Associate, Diplomacy

The ICRC’s Policy, Research and Humanitarian Diplomacy Division

The ICRC’s HQ Policy, Research and Humanitarian Diplomacy Division is part of the Department of International Law, Policy and Humanitarian Diplomacy, and plays a central role in developing and delivering institutional policy and diplomacy objectives of the ICRC as well as overseeing the ICRC’s delegation in New York. In addition, with the Center for Operational Research and Experience (CORE) and the International Review of the Red Cross (IRRC) also being part of the Division, it provides coherence and synergies between units working on research in the broadest sense. The Division works closely with the ICRC’s Presidency, the Department of Operations and across the institution to shape strategic policy objectives, design and deliver diplomatic strategies, and influence key ICRC stakeholders. The Division also works closely with the International Federation and National Societies on areas of mutual policy interest. 

Policy and diplomacy have a dual role at the ICRC: to guide the ICRC internally and to influence others. Humanitarian diplomacy supports the feasibility, acceptance and integrity of operations/field action, as well as the organization’s legal and policy initiatives, particularly with States and international organizations. The Division is also responsible for the oversight of internal policy that guides the action of the ICRC and for the development of fundamental doctrines that define how the ICRC’s Mission should be carried out. The ICRC relies on the Policy, Research and Humanitarian Diplomacy Division to develop and deliver sound, principled and compelling policy positions that resonate with the ICRC’s Mission and are easy for others to understand and communicate.  Members of the team therefore need to be in close interaction with the ICRC’s operations, diplomatically skilled and engaging communicators with good political instincts.
 

Accountabilities & Functional responsibilities

The Division relies on two Associates to support its work. Each Associate spends one year with the Division and works as an integral part of the team and the wider organization. Associates are specially selected for their mix of intellectual, practical and inter-personal skills. We are hiring two positions, one focused on diplomacy and one on policy.

The main role of the Policy Associate is to support the Policy team in developing substantive, evidence-based positions of the ICRC on key global policy thematics (e.g. conflict and climate, peace, digital risks) through research, drafting and analytical support. The Associate will also support engagement and coordination with other units, environment scanning and monitoring on key topics, and may be asked to support external and internal events. 

The main role of the Diplomatic Associate, is to support the division in understanding relevant processes and policy across the United Nations in Geneva and in ensuring timely and strategic engagement by the ICRC in UN and inter-agency fora, such as the Human Rights Council (HRC), and the Interagency Standing Committee (IASC). They will also provide occasional support to other humanitarian diplomacy tasks as needed, including on crisis diplomacy.
 

Main duties and responsibilities

•    Contribute research to and draft a wide range of policy products 
•    Prepare background notes and briefing files on key thematic- and context-specific discussions;  
•    Monitor and report on UN/NGO/policy discussions in Geneva on key themes and contexts of relevance to the work of the ICRC;
•    Support in coordinating the ICRC’s engagement at bilateral, multilateral and public meetings and conferences, in close collaboration with relevant teams; 
•    Support the Division, as required, on other tasks related to senior leadership external engagements, engagement with NGOs, and collaboration with the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement on policy and humanitarian diplomacy efforts. 
 

Required profile and skills

•    A Master’s degree OR 5-year undergraduate degree in a relevant field (e.g. social sciences, international relations, humanitarian, development, peace/conflict studies, etc.);
•    Two years  of relevant professional experience after graduation;
•    Demonstrated experience in critical analysis, research and writing, with strong communication skills;
•    Capacity to work fast in response to tight deadlines and with attention to detail;
•    Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
•    Excellent English; French a strong asset.
•    Available for 1 year.
 

Desired qualifications / experience

•    For both: Work experience in a humanitarian setting with civil society, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, or the UN ;
•    For diplomacy associate: prior exposure to UN and interagency fora and processes (e.g., IASC, Human Rights Council) through professional or academic work;
•    For  policy associate: Lead or contributing author of a publication, academic or professional (e.g. thesis, article, book chapter);

•    Global South candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Additional information

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter of no more than 700 words and a CV (Word or PDF format), in English. Any documents other than the two listed above will not be considered. In your cover letter, please indicate whether you are applying for the Policy or Diplomacy role (or if both, please explain why), and please answer the following questions:
•    What is your interest in applying to this specific position at the ICRC? 
•    What can you bring to the Division and the ICRC?
 

Deadline for the receipt of applications: 29 September (by midnight Swiss time).
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. 
Owing to the high number of applications, only the selected candidates will be contacted for a written test, which will be followed by an online interview. 
Please be aware that the ICRC has other Traineeship positions with separate application processes (for further information see the ICRC website). The application process for ICRC delegate positions is also a separate one. No information on these can be provided. Associates do not have preferential treatment or fast-tracked access to recruitment processes for other ICRC positions.

• Type of role: Associate
• Working rate: 100%
• Location: Geneva
• Type of contract: Traineeship
• Length of assignment: 12 months
• Estimated start date: Late January 2025

Our Values

• At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this