Intern - Organizational Growth Support

Gain professional experience in organizational governance and project coordination.

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IWMI - International Water Management Institute

Open positions at IWMI / Open positions at CGIAR
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Overview

Gain professional experience in organizational governance and project coordination.

You have:

  • Undergraduates or graduates specializing in the fields of Finance, Public Administration, Business Management, or a related area.
  • Registered or part-qualified students of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka)/Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)/Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
  • Basic understanding of project or program management principles.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
  • Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center, is seeking applications from enthusiastic students looking to gain professional experience in the areas of organizational governance, risk management, and institutional development through IWMI’s internship program. The internship will be based at IWMI’s headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Scope of internship

This internship will provide practical exposure to organizational change processes, project coordination, and strategic monitoring and reporting. The selected intern will support activities related to the implementation of IWMI’s Organizational Growth Strategy (OGS) and cross-functional coordination within the Corporate Services portfolio. During the internship period, the intern will also be able to gain insight into working with people from different countries and cultures.

The intern will assist in the following areas:

  • Support the development of various documents and materials within the scope of the internship.

  • Support the maintenance of project tracking sheets and dashboards under the supervision of the Senior Manager.

  • Assist in organizing meetings, taking minutes, and following up on action points.
  • Contribute to the preparation of PowerPoint presentations and background materials for internal and Board-level briefings.
  • Collect and compile inputs from departments and Action Area Working Groups for consolidated reporting.
  • Update tracking reports or dashboards (Smartsheet/Excel) submitted to the Senior Manager on a weekly basis.
  • Draft minutes and action logs of at least three organizational meetings.
  • Prepare PowerPoint slide decks and formatted project updates.
  • Assist in developing a monthly progress brief summarizing contributions and learning reflections.

Requirements

  • Undergraduates or graduates specializing in the fields of Finance, Public Administration, Business Management, or a related area.
  • Registered or part-qualified students of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka)/Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)/Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
  • Basic understanding of project or program management principles.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
  • Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).

Benefits

IWMI will provide a monthly stipend to the selected candidate during the internship period.

The duration of the initial internship contract will be 6 months, with the possibility of extension for another 6 months based on performance, requirements of IWMI, and the availability of funds. This is a nationally recruited internship and only Sri Lankans are eligible to apply.

To apply, visit www.iwmi.org/jobs. Applications must be submitted by 24:00 (Colombo time) on August 06, 2025 (Wednesday).

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is an international, research-for-development organization that works with governments, civil society and the private sector to solve water problems in developing countries and scale up solutions. Through partnership, IWMI combines research on the sustainable use of water and land resources, knowledge services and products with capacity strengthening, dialogue and policy analysis to support implementation of water management solutions for agriculture, ecosystems, climate change and inclusive economic growth. Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, IWMI is a CGIAR Research Center with offices in 15 countries and a global network of scientists operating in more than 55 countries. www.iwmi.org

IWMI believes that diversity powers our innovation, contributes to our excellence, and is critical for our mission. We offer a multi-cultural, multi-color, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary working environment. We are consciously creating an inclusive organization that reflects our global character and our commitment to gender equity. We, therefore, encourage applicants from all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

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Potential interview questions

Describe a time you successfully managed a project or contributed to project oversight. This question assesses your project management skills and experience. Provide details about the project scope, your role, and the outcomes achieved.
Can you give an example of how you have communicated effectively in a team setting? The interviewer wants to evaluate your communication skills and teamwork experience. Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you prioritize tasks when you have multiple deadlines to meet? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What experience do you have in using Microsoft Office, particularly Excel? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Discuss an instance where you had to adapt to a cultural difference while working with a diverse team. Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies do you use to ensure effective documentation and reporting? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you describe a challenging situation in a project and how you resolved it? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Why do you want to intern with the International Water Management Institute? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: cgiar.org