System Strengthening Global Practice Area Fellow

Role: The System Strengthening Global Practice Area Fellow will support the IRC’s global efforts to understand scaling  by working with several strategic projects in different contexts. Their main task will be to collect and analyze data and learning from these projects to contribute to the production of a report that addresses IRC’s organizational learning questions around scale. This report will inform how the IRC designs more strategic projects that can create impact beyond the lifetime of any single intervention. 

In practice, the student will conduct desk reviews, support data collection and analysis, and collaborate closely with key IRC staff across technical units and country programs. They will also help prepare for and participate in a workshop that will bring together staff from across projects to validate findings and generate shared insights. This role offers hands-on experience in research, systems thinking, and applied learning in the humanitarian and development field, while contributing to initiatives that aim to create sustainable, large-scale impact for communities. 

Potential deliverables:   

• Desk review summary
• Data collection and analysis
• Learning Materials  
• Workshop materials and Participation

Skills:  

Required Skills 

• Strong qualitative research skills (literature review, thematic analysis, synthesis of findings). 
• Basic quantitative research and data analysis skills (cleaning and analyzing workshop/interview data, Excel or other tools). 
• Excellent writing and communication skills, with ability to produce clear and concise reports. 
• Strong organizational and time management skills to balance multiple tasks over a long-term placement. 
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders in a remote, multicultural environment. 

Preferred Skills 

• Knowledge of systems thinking, scaling pathways, or systems strengthening approaches. 
• Familiarity with tools for qualitative coding (NVivo, Atlas.ti, Dedoose). 
• Experience with workshop preparation or facilitation support. 
• Language skills in French, Arabic, or other languages spoken in IRC program countries. 

Requirements: Students must be a matriculated graduate or Ph.D. student at The New School. Fellows are hired as Research Associates by The New School.

Work Environment: This fellowship will work with the System Strengthening Global Practice Area team at the Airbel Impact Lab based in the IRC’s HQ in New York City. While this fellowship is remote, all Fellows must be physically located in the US.

Fellowship Length: This fellowship carries a maximum of 20 hours/week during the Spring 2026 semester (January 5 – May 17, 2026). Continuation into Summer 2026 is potentially available.

How to apply: The deadline to apply is October 22, 2025. Please submit one PDF document containing a cover letter, CV/resume, and two work samples (writing and/or design portfolio – 5 pages maximum per sample) to Catherine McGahan, McGahanC@newschool.edu.

Interviews will be conducted in November via Zoom.

Team: Airbel Impact Lab, Research and Innovation at the IRC. The Airbel Impact Lab designs, tests, and scales life-changing cost-effective solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. By applying the IRC’s deep technical expertise and field experience with a range of skills from the behavioral sciences, human-centered design, research, and multi-disciplinary problem-solving in humanitarian contexts, we work to develop breakthrough solutions that combine creativity and rigor, openness and expertise, and a desire to think afresh with the experience of a large-scale implementing organization.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.  

With crises lasting longer and resources more constrained, lasting change requires more than delivering services directly, it requires strengthening the systems people depend on. That’s why the IRC created the Systems Strengthening Global Practice Area. Our goal is to stabilize systems under strain, strengthen those that are underperforming, and where possible, transform them so they deliver for crisis-affected communities. By embedding systems thinking and scaling pathways into program design and implementation, and by working alongside governments, civil society, and local actors, we ensure that proven solutions endure beyond emergencies and help communities recover, adapt, and thrive.