About Search for Common Ground
In a world often divided, Search for Common Ground stands for the power of bringing diverse people together to find solutions. By meeting this moment with Search, you join a powerful global peace movement that believes in the profound impact of courageous multipartiality – that all voices should be heard and respected in shaping a better, more connected world and collaborative vision is essential for lasting peace.
From our founding during the Cold War to our programming today we are 800 peacebuilders in 36 countries. We work with 34 million people in conflict every year. Search for Common Ground takes a dynamic approach by building solutions that are based on the needs of communities. We engage with leaders and elected officials to advance dialogue and collaboration. We are community leaders. We are youth activists. We are women. We are Peacebuilders. We have been doing this work for over 40 years, we have developed our understanding of what peace looks like, being able to quantify our impact and design more effective programming. Peace moves at the speed of trust, so we invest for the long haul. When we’re no longer needed, we leave, leaving behind people and institutions with the ability to manage future conflicts.
Position Summary
Search for Common Ground’s Africa Program Development Hub is seeking program development interns who will support the team in the design of programs and successful proposals that will contribute to building peace and transforming conflict across the African continent.
The interns will join a high-performing, diverse and dynamic team based across Europe, the US, East and West Africa, who are passionate about designing impactful programs for a portfolio that covers the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, the Great Lakes, the Horn of Africa and the Sudans, in over 15 countries.
Program development commences with scoping and pre-positioning for potential funding opportunities, and completes with the signing of a project award. Interns will have the opportunity to be involved in the different stages of program development, from contributing to developing fundraising strategies for the different conflict geographies and countries in the region, to proposal writing, and engaging with institutional donors and partners. Each intern will be assigned a conflict geography within the region, but may be requested to support other geographies within the Africa portfolio.
**Please note that this internship is based in Kenya (Mombasa office or remote) or Nigeria (Abuja office or remote)**
Responsibilities
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- Assist with the development of grant proposals, including but not limited to writing proposal narratives, developing theories of change, articulating program activities, drafting logical frameworks, and copy-editing.
- Contribute to the development of up-to-date and accurate context statements through rigorous desk research.
- Support the development of fundraising strategies.
- Analyze calls for proposals and support the team’s pre-positioning efforts.
- Edit English (and/or French) proposals and communications materials for clarity and precision.
- Attend conferences and policy meetings, representing the team.
- Backstop the Africa Program Development Hub and our country offices overseas on a range of logistical and administrative tasks.
Qualifications
Essential:
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- Degree in a relevant subject.
- Strong writing, editing, and communication skills in English.
- Demonstrable interest in and knowledge of peacebuilding or international development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- A self-starting, detail-oriented, and flexible approach to tasks.
- Ability to handle multiple tasks and tight deadlines.
- Excellent attention to detail.
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Desirable:
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- Proficiency in French.
- Other languages (Portuguese, Somali) are an asset.
- Experience working at a non-governmental organization/non-profit or similar environment.
- Practical experience in program design.
- International experience, preferably in developing countries.
How To Apply:
Please send a resume, cover letter, and a one-page writing sample in English.
The deadline to apply is April 14, 2024.
This position requires a commitment of no less than 20 hours a week for six months, ideally starting on June 1, 2024.
Undergraduates (juniors and seniors), graduate students, and recent graduates are welcome to apply.
Interns will receive modest stipends in line with local pay regulations.
Search is an equal employment employer whereby we do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information or any other status or characteristic protected under applicable law.
As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities.
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Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please. Please see our website www.sfcg.org for full details of our work. All Search Employees must adhere to the values: Collaboration- Audacity – Tenacity – Empathy – Results. In accordance with these values, Search enforces compliance with the Code of Conduct and related policies on Anti Workplace Harassment, Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Conflict of Interest, and Anti-fraud. Search is committed to safeguarding the interests, rights, and well-being of children, youth, and vulnerable adults with whom it is in contact and to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for children, youth, and vulnerable adults. Search for Common Ground does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. View our code of conduct here and our privacy policy here.