Internship - Global Communications Service, Division of External Relations in Geneva, Switzerland

Terms of Reference Internship Division of External Relations, Global Communications Service

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering an internship position within the Global Communications Service in Geneva, Switzerland (please note: fully remote position due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. With some 15,000 staff and affiliated workforce working primarily in the field, in permanent and direct contact with vulnerable people, UNHCR is one of the biggest and most operational UN agencies. We work in over 130 countries, using our expertise to protect and care.

Title: Internship
Duty Station: Geneva, Switzerland
Duration: 2 months (extendable for another one month)
Contract Type: Internship, full-time basis
Start date:  7 September 2020

Organizational context
The Global Communications Service (GCS) is a part of the Division of External Relations (DER). GCS generates and maintains media and public interest in the work of UNHCR and coordinates proactive and reactive media relations through consistent and focused communications towards UNHCR's operational goals. GCS employs a range of multimedia tools, working across text, photos, video, online and social media platforms contributing to internal and external communications.

Tackling sexual exploitation and abuse against the people we serve, together with sexual harassment in the workplace is a top priority for UNHCR. The organization has taken a series of decisive actions over recent years to reinforce our mechanisms for preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

UNHCR now has a well-established, effective safeguarding team, with a global remit, which includes the Inspector General¿s Office, the Ethics Office, the Legal Affairs Service and the Staff Welfare Service, among others. A Senior Coordinator was appointed in March 2018 to lead UNHCR¿s work against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

The position
The incumbent will work under the supervision of a dedicated Communications Officer in GCS (DER), in a highly collaborative inter-sectoral environment.

The incumbent¿s tasks shall include, inter alia:
¿ Assist in the review of existing materials related to the protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and sexual harassment (SH);
¿ Support the revision of the structure of intranet pages to maximize accessibility for UNHCR colleagues;
¿ Collaborate with other relevant sections and divisions to ensure materials and information are coordinated, up to date, and consistent;
¿ Help review and prepare internal and external communication materials on integrity-related issues on UNHCR Intranet and other platforms;
¿ Contribute in ensuring that UNHCR¿s workforce is better informed and equipped to deal with gender- and integrity-related issues;
¿ Provide other support as required including debriefings and handover notes to relevant colleagues.

Essential minimum qualifications:
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
¿ Recent graduate (those persons who completed their studies within one year of applying) or current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by UNESCO; and
¿ Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of the organization.
Please note that candidates who have immediate relatives (father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister) working as staff members of UNHCR are not eligible.

Desirable qualifications and skills:
¿ Bachelor¿s or Master¿s degree in Political Science, International Affairs, International Development, Communications or other relevant field;
¿ Interest in refugee and displacement issues;
¿ Ability to work in English;
¿ Excellent written and oral communication skills;
¿ Strong organizational skills;
¿ Meticulous with great attention to detail;
¿ Creative and able to think outside the box
¿ Research, data analysis, data visualization and information management skills;
¿ Very good knowledge of Word, Excel, Power Point;
¿ Flexibility, teamwork skills, professional and personal integrity;
¿ Knowledge of French and/or other UN languages;
¿ Experience in preparing communication materials;
¿ Experience in managing social media accounts, producing content and analyzing trends;
¿ Knowledge of InDesign or other graphics design software;
¿ Knowledge of Microsoft Teams and SharePoint;

What the intern will learn
¿ Understanding of UN systems and processes;
¿ Working knowledge of key policies and their application in the pursuit of strengthening UNHCR¿s work on PSEA & SH, and integrity issues;
¿ Exposure to wide range of refugee issues;
¿ Internal processes and inter-divisional collaboration in a large humanitarian organization;
¿ Cross-sectoral collaboration in a humanitarian context;
¿ Experience of working in a multicultural and multilingual team.

Location
This internship will be based in Geneva. Given the current COVID-19 situation the intern might work remotely subject to decision of the working unit.

Conditions & Allowances:
It is a full-time role with working hours starting from 9.00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday (40 hours per week).

Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially cover food cost, local transportation and living expenses.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training). Please note that the closing date for this internship advertisement is Friday 14 August 2020 (midnight Geneva time).