Mercy Corps sees complex global challenges as an invitation: to pioneer paths out of poverty, to forge new partnerships, to create solutions that break through entrenched challenges. Mercy Corps’ Social Venture Fund provides early-stage financing and post-investment support to create and grow scalable, self-sustaining businesses that improve people’s lives in an enduring way. Mercy Corps has been operating in Kenya since 2008 and are presently implementing development programs across the Central, Rift Valley, North Western and Northern Eastern regions of Kenya. Their Social Ventures team recently invested in Lynk, a social enterprise technology startup established in 2015 which seeks to connect blue collar workers in Kenya to employment. Lynk connects informal workers with short and longer term employment through a two-way, online marketplace. The platform currently offers job matching for work in carpentry, painting and home repair, wellness, moving and deliveries, tailoring and gardening. The workers’ identities and skills are verified by Lynk before the worker is allowed on the platform, and then their work is rated by the customer. Workers receive their fee in whole, with Lynk taking a small commission entirely from the employer.
Lynk is currently seeking MBA/MA candidates or recent graduates for two internships in Nairobi: Product Design and Market Research.
Product Design Internship
The Product Design intern will work across the Lynk portfolio of products, supporting product design. S/he will use a background in product and/or human-centered design (HCD) to enhance the way our product offering responds to customers’ needs, as well as providing a more accessible and impactful user experience for workers on the Lynk platform. Depending on background, expertise, and interests, we will create a bespoke set of projects to focus on including the launch of either Lynk Discover or Byld. This will be a highly collaborative role, partnering with Product Leads, developers, designers, engineers, and partners.
Learning Objectives:
The Product Design intern will gain significant experience in the design and start-up of a sustainable social enterprise, and will benefit from close mentoring from a senior leader within the Lynk team. Specific learning objectives include:
- Human-Centered Design in practice: Hands-on experience leading design activities based on consumer insights, including using co-creation and participatory approaches.
- Product design in a tech company: Working with developers and designers to develop product.
- Project management: Planning, day-to-day coordination of market research activities, and stakeholder management.
Ideal Candidate should Possess the Following Qualification:
- MBA or BA in Product Design or related field (Social Enterprise, etc)
- Training in, or experience using Human-Centered Design approach to product and business design.
- Entrepreneurial personality / self-starter – able to take responsibility and undertake tasks with minimal supervision.
- Experience in management consultancy a plus.
- Some international experience volunteering or engaging with an NGO or business would be beneficial
Market Research & Insights Internship
The Market Research & Insights intern will be responsible for conducting market research across the various Lynk products, to provide insights into customer preferences, worker interests, and new opportunities. This will include A-B testing, surveys, focus groups, prototyping, co-creation, Human-Centered Design approaches, and more. This will be a highly collaborative role, partnering with Product Leads, developers, designers, engineers, and partners. Beyond providing market insights, s/he will also be involved in taking insights forward, including working with programmers and designers to adapt user interfaces, guiding business model and rollout plans.
Learning Objectives:
The Market Research & Insights intern will gain significant experience in the design and start-up of a sustainable social enterprise, and will benefit from close mentoring from a senior leader within the Lynk team. Specific learning objectives include:
- Market research and testing: Hands-on experience leading market research of different products in Kenya (with possibility of travel to Uganda)
- Piloting, prototyping, and testing: Market research based on practice using participatory and Human-Centered Design (HCD) approaches.
- Product design: Working with developers and designers to integrate feedback from Market Research into product design.
- Project management: Planning, day-to-day coordination of market research activities, and stakeholder management.
Ideal Candidate should Posses the Following Qualifications:
- MBA candidate (or related field: Economics, Social Enterprise, Human-Centered Design, etc.).
- Entrepreneurial personality / self-starter – able to take responsibility and undertake tasks with minimal supervision.
- Training in, or experience of, high quality research and market research techniques.
- Experience using data management and analysis software. Excellent writing and presentation skills.
- Some international experience volunteering or engaging with an NGO or business would be beneficial
Both internships will last 3 months. Interns will receive a $300/month stipend and will be responsible for all other expenses such as accommodation and travel (beyond direct work-related travel expenses).
Living and Working at Lynk
Both positions will be based in Nairobi. Life in Nairobi is cosmopolitan, with lots to do and amenities readily available. Viewed at the tech hub of Africa, and the center of social enterprise and impact investment on the continent, it is an exciting place to be. The office located in a quiet residential area near central Nairobi. As a company, we’re a tight-knit and highly-collaborative team of developers, hustlers, planners, and doers. We provide the freedom and tools necessary for people to be comfortable and successful in their work and in return expect high performance and a culture of excellence. We value ambition, curiosity, candor and most of all an uncontrollable desire to create amazing things.
