Save the Children International is hiring an Innovation Intern – Apply Before 5 March 2026

Are you passionate about using new ideas, emerging technologies, and creative problem-solving to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges? If so, the Innovation Intern opportunity at Save the Children International could be your gateway to making real, measurable impact for children worldwide.

This three-month internship offers a unique chance to work at the heart of innovation within one of the world’s leading child-focused organisations. If you’re curious, proactive, and excited about experimentation, this role is designed for you.

About Save the Children International

Save the Children is the world’s leading organisation for children, employing approximately 25,000 staff across 116 countries. The organisation works tirelessly to:

• Save children’s lives
• Fight for their rights
• Help them fulfil their potential

Through its global strategy, Ambition for Children 2030, the organisation is focused on ensuring every child survives, learns, and is protected. Innovation plays a central role in achieving this vision.

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Why Innovation Matters

Innovation is at the heart of Save the Children’s theory of change. The Innovation Team exists to inspire and support new ideas across the organisation, helping teams address complex challenges using creative approaches, emerging technologies, and smarter systems.

Their innovation strategy focuses on three key pillars:

• Adding Fuel – Building a culture that encourages experimentation and bold thinking
• Reducing Friction – Creating systems and processes that empower innovators
• Clear for Launch – Identifying and scaling high-potential solutions internally and externally

As an Innovation Intern, you will directly contribute to these efforts.

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Role Overview: Innovation Intern

• Job Title: Innovation Intern
• Contract Length: 3 months
• Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible options
• Location: Any approved Save the Children International office location
• Time Zone: Flexible (must align with team requirements)
• Language Requirement: English
• Right to Work: Must have unrestricted work rights in your location

This is a full-time internship within the Business Support category and is open to candidates globally, including Kenya.

What You’ll Be Doing

This internship is hands-on and impact-driven. You will support key innovation priorities across multiple workstreams.

1. Open Innovation Challenge

You will help design and launch an open innovation challenge aimed at identifying high-potential solutions aligned with organisational priorities.

2. Donor Landscape Mapping

You’ll research innovation funders, map decision-makers, identify funding priorities, and explore entry points for engagement.

3. Innovation Pipeline Research

You’ll conduct structured research to identify and catalogue over 50 promising innovations relevant to Save the Children’s work. From there, you’ll create concise assessment summaries and shortlist high-potential solutions.

4. Innovation Astronaut Program

Support the design and rollout of the Innovation Astronaut Program — a key initiative to build internal innovation capability.

5. AI-Enabled Workflows

You will work at the intersection of innovation and technology by:

• Developing a weekly innovation trends newsletter
• Designing an automated monthly funding opportunities email
• Enhancing an AI funding opportunity bot with deadline tracking and relevance scoring

This role is perfect for someone eager to experiment with AI tools, automation systems, and digital research platforms.

Who Should Apply?

The ideal candidate is:

• Curious and proactive
• Comfortable with experimentation
• Motivated by impact
• Excited about digital tools and AI
• Strong in research and communication

Essential Skills

Research and Analysis

• Strong desk research capabilities
• Ability to synthesise complex information clearly

Communication

• Clear and structured writing
• Ability to present ideas concisely

Digital & AI Literacy

• Familiarity with AI-enabled tools or strong willingness to learn
• Comfortable with digital collaboration platforms

Project Management

• Ability to manage multiple tasks
• Strong organisational skills

Education & Background

Candidates should have recently completed an undergraduate degree in fields such as:

• Innovation, design, or business
• Data or information systems
• International development or public policy
• Social sciences

Equivalent practical experience or demonstrated innovation capability will also be considered.

Desirable experience includes participation in hackathons, case competitions, personal innovation projects, start-ups, incubators, or entrepreneurship programmes.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Save the Children is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The organisation welcomes applications regardless of gender, race, disability, age, religion, or background. They actively encourage underrepresented groups to apply and provide reasonable adjustments where required.

Safeguarding is central to their work. All employees are expected to uphold strict policies related to child protection, anti-harassment, and ethical conduct.

Recruitment Process

The recruitment process typically includes:

1. Application review (CV and cover letter)
2. Two-stage competency-based interviews
3. Possible assessment or case study
4. Conditional offer subject to background checks

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Due to high volumes, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Important: Save the Children does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

Why This Internship Is a Game-Changer

This is not just an internship — it’s a chance to contribute to global-level innovation in international development. You’ll gain exposure to strategic innovation planning, AI-powered tools, donor engagement research, and cross-functional collaboration within a major global NGO.

You will leave with practical experience in:

• Innovation strategy
• AI workflow design
• Research synthesis
• Global collaboration
• Fundraising landscape analysis

Few internships offer this level of global impact and strategic exposure.

Application Deadline

• Posting Date: 25 February 2026
• Apply Before: 5 March 2026

Given the rolling review process, early applications are strongly encouraged.

5 Key Benefits of the Innovation Intern Role

Global exposure within a leading international NGO
Hands-on experience with AI and emerging technologies
Opportunity to collaborate across global country offices
Real-world research and innovation strategy experience
Meaningful contribution toward improving children’s lives

If you are ready to combine innovation, technology, and social impact in one powerful experience, this could be your opportunity to step into the global development space with confidence.

Start your innovation journey today and help shape solutions that ensure every child survives, learns, and is protected.