Intern, Global Development & Research

Intern, Global Development & Research

Full Time, Contract

Internship Dates: May 12th to August 22nd, 2025.

Home Based:  Anywhere in Canada

In-person location: One of Jamaica, Guyana, St. Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda

Vacancies:  17

Compensation: Remote internships are remunerated at $24.17/hr.

Reports to: Program Manager, International Internships

Direct Reports: Yes

Join us in our mission to change what it is to be blind in Canada.
 

Founded in 1918, CNIB is one of Canada’s oldest charities. We believe our new strategic plan, The Way Forward, will once again revolutionize the way we serve and support our community from coast to coast. Working with us means that you'll be part of an ambitious, diverse team that's committed to changing what it is to be blind today.

We're looking for a mission-driven Intern, Global Development & Research who is passionate about creating more accessible, inclusive, and equitable communities across Canada where people with low vision have unlimited opportunities and can experience life free from barriers and discrimination.

Role

CNIB is providing international internships for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who identify as living with a disability (preference for visual based disability) aged 18-30 through the following two streams (volunteer or salaried):

1)    Full time cost covered, unpaid, in-person:

• Internships will span 14 weeks comprising of two weeks of predeparture onboarding and training.
• 11 weeks of cost-covered international placement at disability-serving organizations in one of the four collaborating Caribbean countries (Jamaica, Guyana, and St Lucia), followed by one week of concluding activities (reflection and debriefing).
• Travel and living expenses for on-site internships will be covered by the CNIB; however, the placements themselves are unpaid outside of a stipend for living expenses (if funding permits).

2)    Full time paid virtual (only offered as an accessible alternative if disability restricts travel as determined by the intern – no proof required):

• Internships will span 14 weeks comprising of two weeks of onboarding and training.

• ·       11 weeks of virtual placement with participating disability-serving organizations in the global south (previous partnering organizations were located in Jamaica, Guyana, and St. Lucia), followed by one week of concluding activities (reflection and debriefing).

Your Impact at CNIB

• Support host organization through assigned daily responsibilities and duties.

• Engage in disability-inclusive international development as assigned by preceptors.

• Manage a project designated by the host organization. This may include research, business administration, information technology, human resources, marketing, communications, program creation and management, organization capacity building, funding and philanthropy, and more.
• Engage in learning and mentorship activities.
• Prepare plain language and accessible documents.
• Attend project meetings with host organization members and preceptor, as required.
• Attend regular meetings with the CNIB International Youth Internships team.
• Develop and engage in knowledge translations activities.
• Other related administrative duties as required
• Other duties as assigned

Who you are:

Education and Certifications

• Degree or diploma in related field, or equivalent work experience.

Experience and Qualifications

• All persons aged 18-30 years who identify as living with disability
• Canadian citizenship
• Valid passport, which does not expire for at least six months after proposed return from travel
• Willingness to engage in eight consecutive weeks of international travel
• Willingness to participate in disability-inclusive international development
• Openness to engage in learning and mentorship activities
• Excellent written and communication skills
• Knowledge of accessibility, inclusion, and disability
• Knowledge of the international disability rights movement
• Ability to work with multiple deadlines
• Ability to work independently and within a team environment
• Ability to use Office 365 suite (or equivalent) and communication technologies (Zoom/Teams)
• Personal or professional experience relating to blindness and sight loss is considered an asset.
• Personal or professional experience working with assistive technology and/or accessible environments is considered an asset.

Hours

A time commitment of 35 hours per week is expected during all aspects of the internship.

Remuneration

In-person internships are unpaid internships. With that said, cost of travel and living expenses will be covered by the internship program. Please note, a stipend for onsite expenses will be provided if funding permits.

Application Process

Submit a resume and cover letter, which includes answers to the following four questions, by March 28th at 11:59 PM PST to  michael.trolio@cnib.ca or through CNIB’s online application system. Please ensure that all documents are submitted using Arial or Verdana font, minimum 12-point size, single spaced, and only as a word document (or equivalent). Please refrain from submitting PDFs. Documents in PDF form will not be assessed. Resumes should be no longer than 2 pages. Responses to the following questions being no longer than the provided word limits. Please also provide the contact information of two individuals you wish to act as a professional reference (to be provided in the cover letter).

Please refrain from using friends or family members as your professional references. 

1. Why do you think you are an excellent candidate for this program? (150 words or less)
2. What is your understanding of disability inclusive international development and advancement? (150 words or less)
3. What is your experience with inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility? (200 words or less)
4. What was your most meaningful extracurricular experience? What did you learn from it? (250 words or less)

Please note that surpassing the page, spacing, and font limits for accessibility reasons are encouraged. CNIB recognizes and supports each applicant’s diverse accessibility needs.

Information Webinars and Contact Information

Information sessions with Q&A will be held virtually over Zoom on the following dates:

• Wednesday February 26th at 7 PM EST

• Wednesday March 5th at 1 PM EST

• Thursday March 13th at 7 PM EST
• Thursday March 20th at 1 PM EST

Please contact Mr. Michael Trolio at michael.trolio@cnib.ca for an invitation to a webinar. Should you have any questions, or would like to discuss any concerns, kindly email michael.trolio@cnib.ca.

Be Part of Our Mission

Please note that while we invite applications from all interested and qualified applicants, we are unable to follow-up with every applicant.

Working Together for Change

Our diversity is our strength – we take pride in our inclusive workplace. We are committed to recruiting and selecting candidates through fair, transparent, and accessible practices. We strongly encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including but not limited to Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, people who are blind, partially sighted, or Deafblind, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

CNIB is committed to accommodating applicants with disabilities and will work with applicants requesting accommodations at any stage of the hiring process.

Learn more about our mission here.