Business Development Associate - Summer 2021

Summer Associate – 2021 (Business Development)

The Kaizen Company (Kaizen) is an international development consulting firm and an incubator for innovative, scalable solutions that address emerging market challenges and opportunities. We aspire to transform the nature and impact of international development and work to strengthen organizations and institutions through innovative approaches to organizational development, reform, and change. Kaizen is currently seeking undergraduate and graduate students to join our dynamic team as Associates (interns) for Summer 2021. Associates are given the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to all aspects of Kaizen’s work and seamlessly integrate in our collegial culture. Kaizen Associates are important members of our teams with room to grow in an initiative-driven workspace.

This internship is best suited for undergraduate or graduate students interested in entering the field of international development. The internship comes with a modest stipend. It is expected that the selected Associate will work a minimum of 40 hours per week in the Summer, beginning on or about May 24th through the end of August. Associates will have the opportunity to work remotely, from any virtual location with reliable internet.

Responsibilities:

• Engage with practical approaches to complex international development issues around the world.
• Gain practical understandings of business development processes through participation in many aspects of proposal development for new projects, including recruitment, compliance management, technical project design, and budgeting.
• Support the business development team in capture/positioning, proposal development, and business development knowledge management.
• Contribute to the research and development of new, innovative service offerings.
• Learn the basic principles of multi-donor project management through on-the-job and formal training related to Kaizen’s active USAID, Department of State, and other contracts.
• Apply and test strategic thinking to the development of systems and processes on a rapidly growing business development team.

The ideal candidate:

• Is an entrepreneurial self-starter, and works well without excessive supervision.
• Has previous professional experience, ideally working in consulting, management, organizational reform, research, grant-writing, or international development.
• Is interested in entering the field of development assistance.
• Has strong research skills.
• Has strong attention to detail.
• Can prioritize and manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Is currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program (required).

If you are interested in this position and have most or all of the desired qualifications, please submit a CV, a cover letter explaining key qualifications and availability, and the names and contact information for 3 references (professional and/or academic).

At The Kaizen Company, we find strength in our diversity. We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive working environment in which everyone has an equal opportunity to fulfill their potential. We know that we can only do development differently if we are open to and inclusive of new and unique perspectives. We encourage candidates of all abilities, ages, gender identities and expressions, national origins, races and ethnicities, religious beliefs, and sexual orientations to apply. Further, we urge parents and non-parents, married and unmarried, those from different or non-traditional educational backgrounds, and persons of all other diverse identities or experiences to apply. The Kaizen Company is an equal opportunity employer.