Young Professionals Program (YPP)

Young Professionals (YP’s)

The Young Professionals Program (YPP) is a starting point for careers at the Inter-American Development Bank. The Program is designed for exceptionally qualified and motivated Young Professionals.

The IDB seeks candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:  Environment and Natural Resources; Economic Development; Social Development; Project Finance; Infrastructure; Private Sector and Business Administration (includes Budget, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, etc.)

The IDB is committed to promoting diversity and views greater representation of diverse groups at the Bank, including people of African descent and Indigenous Peoples, as integral to its activities with governments and civil society. Therefore, Afro-descendants and Indigenous Peoples are encouraged to apply using the Diversity Young Professional application (DYP).

What does the Program offer?

Participants selected for the Program are offered a 24-month contract with the Bank and are treated as full-fledged staff members who at any time may be invited to fill a regular staff position. Young Professionals also may be assigned to a Country Office as part of the Program.

The Bank pays transportation costs for finalist candidates traveling from outside the Washington, DC metropolitan area for interviews as well as for employment.

The Bank will request a G-4 visa from the United States Consulate in the candidate’s country of origin for non US citizen or permanent resident candidates selected to participate in the Program. Individuals holding J-1 or H-1 visas will be requested to obtain authorization from sponsors.

Rotational Placements

The 24 months of the YPP comprise 2 departmental rotations, unless the YP is invited to fill a regular full time position during the first year. The first rotation is decided by the Bank and is based on departmental needs and the candidate’s skills. The YPs second rotation, during the second year, results from a mutual agreement on the YPs desires for placement and the needs of the receiving department.

Training and Mentoring

Young Professionals are eligible for Bank training activities including Bank orientation sessions and language and technical training. In addition, to facilitate their transition to the IDB, Young Professionals are assigned a mentor (a senior Bank staff member) to help maximize the participant’s experience and contribution to the IDB.

Requirements for the Young Professionals Program:

All applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be a citizen of one of the Bank’s member countries;
• Be 32 years of age or younger as of January 1st of the application year;
• Be fluent in English and Spanish. A working knowledge of a third official Bank language (French or Portuguese) is desired;
• Have obtained a Master’s, Licenciatura or equivalent degree from an accredited university at the time of submitting your application (your degree must have been already awarded);
• Have two years of professional experience in business related to the Bank (i.e. Environment and Natural Resources; Economic Development; Social Development; Project Finance; Infrastructure; Private Sector; Business Administration (includes Budget, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, etc.); and
• Be exempt from any military obligation for the duration of the Program.

The Bank wants to lead the way in including segments of the population that have been historically under-represented. Hence applicants who wish to declare themselves as Afro-descendant or Indigenous[1] must meet all of the criteria above and may benefit from the following allowances:

• Be 35 years of age or younger as of January 1st of the application year;
• Be fluent in one of the working languages of the Bank (English, Spanish, French or Portuguese) and working knowledge of a second official language of the Bank is desired;

To ensure quality and fairness, all candidates will be assessed through the exact same selection process and will be part of the same cohort after selection.

Be sure to read thoroughly the eligibility requirements before you apply to the Program.

Thank you for your interest in the Young Professionals Program!

We offer:

Competitive salary

Excellent benefits

Comprehensive relocation package (if applicable)

Diverse and inclusive work environment

The IDB is committed to gender equality and encourages women to apply.

We seek diversity also in terms of nationality, ethnicity, race and educational background.

Persons living with disability or HIV/AIDS are equally encouraged to apply.

Closing date:  March 01, 2012

To apply, please go to http://www.iadb.org/en/young-professionals-program,1822.html

[1] African/Afro-descendents: persons of Sub-Saharan African descent, origin or ancestry (i.e., black, Afro-Latino, African-American, Afro-Caribbean, etc.). Indigenous peoples: members of communities recognized as Indigenous in IDB member countries.