IN-26038 Oceans Blended and Innovative Finance Intern

World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world's leading conservation organizations, seeks a Oceans Blended and Innovative Finance Intern

At WWF, we are working to create an organization where the richness of all our unique views, experiences, and backgrounds combine to create the most sustainable and inclusive conservation outcomes possible, bringing the greatest benefit to the planet and every person who lives on it.

Position Summary

The WWF-US Oceans - Ocean Markets and Finance team combines nature-positive business with innovative blue financing to deliver scalable, durable global oceans solutions, and supports WWF's nature-positive seascape work. This internship is designed to support the Blended and Innovative Finance workstream within this broader body of work. This workstream focuses on mobilizing capital in WWF's priority seascapes, directing investment toward place-based projects through innovative approaches that blend public and private capital.

The 2026 Blended and Innovative Finance Summer Intern will support the team across two priority workstreams: (1) developing training resources on the fundamentals of conservation and nature finance, and (2) supporting an ongoing innovation process to identify and address the most critical challenges in influencing corporate action and mobilizing finance towards marine conservation in WWF's priority geographies.

Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired willbe required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

With oversight and direction from the Director, Blue Finance (Innovative and Blended Finance), the 2026 Ocean Markets and Finance Summer Intern will undertake the following types of work:

Conservation and Nature Finance Training Resource Development: Support the creation of a video-based training resource on the fundamentals of conservation and nature finance. Working closely with the WWF US Blue Finance team, the Oceans Communications team, and the WWF Creative Solutions team, the intern will help design and develop content tailored for colleagues in WWF offices across our priority seascapes who have strong conservation backgrounds but limited exposure to finance concepts. This will involve conducting background research, drafting scripts and supporting materials, coordinating across teams, and providing review support throughout the production process.

• Ocean Finance Innovation Process Support: Support an ongoing innovation process within the Ocean Markets and Finance team focused on identifying the most persistent and impactful challenges affecting WWF's work on influencing corporate action and mobilizing finance towards marine conservation in our priority seascapes. The intern will help map these "sticky problems," synthesize insights from internal stakeholders and external research, and identify potential solutions and interventions where WWF can play a meaningful role. This may include facilitated workshops, desk research, stakeholder interviews, and synthesis of findings into actionable recommendations.

Learning Outcomes:

• Conservation Finance Literacy: The intern will develop a foundational understanding of conservation and nature finance concepts, including basics of financial system and nature finance, and a explanation of common financial instruments that can help bridge the gap in capital needed and available for nature.

• Interdisciplinary Communications: Through this work, the intern will have the opportunity to translate complex finance and conservation concepts for diverse audiences, including conservation practitioners, communicators, and creative teams across the WWF network.

• Problem Identification and Innovation: The intern will gain hands-on experience in structured problem-solving and innovation processes, including stakeholder engagement, synthesis of challenges, and identification of strategic solutions in the context of conservation finance.

• Exposure to the Breadth of WWF US Oceans Work: The intern will gain exposure to a variety of teams at WWF, including Ocean Markets and Finance, Blue Foods, Area-Based Conservation, Ocean Communications, Private Sector Engagement, and Creative Solutions. They may also have opportunities to engage with external WWF partners and financing institutions, enriching their understanding of the broader conservation and sustainable finance landscape.

Compensation:

Unpaid. For all unpaid internships, applicants must be enrolled in school and be able to obtain academic course credit from their university.

*Please note that WWF does not provide VISA sponsorship to interns

To Apply:

• Submit cover letter and resume through our Careers Page, Requisition #IN-26038
• Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to respond to inquiries via phone

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) promotes equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.