2021 IDB Remote Summer Internship Program | Research Department + Behavioral Economics (RES/RES)

Background of this search:

The Behavioral Economics Group is looking for an active master’s degree or Ph.D. student OR a recent graduate (from graduate level) with studies in behavioral sciences, economics, psychology, and/or empirical methods and a strong background in data analysis to be hired as a Remote Summer Intern under Products and External Services Consultant (PEC) modality.

The team’s mission:                                                                    

For nearly a decade now, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has included behavioral insights in its projects, in-country dialogue, and in policy design. By using insights from behavioral economics, at IDB we have been able to improve educational outcomes and higher education decisions, we have increased individual savings and social security contributions, we have promoted greater tax compliance and the cancellation of debts with the fiscal, we are improving the health indicators of children and adults, and we are improving the relationship between citizens and institutions, among many others.

The Behavioral Economics Group is a specialized inter-departmental working group with the mission of deepening these efforts to improve policy design using behavioral insights while situating the IDB at the forefront of the topic in Latin America and the Caribbean. The research department (RES) oversees the activities of the Group working alongside the different IDB departments and member countries.

Our goals are:

1. to build institutional capacity at the IDB and in the region about behavioral insights.
2. to generate new knowledge through country-based interventions, and;
3. to disseminate results and best practices.

What you will do:

• Participation in behavioral intervention design, implementation, or evaluation
• Participation in the production of a working paper(s), policy briefs, and other knowledge products.
• Participate in data collection for the diagnosis of behavioral projects through qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Review and edit policy and technical documents such as “Behavioral Economics Can Help Fight Coronavirus”.

Deliverables and Payments timeline:

• Deliverable 1: Report on behavioral intervention design, implementation, or evaluation  
• Deliverable 2: 2-4 policy briefs according to the template, detailing behavioral interventions.
• Deliverable 3: Report on data collection for behavioral diagnosis
• Deliverable 4: 1-2 edited technical documents with tracked changes.  

The payment schedule will be as follows: 25% on June 30, 25% on July 15, 25% on July 30, and 25% on August 13, 2021.

What you will need:

• Education: Active master's degree student or recent graduate from a graduate program (maximum of 1 year after graduation date) in behavioral science, economics, and/or psychology in an accredited university.
• Experience: Minimum two years of experience applying Behavioral Science or running Development Economics field experiments
• Languages: Be proficient in English and Spanish.
• Soft Skills: Self-management, flexibility, dependability, relationship building, results-driven, with strong communication skills.
• Technical skills: strong analytical skills, with experience using quantitative and qualitative empirical methods and software packages as well as good writing skills. Advance knowledge about behavioral insights required. Advanced knowledge of MS Office, and STATA or R.

Remote Internship under PEC modality Requirements:

To be part of our Remote Internship you will need to comply with all the following requirements:

• Be a national of an IDB member country.
• Be minimum 23 years of age as of the starting date of the remote summer internship.
• Be an active master’s degree or Ph.D. student, or be a recent graduate (up to 1-year after graduation) from a graduate-level program in an accredited university.
• Not be former staff member, Complementary Workforce (“CW”), a consultant for the Corporation or the Bank or have previously provided services to the Corporation or the Bank through a contractor or under any other consultant modality.
• 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.
• Have access to an Internet connection.

Opportunity Summary:

• Type of contract and modality: Remote Summer Intern hired under Products and External Services Consultant (PEC) modality
• Length of contract: Two months
• Internship date: June 16 to August 15, 2021
• Location: Remote
• Responsible person: Head of the Development Research Group and Leader of the Behavioral Economics Group

Our culture: Our people are committed and passionate about improving lives in Latin-America and the Caribbean, and they get to do what they love in a diverse, collaborative, and stimulating work environment. We are the first Latin American and Caribbean development institution to be awarded the EDGE certification, recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality. As an employee, you can be part of internal resource groups that connect our diverse community around common interests.

We encourage women, afro-descendants, people of indigenous origins, and persons with disabilities to apply.

About us: At the Inter-American Development Bank, we are devoted to improving lives. Since 1959, we have been a leading source of long-term financing for economic, social, and institutional development in Latin America and the Caribbean. We do more than lending though. We partner with our 48 member countries to provide Latin America and the Caribbean with cutting-edge research about relevant development issues, policy advice to inform their decisions, and technical assistance to improve on the planning and execution of projects. For this, we need people who not only have the right skills but also are passionate about improving lives.

Accessibility, Logistics, and Expenses: In case of providing services on your post of hire, or an alternate location, the consultant remote intern will be responsible for setting telephone and computer accesses required to provide the services under this Agreement. The consultant remote intern is fully responsible for any expenses incurred for these purposes, such as but not limited to computer, phone lines, and/or network connections. Also, the intern must be accessible to be contacted and respond within a reasonable time frame (1 day) by means of telephone and/or e-mail for matters related to this contract.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.

Additional Information

• External Opening Date: Mar 2, 2021
• External Closing Date: Mar 14, 2021
• External Contact Email: hrsc@iadb.org
• External Contact Name: HR Shared Services
• Job Field: Office Support

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