IDB. Research Intern in State Effectiveness, Public Sector Reform, and Institutional Capacity

Inter-American Development Bank

Washington (District of Columbia)

On-site

USD 36,000 - 58,000

Full time

11 days ago

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Job summary

The IDB Group invites active graduate students in public policy, economics, or related fields to join as an Intern Consultant in Washington, D.C. for a two-month period (Jan 16–Mar 15, 2027).

The role focuses on state effectiveness and institutional capacity, with responsibilities including literature reviews, data gathering, and drafting knowledge products. This paid internship offers exposure to public sector reform and governance research within the Institutions for Development Department

Qualifications

Active graduate student in a relevant field with graduation after the internship period.
Fluency in English; working knowledge of Spanish, French, or Portuguese is a plus.
Learn continuously, collaborate and share knowledge, focus on clients, communicate and influence, innovate and try new things.
Soft skills include time management, collaboration, motivation and strong communication.
Proficiency in literature reviews, qualitative/quantitative analysis, and data collection; MS Office is required.

Responsibilities

Support institutional capacity activities within the State Division on literature reviews.
Collect and organize qualitative and quantitative evidence on governance and public sector reform in Guatemala.
Assist in drafting policy briefs, background papers, data summaries, and benchmarking exercises.
Contribute to the Concept Note, outline, and draft sections of the publication.
Prepare presentations, figures, tables, and references for internal/external use.

Skills

Learn continuously

Collaborate and share knowledge

Focus on clients

Communicate and influence

Innovate and try new things

Education

Active graduate student in Public Policy / Public Administration / Economics / Political Science / International Development

Tools

Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

IDB. Research Intern in State Effectiveness, Public Sector Reform, and Institutional Capacity Job Description IDB. Research Intern in State Effectiveness, Public Sector Reform, and Institutional Capacity City: Washington DC Company: IDB Posting End Date: 9/25/2026 11:59 PM EST

We improve lives

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

The IDB Group is looking for an active Master's or Ph.D student to be hired as an intern under the Consultant modality.

The 2027 Winter Internship Program is a competitive paid opportunity, based in Headquarters, for university students from member countries to learn about development work and corporate management of the Bank, and to acquire work experience at the professional level through on-the-job learning.

What you’ll do

The selected intern will support the Institutional Capacity of the State Division (ICS) within the Institutions for Development Department (IFD) in the preparation of a knowledge publication on State Effectiveness and Institutional Capacity in Guatemala and will have the following responsibilities:

Conduct literature reviews on state effectiveness, state capability, governance, public sector reform, and institutional capacity.
Collect, organize, and systematize qualitative and quantitative evidence related to public sector performance and institutional reform in Guatemala.
Support the preparation of analytical products, including policy briefs, background papers, data summaries, and benchmarking exercises.
Contribute to the development of the publication’s Concept Note, detailed outline, and draft sections.
Support the preparation of presentations, figures, tables, references, and other knowledge products for internal and external audiences.

What you’ll need

Education: An active graduate student (master’s or Ph.D.) in: Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics, Political Science, International Development, Public Management, Governance or related fields from an accredited University. The graduation date should be after the Internship period.
Languages: FluencyinEnglishwith a working knowledgeofone other Bank language (Spanish, French, or Portuguese) is a plus.
Key Skills: Learn continuously, collaborate and share knowledge, focus on clients, communicate and influence, innovate and try new things.
Soft Skills: Result-driven, collaborative, innovative, client-oriented, strong communicator, self-motivated, eager to learn, and excellent time management skills.
Technical skills: Demonstrated knowledge of literature review methodologies, qualitative and quantitative analysis, public policy analysis, academic and professional writing, and data collection and organization. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) is required. Previous experience supporting the preparation of analytical reports, research publications, discussion papers, or policy briefs is highly desirable.

Requirements

Citizenship: Be a national of an IDB member country.
Active student: Enrolled in a graduate (master’s or Ph.D.) program as of the starting date of the internship program. The graduation date should be after the Internship period.
Consanguinity: Not have family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB or IDB Invest.
First job at the IDB Group: Be a first-time participant in an Internship Program held by the Bank or Inter-American Investment Corporation (“Corporation” also known as “IDB Invest”). In addition, you have not been a former staff member, Complementary Workforce (“CW”), contractor for the Bank or the Corporation, or have previously provided services to the Bank or the Corporation through a contractor or under any other contractual modality.

Notes

Academic transcripts and university letters should be issued within the last threemonths.
For graduatestudentsa minimum of 50% of coursework must be completedwhenapplying.
You must be available to work full-time (40 hoursper week) fromJanuary 16thto March 15th, 2027. These dates are fixed and cannot bemodified. Interns must complete their assignments within this period.
If you are an international student in the U.S.A., your work authorization is through CPT or OPT. Consult your school advisor before applying.You must be able to work40 hoursperweek, many international students are limited to working part-time, depending on their academic standing.

Type of contract and duration

Type of contract: Intern Consultant
Length of contract: Two (2) months
Dates of the contract: January 16th to March 15th, 2027
Location: Washington, D.C. – United States of America

*Internship dates may be adjusted slightly to accommodate holidays.

Our culture

At the IDB, we work so everyone brings their best and authentic selves to work while finding their purpose. Our people consistently strive for excellence, and we recognize and celebrate the impact of their contributions.

In our efforts to drive innovation, we intentionally include all voices, cultivate a sense of belonging and champion fairness. We welcome individuals from underrepresented groups to join us and share their unique perspectives.

We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations to participate in the job interview process. If you require an accommodation to complete this application, please email us at accommodations@iadb.org .

About the IDB Group

The IDB Group, composed of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), IDB Invest, and the IDB Lab offers flexible financing solutions to its member countries to finance economic and social development through lending and grants to public and private entities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

About IDB

We work to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through financial and technical support for countries working to reduce poverty and inequality, we help improve health and education and advance infrastructure. Our aim is to achieve development in a sustainable, climate-friendly way. With a history dating back to 1959, today we are the leading source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. We provide loans, grants, and technicalassistance;and weconduct extensive research. Wemaintaina strong commitment to achieving measurable results and the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability.

About IDB Invest

IDB Invest, a member of the IDB Group, is a multilateral development bank committed to promoting the economic development of its member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean through the private sector. IDB Invest finances sustainable companies and projects to achieve financial results and maximize economic, social, and environmental development in the region. With a portfolio of $14.1 billion in asset management and 325 clients in 25 countries, IDB Invest provides innovative financial solutions and advisory services that meet the needs of its clients in a variety of industries.

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