INTERN – PUBLIC INFORMATION, I (Temporary Job Opening)

Org. Setting and Reporting

The internship is located in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) with the Strategic Communications Branch.

OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.

The Strategic Communications Branch (SCB) is OCHA’s communications and public advocacy team. The Branch supports OCHA headquarters and field operations in public outreach on humanitarian action. The Strategic Communications Coordination Section manages OCHA’s corporate public advocacy and campaigns and is responsible for developing campaigns and partnerships for advocacy, supports global and field-based advocacy through digital platforms and other visually compelling content. It supports communications staff through mentoring and training, as well as creating strategies and content on broader humanitarian issues under OCHA’s mandate.

The internship is for three months with an opportunity for extension. The internship will be based either in New York, Geneva or The Hague, according to the location of the requesting office. However, applicants must be willing and prepared to undertake the internship remotely for a part or the entirety of the internship.

Responsibilities

The Branch coordinates communications and advocacy with humanitarian partners and brokers new partnerships for innovative advocacy opportunities. SCB does this through three sections working on news and media relations, design and multimedia, and public advocacy, social media and campaigns. In consultation with a Public Information Officer or Information Management Officer within the Branch, the intern may be responsible for:

PUBLIC ADVOCACY AND CAMPAIGNS
Campaigns and Social Media

• Support global campaigns; attend creative meetings, draft internal and external communications documents, research and manage celebrity, influencer and media contacts lists and assist in outreach efforts, collates campaign coverage books, presentations, and reporting, assists in event management for flagship event in NYC
• Research social media analytics.
• Provide research and coordination for climate action.

Film and Photo

• Organize the clearance, production and distribution of information material; conduct photo and graphic research.
• Assist and participate in image selection for public dissemination. Provide metadata for captioning and archiving purposes. Monitor multimedia developments.
• Assist in video editing campaign materials.

DESIGN AND MULTIMEDIA

• Design clear engaging graphic communications for print and web. This will include logos, branded promotional materials, web site and social media graphics, posters, flyers, publication layout and other marketing materials as needed. The intern will support the Design and Multimedia Unit on all projects and have the opportunity to see a project evolve from the concept phase to final production and publication.

MEDIA RELATIONS

• Support the global Spokesperson’s daily media work by following and capturing key public briefings, maintaining international media database and lists, ensuring appropriate distribution and posting of key public materials, and providing feedback to desks on their input to the UN noon briefing and media engagements.
• Support missions by senior officials, including by maintaining daily action checklists and inputs for HQ news; and end of mission media and social media summaries.
• Maintain calendar of key media events and opportunities, arrange support to OCHA media outreach and major events in coordination with other OCHA and UN bodies.

Web Support

• Support the web team in developing content for the corporate website covering latest news, campaigns and events.
• Assist in the updating and maintenance of the corporate website (programming skills in web coding required).

Competencies

Technological awareness:
Keeps abreast of available technology. Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office. Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks. Shows willingness to learn new technology.

Teamwork:
Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Communication:
Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Education

To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:

• Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or (c) have graduated with a university degree (as defined above)
• Be computer literate in standard software applications;
• Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter; and
• Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Work Experience

No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Languages

Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of any of the official languages of the United Nations is desirable.

Assessment

The Cover Note must include:

• Degree Program (What are you currently studying?)
• Graduation Date (When will you graduate or when did you graduate from the program?)
• List the IT skills and program that you are proficient in.
• List your top three areas of interest.
• Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship.
• Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Program. In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.

*Due to the high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.

*In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.

Special Notice

Applicants are encouraged to apply for internships which relate directly to their studies and/or skills and expertise. Applicants are asked to please indicate preferences which best match her/his suitability and do so carefully in order to enhance the value of the internship for both the intern and the receiving UN department.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, applicants may be requested to undertake the internship remotely in view of constraints regarding visa issuance, international travel and access to UN premises. Applicants must be willing and prepared to undertake the internship¿remotely for a part or the entirety of the internship.

A person who is the child or sibling of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. An applicant who bears to a staff member any other family relationship may be engaged as an intern, provided that he or she shall not be assigned to the same work unit of the staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of the staff member. For purposes of this advertisement, “child” means (i) the child of a staff member; (ii) the child of the spouse of a staff member (stepchild); and (iii) the spouse of a child of a staff member or a staff member’s spouse (son- or daughter-in-law). “Sibling” includes the child of both or either parent of a staff member and the child.

In line with the United Nations internship programme, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs-(OCHA) internship provides a framework by which students from diverse academic backgrounds gain exposure to the work of the United Nations through assignment to offices within the Secretariat. The Programme endeavours to attract qualified students, offering them an opportunity to enrich their educational experience through exposure to the work of the Organization. Equally, it provides the Office with the assistance of students specialized in various professional fields. The internship is an unpaid and full-time opportunity and the intern must adhere to the established official weekly working hours of the duty station where it is based with one hour for a lunch break.

Administrative requirements:

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. For internships in the United States of America, interns who are not United States citizens, permanent residents or not currently in the United States on a non-immigrant visa status will be required to obtain a G-4 visa. If already in the United States of America on another non-immigrant visa status other than G-4, interns will be responsible for ensuring that they have a valid visa, and if required, employment authorization, allowing them to undertake the internship. For further information, please consult the United Nations Secretariat internship website at: https://careers.un.org.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

How to apply

Apply here.