Food Initiative Internship

The Rockefeller Foundation leverages science, innovation, and technology to empower vulnerable families locked out of prosperity to improve their lives and prospects. We invest in solutions in the areas of health, food, power, and economic mobility, and forge partnerships to bring those solutions to scale around the world.

The Rockefeller Foundation is expanding its regenerative school meals to 100M learners globally. The goal is to improve meal quality, improve climate resilience, and build a global movement to advance school meal programs.

The Rockefeller Foundation is seeking an intern for our food team at the Africa Regional Office. The internship is open to Kenya-based candidates who combine solid academic credentials with curiosity, creativity, and passion for social impact.

We value our Interns and want to invest in and mentor future leaders who will grow personally and professionally and create an impact in the philanthropic sector. As an Intern at The Rockefeller Foundation, you will have the chance to contribute to our initiatives by engaging in meaningful work assignments.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The Intern will learn how to develop innovative solutions to improve nutrition security in resource-poor settings through cross-sector and multidisciplinary approaches involving nutrition, renewable energy, agriculture, business, environmental science, information technology, data science, and other fields.

Specifically, the intern will

• Support the Foundation’s work of advancing a more nourishing and sustainable food system through the use of innovative breakthroughs in science and technology and cross-sector engagement.
• Review and synthesize literature in finance, school meals, clean cooking agribusiness value chains, and supply chain innovations to inform decision-making.
• Assist the Food team in designing, implementing, and maintaining the Foundation’s new programs on nourishing regenerative school meals and further engagement with grantees.
• Providing technical support to initiative staff, grantees, and partners in Monitoring Evaluation, Research & Learning.
• Capture notes and clear next steps during the Food team’s engagement with potential in the areas of food system transformation, energy access, and poverty reduction.
• Participate in field visits to current and prospective grantees and synthesize field trip reports.
• Assisting in any other roles as assigned by the Foundation.

Education, Experience, and Skills

• Currently enrolled in a graduate program in one of the following areas: global health, nutrition, epidemiology, agricultural economics, business, entrepreneurship, environmental science, or related field Interest or experience working in the nonprofit sector.
• Strong research and analytical capabilities; able to think strategically about opportunities to advance The Foundation’s policy and advocacy work around energy access and poverty reduction.
• Strong writing and editing skills in technical and scientific areas; strong attention to detail.
• Dexterity with large data sets and capabilities to interpret qualitative and quantitative data.
• Collaborative, innovative, eager to learn, and interested in how Foundations create and execute strategies working alongside partners.
• Must be a proactive self-starter.
• Able to multi-task and work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be authorized to work in Kenya.
• A team player with self-drive in providing solutions to demanding tasks with tight deadlines.
• A strategic problem-solver, capable of steering cross-functional collaborations and producing high-quality deliverables.
• Strong communication skills.

Qualifications and Competencies

• Bias for Action: Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Communicates Effectively: Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Decision Quality: Makes good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Plans and Aligns: Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Values Differences: Recognizes the value of different perspectives and commits to inclusion, equity, and diversity in every aspect of work.

About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at http://rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn.

As an organization, we focus on six values to advance our culture and continue our success. We are dedicated to being Transparent, Optimistic, Accountable, Collaborative, Trusted, and Equitable. We operate from a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in everything that we do. It is not only the right thing to do – we could not make an impact without our team members’ diverse perspectives and experiences. We expect all employees at the Foundation to contribute by developing their unique perspectives and talent, challenging conventional wisdom through evidence and reason, and amplifying marginalized voices.