing. global health and/or international development preferred.
• Exceptional analytical and communication (written and verbal) skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with people of varied professional, cultural, and educational backgrounds.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, including ability to think strategically, operate independently, self-motivate, be flexible, and set and achieve ambitious targets.
• Ability to work effectively in high-pressure situations, juggle multiple tasks simultaneously, problem solve in a fast-paced environment and set priorities.
• Detail-oriented with strong organization skills.
• High level of proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
• US citizenship or US permanent residency required.
COMPENSATION
$1,690 bi-weekly (exempt, salaried position).
TO APPLY
Detailed information, including an online application and instructions, is available on our website at https://www.ghfp.net/
Applicants who applied previously have been given consideration and need not re-apply.
All online applications must be submitted by January 19, 2016 by 5:00 pm Eastern time.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA Employer.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA Employer.
