Vital Strategies Office of the President Summer Associate

Vital Strategies, headquartered in New York City, is an international public health organization. Our programs strengthen public health systems and address the world’s leading causes of illness, injury and death. We currently work more than 80 countries, supporting data-driven decision making in government, advancing evidence-based public health policies and mounting strategic communication campaigns. Vital Strategies’ priorities are driven by the greatest potential to improve and save lives. They include cardiovascular health, tobacco control, road safety, obesity prevention, overdose prevention, environmental health and vital statistics systems building. Our programs are primarily concentrated in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. Please visit our website at www.vitalstrategies.org to find out more about our work.

At Vital Strategies we value learning and personal development which is why we believe it is important to mentor future leaders who will grow personally and professionally and create impact in the public health sector. As a Vital Strategies Summer Associate, you will have the chance to develop skills and contribute to our initiatives through engaging, meaningful work assignments that can help jump start your career the public health.

We believe our programs are strengthened when they are developed and supported by individuals with diverse life experiences, whose understanding of social and cultural issues can help make Vital’s work more inclusive. All Summer Associate roles at Vital Strategies are paid opportunities. We encourage people of all racial, economic, social, cultural, sexual orientation, and gender expressions to apply.

About the Program:

Vital Strategies offers students the opportunity to contribute to real time projects that advance health equity and build strong public health systems. Throughout the summer, you will meet with organizational leadership, participate in professional development sessions and strengthen critical, technical and operational skills through engaging, meaningful work assignments.

The Opportunity:

The Office of the President is looking for a motivated, highly organized, resourceful, and collaborative graduate student to join the team this summer and experience the many cross-divisional functions within the executive office of a global public health nonprofit. Additionally, there will be opportunities for the Summer Associate to attend learning sessions, career panels, and conversations on programmatic work across the organization.

Working closely with the President and CEO as well as the Office of the President team (located in New York and Paris), the Summer Associate will be based in New York and support a variety of projects, including knowledge management, event preparation, desk research for strategic partnerships, institutional relationship mapping, and organizational work planning. This role will involve interacting with colleagues both in-person and remotely across Vital Strategies’ global offices and program teams and will require a high level of autonomy, flexibility, and creativity.

Responsibilities:

• Build the foundations for a knowledge management plan, including developing a system for compiling and categorizing documents/resources across the organization, synthesizing materials and exploring opportunities for shared learning across programs and offices
• Support the design, development and preparation of Vital’s participation in the United Nations (UN) High Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases and the UN General Assembly in September 2025
• Conduct desk research and landscape analysis and assessments on potential new areas of work (e.g. mental health) and new strategic partnerships/alliances – especially in the data / digital space
• Support organizational work planning and key performance indicator development and tracking across the four priority “RISE” areas: Reach for Impact, Inclusive People and Culture, Stay fit-for-purpose (operational excellence), Ensure resiliency  

Qualifications:

Education and Work Experience -

• Graduate student pursuing a Masters in global public health, nonprofit management, healthcare management, international development, global public policy, international affairs, or related field(s)

Skills and Knowledge -

• Excellent organizational skills and ability to successfully manage competing priorities and meet deadlines;
• Capacity to work independently and collaboratively in an international team environment and with solid interpersonal and communication skills;
• Strong Microsoft Office Suite skills and demonstrated ability to quickly and easily learn new software systems