Project: Airbel Impact Lab (Airbel) is the Research and Innovation department at the International Rescue Committee. Within Airbel, the Strategy & Delivery Team supports department-wide mechanisms to manage delivery against strategic priorities successfully, contributing to the overall impact and success of Airbel’s mission. The team is in charge of identifying opportunities to enhance cross-functional collaboration, coordination, and synergy among Airbel teams and across the broader IRC. Led by the Chief of Staff to the Chief Research and Innovation Officer (CRIO), the team ensures strategic leadership and accountability for results, taking ownership of special projects, managing governance and reporting, fostering knowledge management and sharing to enhance the visibility and efficiency of Airbel projects, and coordinating the department’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy.
Role: As the Strategic Projects Fellow, you will support the strategy and delivery of key projects across the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab. Working within the Strategy & Delivery team over the summer, you will focus on either or both of the following two projects. The first project will be focused on supporting Airbel to make major strides in leveraging AI day-to-day to improve knowledge management and automate workflows. The second project will support our practices in localizing and decolonizing aid through researching and writing actionable memos on key topics. The final project mix will be decided on with the successful candidate based on skills, experience, and interest. We encourage applicants to apply even if they only have experience or stronger interest in one of these two areas; in which case please indicate which in your application materials.
You will also have opportunities to contribute to other Airbel Impact Lab strategic planning and projects with the team. Through this role, you will gain exposure to cutting-edge solutions addressing global challenges and valuable insights into the internal workings of a leading humanitarian organization, and have the opportunity to contribute to impactful initiatives in close collaboration with senior leadership.
Potential deliverables:
Dependent on the final project mix decided on with the successful candidate:
- AI in application project: Develop and implement strategies to integrate AI tools and automation into Airbel workflows to free up staff time and enhance productivity. For instance, consider leveraging tools like Microsoft Copilot, Google AI, or Notion AI to automate and streamline the collection of project updates and key findings.
- Localizing aid project: Research and write 2 to 3 compelling, actionable, and brief memos on localizing and decolonizing aid, DEI, or similar themes agreed upon at the start of the Fellowship. This may potentially lead to an Airbel presentation or internal IRC blog post.
Potential travel involved: No travel will be involved for this position.
Desired Skills:
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including strong writing skills
- Working fluency in English is required
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a hands-on approach to problem-solving and developing potential solutions
- Interest or experience in practical workplace applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation to improve efficiency to free up staff time for creative and complex work (e.g. ChatGPT, Notion AI, etc.) AND/OR interest or experience in localization and decolonization of humanitarian aid, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
- Interest or experience in refugee and humanitarian issues
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), and a maximum of 20 hours/week during the Fall 2024 semester (August 26 – December 22, 2024). Continuation into Spring 2025 is potentially available. The ideal candidate will be able to commit to both the Summer and Fall semesters.
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. Airbel Impact Lab (Airbel) is the Research and Innovation department at the IRC. With over 70 million people displaced, the world is facing an unprecedented crisis. To address the evolving and growing nature of this crisis requires not just more aid, but new thinking. There is a lack of proven, cost-effective, scalable services for people affected by crisis. In some cases, there is a lack of evidence on what works. In others, evidence shows existing solutions are effective, but we need to find new ways of delivering them at scale in fragile states. That’s why the IRC created the Airbel Impact Lab. Our goal is to find and advance breakthrough solutions — with people and ethics at the center of all we do.