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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, hope.

The UNICEF Internship Programme offers qualified and eligible students at both Headquarters (HQ) the unique opportunity to acquire direct practical experience in UNICEF's work and the United Nations system under the direct supervision of experienced UNICEF staff.

This internship is to be completed with Education Cannot Wait (ECW), which is a UNICEF-hosted fund. The selected intern will be joining the ECW Secretariat Advocacy and Communications team.

How can you make a difference? 

Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. We support quality education outcomes for refugee, internally displaced and other crisis-affected girls, and boys, so no one is left behind. ECW works through the multilateral system to both increase the speed of responses in crises and connect immediate relief and longer-term interventions through multi-year programming. ECW works in close partnership with governments, public and private donors, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and other humanitarian and development aid actors to increase efficiencies and end siloed responses. ECW urgently appeals to public and private sector donors for expanded support to reach even more vulnerable children and youth. ECW is administered under UNICEF’s financial, human resources and administrative rules and regulations; operations are run by the Fund’s own independent governance structure.

Under the overall guidance of the Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and the direct supervision of the Chief, Advocacy/Communications, the selected intern(s) will provide professional advocacy and communication support to ECW’s Advocacy & Communications Section, to support the development and implementation of the Education Cannot Wait (ECW) strategic plan.

Main duties

• Support ECW’s Chief, Advocacy/Communications, and the ECW Advocacy/Communications team in preparing human impact stories, social media assets, infographics, presentations, fact sheets, blogs, and advocacy material.
• Collect, analyze, verify and synthesize information to facilitate advocacy and communication external outreach, development, design and preparation.
• Prepare inputs and draft Communications and Advocacy material, and review documentation and reports, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevancy of information.
• Support ECW global campaigns and major high-level events, with relevant donors, governments and partners, such as the Share Their Voices and Postcards from the Edge Campaign.
• Support ECW’s digital platforms in terms of content, monitoring, analytics.
• Support uploading contents to the ECW photo and video library
• Expand ECW contacts lists via Cision, mailchimp and internal databases.
• Identify, capture, synthesize and share lessons learned for knowledge development in the area of Advocacy and Communications.
• Support monthly analytics reporting for social, earned media and website.
• Apply innovative approaches and promote good practice to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable Advocacy and Communications approaches.
• Research, benchmark and report on the best and cutting-edge practices for advocacy, communications and external relations.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for an internship, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in a degree programme in an undergraduate or graduate school or have graduated within the past two years.
• Have an academic background in any of the following:
  o Communications.
  o Public Relations.
  o Marketing.
  o Advocacy.
• Be at least 18 years old at the time of application.
• Be proficient in English (speaking, writing & reading) up to the highest standard.
• Have excellent academic performance as demonstrated by university records.
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office or in the ECW Secretariat.
• Are not disqualified under the UNICEF Child Safeguarding Personnel Standards (DHR/STANDARDS/2019/001), or as amended..

For every Child, you demonstrate... 

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF and ECW are committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.

Office space is available in New York based on discussion. Applicants who are in the USA at the time of application (for the US with a valid OPT/CPT if international student) are personally responsible for arranging any visa or immigration requirements, covering the entire period of their internship.

ECW is looking for three interns in total. The internship is full-time (35 hrs. per week). Working hours are flexible and will be established with the ECW supervisor, taking into account the intern’s existing study commitments. Interns will be linked to the ECW Secretariat. Interns may take up to 2.5 days per month of leave for any reason, including for medical reasons. The stipend will be reduced for any absence beyond this quota.

Expected starting date: 9 October 2024. Preferred duration: at least 6 months (maximum of 6 months; 26 weeks). An internship may be terminated by either party, with a notice period of at least two weeks.

Monthly stipend:

Interns will receive a stipend based on their location. USD 1,700 per month in New York, Geneva, and Copenhagen; or 70% of the monthly salary of the GS level 3 step 1 in all other duty stations.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

1. Builds and maintains partnerships
2. Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
3. Drive to achieve results for impact
4. Innovates and embraces change
5. Manages ambiguity and complexity
6. Thinks and acts strategically
7. Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to selected candidates who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.