Project: The Economic Recovery & Development in Poland started its operations in February 2022, when the IRC launched an emergency response to the escalation of the war in Ukraine, working directly and with local partners to reach those most in need. In Poland, the IRC delivers Economic Support, Education, and Protection programming to Ukrainian refugees and Polish host communities. In Warsaw and Katowice, the IRC delivers Economic Recovery & Development (ERD) programming to support refugees in gaining access to quality labor market integration services. A team of 10 professionals provides emergency cash assistance, and livelihood support (access to decent employment and self-employment opportunities) in cooperation with the private sector to secure more long-term and dignified employment opportunities.
Role: The role of the Private Sector Engagement Fellow will be to conduct research on the micro-entrepreneurship ecosystem available to Ukrainian refugees in Poland, specifically in Warsaw. The PSE Fellowship will focus on two distinct areas that might be implemented in parallel (1) the desk research of the best practices of delivering services, through projects or publicly available services, supporting refugee entrepreneurs in Warsaw and (2) creating a portfolio of select stories of Ukrainian business owners supported with microenterprise development services microgrants in Warsaw that allowed them to start or scale up their business and prepare for them the communication plan.
Potential deliverables:
- Mapping of the successful projects of refugee-led businesses started or scaled up in the past two years.
- Portfolio of 20 Ukrainian business case studies
Potential travel involved: No travel will be involved for this position.
Desired Skills:
- Quantitative research
- Communication skills
- Graduate studies with a focus on social science and communication
- Experience in working with NGOs and social impact projects
- Basic knowledge of micro-businesses
Requirements: Students must be a matriculated graduate or Ph.D. student at The New School. Fellows are hired as Research Associates by The New School.
Work Environment: This fellowship will work with the Airbel Impact Lab based in the IRC’s HQ in New York City. While this fellowship is remote, all Fellows must be physically located in the US.
Fellowship Length: This fellowship carries a maximum of 35 hours/week during the summer semester (May 20 – August 25, 2024).
How to apply: The deadline to apply is March 30, 2024. Please submit one PDF document containing a cover letter, CV/resume, and two work samples (writing and/or design portfolio – 5 pages maximum per sample) to Catherine McGahan, McGahanC@newschool.edu, and Nicole Tuszynski, tuszynsn@newschool.edu.
Interviews will be conducted in early April via Zoom.
Team: Airbel Impact Lab, Research and Innovation at the IRC. The Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying the IRC’s deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, openness and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization. Within Airbel, the Best Use of Resources team provides analysis and decision-making support to improve the cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of IRC programs.