Intern (SD2-SD2-AFNR) 2601-035
Job Vacancy | Tuesday, February 17, 2026
| Reference Number | 260194 |
|---|---|
| Position Grade | Intern |
| Department | Sectors Department 2 |
| Division | Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office |
| Location | Asian Development Bank Headquarters |
| Date Posted | Tuesday, February 17, 2026 |
| Closing Date | Monday, March 16, 2026 11:59 p.m. (2359 Manila Time, 0800 GMT) |
Sectors Department 2 (SD2)
Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office (SD2-AFNR)
1. Internship Topic
Analytical Consolidation, Partner Mapping, and Gap Analysis to Support Nutrition-Sensitive Investments and Regional Cooperation in the Pacific
2. Summary of Job Description
The intern will
- Review and synthesize relevant analytical materials available during the internship, including internal ADB notes, corporate/regional/sector documents, partner analyses, and ongoing consultations. Organize these inputs into a coherent analytical framework on nutrition, healthy diets, and food systems in fragile Pacific contexts, avoiding duplication of prior reviews.
- Develop a structured mapping of partners and projects, covering ADB sovereign and non-sovereign operations and TAs, UN agencies, MDBs, bilateral partners, and regional research institutions. Assess engagement scale (pilot, national, regional) and thematic focus (nutrition, food systems, climate, resilience).
- Identify key gaps, including the “missing middle” between pilots and scalable investments, infrastructure and market system constraints affecting nutrition outcomes, and gaps in regional coordination, data, and learning. Clearly articulate ADB's and Trust Funds' comparative value, particularly in fragile and small island contexts.
- Analyze nutrition and healthy diets as a regional public good in the Pacific. Identify where regional cooperation can reduce costs and risks, strengthen resilience and food system efficiency, and complement national investments, aligned with the Pacific Approach and ADB strategic narratives.
- Provide analytical inputs to refine JSP and CRRD Trust Fund concepts, and indicate relevance to other Trust Fund or ADF opportunities (e.g. RCI or fragile context windows), without developing new proposals.
- Identify priority areas for future knowledge products (e.g. briefs, regional studies, learning platforms) and potential collaboration opportunities with development partners and academic institutions. This task is limited to scoping and identification.
3. Period of Assignment
Duration: 11 weeks
Timing: June 2026 onwards
4. Location
ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines
5. Expected Outcomes
- Partner and project mapping matrix (regional focus)
- Analytical gap analysis note (5-7 pages)
- RCI analytical note on nutrition and healthy diets as a regional public good (3-4 pages)
- One-page Trust Fund value-add summary (reusable for JSP and CRRD)
- Short note or annex identifying future knowledge and partnership opportunities
- Final synthesis slide deck for internal AFNR use
Qualifications
6. Education Requirements
Currently enrolled in a PhD program in nutrition science and policy, food systems, economics, environmental science, sustainability, public policy, or a related interdisciplinary field.
7. Relevant Experience and Other Requirements
- Strong skills in analytical synthesis, literature review, and structured writing
- Interest in nutrition, food systems, climate resilience, and regional cooperation
- Ability to translate academic analysis into policy- and investment-relevant insights
- Preferably with 2-3 years relevant professional experience
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
