Executive Internship Program

EXECUTIVE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM 

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC) is introducing an Executive-Level Internship Program. This program is designed for students in the final two years of their undergraduate university studies, or apprenticeship equivalent, to gain valuable insights and skills from a managerial perspective of a large publicly-chartered corporation.

Over eight weeks, an exclusive cohort of interns will learn and work on the essential themes associated with executive management in housing policy, including the principles of organizational management; the elements of the corporation’s social mission; and the financial foundations of the corporation’s operations. The program for the cohort will conclude in the middle of August, when it will present a pre-approved capstone project to senior management.

The program will be located at AHFC headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska. Members of the cohort will have regular meetings with the corporation’s CEO and Executive Director, as well as corporate senior management, on strategic, operational, and financial decision-making. The program is a rare opportunity for interns to gain detailed exposure to the highest level of organizational management to a corporation with managing a portfolio in excess of $4 billion, with a workforce of over three-hundred persons.

PROFILE OF PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS

          Applicants with an interest in housing policy, public finance, social services, and public policy should consider applying. The program, including work and academic modules, is designed for interns who reasonably foresee their professional career including holding managerial positions. Critically, applicants will, through their written submission and interview, demonstrate professional discretion and respect for commercially sensitive materials and discussions.

APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

            A completed application must include the following: the applicant’s most current resume; a summary of the applicant’s current educational coursework for the past year and the prospective classwork; a cover letter explaining why they would be a successful candidate; and a completed proposal for the cohort’s capstone project, no longer than one-page in length.

APPLICATION TIMEFRAME AND REQUIREMENTS

            The application portal will open on Monday, March 2. The selection process will include interviews of prospective finalists for positions by Executive Management. Tentative Offers are scheduled to be issued by Friday, April 10. Those offered a placement in the program will have until Friday, April 17, to accept. Enrollment in the program is contingent on a successful drug screen prior to beginning the program on June 15.

PROGRAM TIMEFRAME 

            The formal program is designed to occur between Monday, June 15, through Friday, August 14. Cohort members will be onboarded between the end of April, after offers are accepted, and the beginning of the program on June 15. Onboarding will include essential personnel information submittals, agreeing to the code of conduct and confidentiality, among other items.

Cohort members will be introduced digitally to each other in the middle of May. At that time, capstone project for the program will be shared, along with a reading list and curriculum.

Between June 15 and August 14, program deviations notwithstanding, cohort members are expected to be at AHFC headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska, Monday through Friday, from 9:00am – 4:00pm.

CURRICULUM AND TOPICS

            The program curriculum will include three modules: essentials of organizational management; mission elements in social public policy; and essentials of public finance and public policy financial management. Each module will last up to two work weeks, and include a mixture of instruction and embedded practice with relevant departments in the corporation.      

            The curriculum will commence with the introductory week and a focus on familiarization with AHFC, its history, operational and programmatic components, and detailed overview of the program. The final week will be focused on the capstone project presentation, off-boarding, exit interviews, among other items.

CAPSTONE PROJECT 

            An essential part of the program will be the capstone project. Over the course of the program, the cohort will work collaboratively on a single project with the goal of improving the operations of AHFC. The capstone project topic may be selected from a proposal submitted by one of the cohort members.

            Capstone project proposals must discreetly identify an element of corporate operations or programs that can be positively impacted by the cohort’s work. The proposal will fall under one of the following categories:

             The thoughtful adoption of new technologies in the workplace;

             Meaningful engagement in a multi-generational work environment;

             Bridging geographic challenges to deliver corporate services;

            Throughout the curriculum, the cohort will have time assigned to work on the capstone project. The project will culminate with the cohort presenting the project to senior corporate management in August.