Program Support Internship at Mercy Corps

Program Description: Mercy Corps is implementing the pilot phase of The Kenya Catalytic Jobs Fund. The Kenya Catalytic Jobs Fund is a 4-year job creation program, funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).

The program will, through a mix of technical assistance and grant support, test competitively selected innovations that have potential to unlock market constraints and create jobs, including for the most vulnerable, e.g. those living with disability.

General Position Summary: The internship will provide a unique opportunity to gain hands on experience in conducting rapid business analysis, ecosystem mapping and develop presentation decks. The intern will have an opportunity to work with a team of experienced business analysts to review hundreds of businesses and develop concise assessments.

The Intern will support the team through the following activities:

• Ecosystem mapping: Conduct desk research and map innovations focused on Agriculture/ Manufacturing, the informal sector and improving income and livelihoods for marginalized groups and geographies;
• Communication: Extensively use social media platforms to publicize the program’s funding opportunity;
• Proposal review: Review submitted proposals, score each proposal against set criteria and document review process in accordance to set fund guidelines;
• Develop pitch presentations: Work closely with the Partnership Engagement Analyst to support development of pitch presentations.

Learning Objectives

• To learn how to effectively develop concise ecosystem maps that provide a high level overview of innovators in each priority sector;
• To learn practical rapid business assessment skills including high level financial, market and impact evaluation;
• To learn how to develop concise, effective pitch decks.

At the completion of this internship, the intern will:

• Have the ability to conduct rapid business assessments including evaluating viability of business models and impact potential;
• Put into practice into use skills and knowledge on marketing and communication;
• Gain experience in making effective presentations for external audiences.

Deliverables:

• Ecosystem map of at least one priority sector
• Proposal review scoring sheets with detailed summary of recommendations
• At least 3 pitch presentation decks

Ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications:

• Recent graduate or a student in the last year of study pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in business, economics, finance or a related field;
• Proven ability to develop clean, well formatted PowerPoint presentations;
• An understanding of the principles of business evaluation;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are essential;
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks successfully;
• Must be comfortable working in a cross-cultural environment.