USG Award Support Intern (unpaid)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

IRC INTERNSHIP TITLE: USG Award Support Intern (unpaid)

DEPARTMENT: U.S. Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration (RAI)

TEAM: Resource Acquisition and Management (RAM)

LOCATION: Remote

START DATE: September/October 2026

DURATION: 5-6 months, 10-15 hours per week

SUPERVISED BY: Deputy Director and Post-Award Program Officer

The IRC is one of the leading providers of high-quality programming for refugees, immigrants and asylees. The IRC Resettlement, Asylum and Integration (RAI) network creates opportunities for refugees and other vulnerable migrants to survive and thrive in the United States and in Europe. The IRC RAI network currently has 28 US offices.

The IRC is committed to developing innovative, context-specific programs in response to strategic funding opportunities with a range of local, state and federal government agencies, as well as private foundations and corporations. This work is led by the RAI Resource Acquisition and Management (RAM) team, in close collaboration with RAI Regional and Program Excellence units as well as the IRC Global Awards Management Unit and Finance and Budget departments.

The RAI Resource Acquisition and Management (RAM) team stewards a diverse and growing portfolio of public and private awards, including federal and state grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and private philanthropic funding. The RAM Post-Award team stewards a portfolio of approximately 100 federal awards, providing high-level post-award oversight, cultivating donor relationships, and coordinating cross-functional support across program teams, technical units, and other HQ support functions.

The USG Award Support Intern will provide crucial support to the RAI USG grant portfolio at a high-volume time of year. Needed support will include report review and submission; scheduling key award management meetings for both start-up and closeout; inputting and analyzing financial and other data; monitoring spending and programmatic indicators; maintaining grant documentation; and supporting cross-team coordination throughout the federal award lifecycle.
 

SCOPE OF SERVICE:

With oversight from the Deputy Director and Post-Award Program Officer, the USG Award Support Intern will play a central role in supporting post-award management activities across the RAI network. This internship will receive mentorship and guidance from experienced professionals and participate in activities designed for educational development. The intern will assist with grant reporting, data tracking, and administrative coordination to learn about federal award management processes, best practices in compliance, and effective nonprofit award administration. The role will support coordination of federal report reviews for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and Department of Justice (DOJ). The role focuses on administrative and organizational tasks to ensure a high-quality, detail-oriented, data-driven, and efficient review process across multiple offices nationwide and provides exposure to federal grant processes and cross-office coordination across the U.S., with an emphasis on developing effective project management skills.
 

IMPACT:

The USG Award Support Intern will expand the team’s capacity to manage critical grant deadlines, maintain accurate documentation and compliance, and coordinate timely reporting, supporting a national network of 28 U.S. offices serving refugees, immigrants, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable populations.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

The intern will gain knowledge about the federal award lifecycle, including award start-up, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and closeout processes. The intern will deepen knowledge in grant administration, compliance, and project coordination and best practices related to federal post-award management and donor reporting. The intern will gain skills in data analysis, document quality assurance, project tracking, and professional communication used to support effective grants management and cross-functional collaboration.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

• Start of Fiscal Year:  

  • Support with grant Opening Meetings for Survivors of Torture (SOT) federal awards beginning in September (approx. 4 ORR grants)  

• End of Fiscal Year:  

  • Support with Grant Closing procedures for federal awards ending in September (approx. 20 ORR grants) by:  

• Organizing files in IRC database and filing systems

• Reviewing SF425 Federal Financial Forms and entering spend-down data into internal Federal Award Tracker   

• Creating Cover Pages to be submitted along with final reports to federal donors  

• Conducting thorough quality assurance reviews of final reports prior to formal submission  

• Other duties:  

  • Attend weekly Resource Acquisition and Management (RAM) team meetings   

  • Conduct strategic analysis of closing awards by comparing outcomes and spending across program years; present findings and lessons learned at conclusion of internship  

This internship is intended to compliment academic coursework and may qualify for academic credit, depending on university requirements.

TRAINING ACTIVITIES:

Observation Participation in team meetings Guided assignments Supervised practice

DESIRED SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong interest in public administration, grants management, or federal programs   

• BA or MA in related field (Government Affairs, International Relations, Nonprofit Management) 

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail   

• Clear and professional written communication   

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines at once  

• Familiarity with Microsoft Office and file-sharing platforms (e.g., Box)   

TIME COMMITMENT:

This internship is structured for educational benefit and professional development. It does not constitute an employment relationship or guarantee future employment.

• This internship is fully virtual, the intern must use their own laptop/equipment

• Intern must have a workspace where they can effectively complete their service from during regularly scheduled service hours

• 10 - 15 hours per week of availability; at least half of hours must be between the hours of 9am-5pm PST, Monday-Friday for the duration of the semester or service commitment

• Onboarding and ongoing trainings are required to align with the IRC Way & organizational policies to safeguard our clients and programs.

• Must show up on-time, reliably and consistently

ELIGIBILITY & ONBOARDING REQUIREMENTS:

• Interns must be located in the U.S. during the duration of the internship.

• All positions are contingent upon clearing an IRC background check through HireRight before service.

• Review and sign IRC intern policy documents and commitment paperwork.

• IRC onboarding and training:

  • IRC Way, Every Day

  • RAI Safety and Security

  • Fundamentals of Safeguarding

  • Information Security Awareness Training

  • Additional quarterly organizational trainings

• Program-specific training:

  • IRC RAM Orientation

  • Introduction to RAM team

  • Role-specific training

Interested applicants should apply online including a resume, cover letter, and a short writing sample (a blog post or similar writing you have done in the past) as a PDF. Applications will be reviewed, and, if selected, candidates will be contacted for an interview.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

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