Overview

WWF Overview  

For 60 years, WWF has worked to help people and nature thrive. As one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, WWF works in more than 100 countries, connecting cutting-edge conservation science with the collective power of our partners in the field – more than one million supporters in the United States and five million globally, as well as partnerships with communities, companies, and governments.  

Our vision for diversity, equity and inclusion at WWF is an organization as diverse as the world we protect; where the richness of all our unique views, experiences, and backgrounds combines to create the most sustainable and inclusive conservation outcomes possible — bringing the greatest benefit to the planet and every person who lives on it.  

Across the many cultures and individuals that represent WWF, we are unified by one mission, one brand, and one common set of values: Courage, Respect, Integrity, and Collaboration. 

BRIDGE – Building Relationships, Inclusivity, Diversity, Growth, and Excellence 

WWF’s diversity-focused internship program, BRIDGE, aims to recruit professionals early in their careers who bring fresh thinking and innovation to the environmental and conservation sector and are well positioned to develop into the next generation of leaders. Our mission is to increase exposure of students from underrepresented populations to conservation and environmental careers, provide professional development opportunities, reduce the barriers to attracting a diverse pool of internship candidates, and develop a pipeline for future WWF hires from underrepresented populations. 

Position Summary 

The Senior Director of Innovation Start-Ups on the Markets Institute team is often taking broad ideas identified by the team and digging into them where appropriate to develop new business models and new business strategies across food and agriculture that are environmentally sustainable, socially impactful, and financially profitable so they can happen quickly and at scale. However, many of these ideas begin as just a few thoughts and need further vetting to determine which should become full-fledged projects. This internship will provide the chance to dig into a variety of food and agriculture topics and ultimately provide research, guidance, and advice on which should move forward for full support by the Markets Institute.  

Here are a few example topics but we are currently updating this list so exact topics and number of topics will be updated and then ultimately co-determined with the intern to reflect the intern’s areas of interest and experience, WWF needs and interest, and how much information is even available for each idea. 

Some identified topics for 2024 include:

Innovative ways to make agricultural infrastructure and value-added processing more environmentally sustainable through new systems, new energy sources, integration with stranded assets, or other possibilities.
New materials for packaging to reduce plastic use and/or innovative ways to make use of plastic waste for new products.
Use of big data to predict consumer preferences for groceries/food companies to help reduce waste at farm level.
An analysis of new businesses that are likely to develop due to climate change.
Mycoremediation possibilities and use cases.
As an offshoot of an existing project, as large-scale agriculture shifts out of California, what will happen to the Central Valley and other farming areas? What could we proactively consider to build something environmentally sustainable and economically supportive?
Consumer carbon footprints around food choices and if/how consumers would make decisions based on this.
Can a market for leather from invasive species be created for luxury brands to replace current exotic leathers? What would be the cost and population needs?

Responsibilities

The exact list of tasks and responsibilities will vary depending on which areas of focus (and how many) are chosen and will be crafted in partnership with intern(s) to ensure a positive experience for everyone. However, some tasks and responsibilities may include: 

Surveying and analyzing existing data available on a topic. Identifying research needs and potential. Identifying stakeholders, partners, and existing innovation happening in the space.

Determining if a topic has the potential for large-scale impact at an environmental and social level, what those impacts might be, and what else needs to be answered, if anything, to make those determinations.

Completing feasibility analyses of new project areas, including the above but also if it has the potential to be financially profitable

Exploring ‘what’s coming next’ and what the next generation of possibilities might be.

Reading and reviewing papers, reports, and articles. Speaking to experts and synthesizing information.

Writing summary reports to share project findings.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:  

Pursuing an Associate’s or Bachelor’s program. Those studying outside these areas are still highly encouraged to apply. Must be an actively enrolled student and not received degree at time of internship start date (June 17, 2024). 
Strong research skills 
Interest in food, agriculture and/or sustainability
Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: 

COURAGE – We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home. 
INTEGRITY – We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve. 
RESPECT – We honor the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future. 
COLLABORATION – We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation. 

Preferred Qualifications:  

Some background in science, engineering, or finance 

Learning Outcomes 

Understanding of role of innovation and market principles in driving sustainability 
Understanding of how to examine alignment of environmental, social, and financial goals 
Practical research skills 
Experience connecting research to decision making and actionable results 
Greater understanding of food and agriculture systems through an environmental lens 

WWF interns will be provided a set of professional development opportunities, aimed at increasing their exposure to conservation and sustainability careers. This includes: 

Development discussions with their manager; 
Up to two online courses through Cornell University’s eCornell program; 
Speed mentoring with different WWF teams; 
Opportunity to present their work to intern peers and WWF staff; 
Session on resume and interviewing best practices. 

Interns will also have access to an array of networking opportunities. This includes meetings with WWF’s CEO, the senior management team, Employee Resource Groups, and representatives from other departments.  

Location: 

US-DC-Washington OR US Remote – WWF employs interns in all states with the exception of: Alabama, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Wyoming. 

Compensation: 

Paid - $17 per hour (full-time, 35 hours per week) 

Internship Dates: 

Internship will run from June 17, 2024 to August 23, 2024