Internships (Support to the Executive Office), Education Cannot Wait (ECW)  

ECW is looking for two interns to support its Executive Office, which is led by the ECW Director and Deputy Director, supported by an Executive Specialist and two General Service staff members. If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children and youth entitled to an education in emergencies, we would like to hear from you.

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, education 

Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the first global multilateral fund dedicated to supporting education for children and youth in countries affected by wars, disasters and crises. It was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016 by a broad coalition of international aid agencies and public and private donors to usher in faster and more sustainable education responses in crises settings. ECW inspires political commitment to financing education in humanitarian contexts, catalyzes financial resources, facilitates joint programming between humanitarian and development actors, empowers local partners and seeks to strengthen quality and accountability. 

ECW is hosted by UNICEF. The Fund is administered under UNICEF’s financial, human resources and administrative rules and regulations, while operations are run by the Fund’s own independent governance structure that provides strategic guidance and oversight to its investments. ECW’s day-to-day activities are carried out by a Secretariat under the direction of the ECW Director.

ECW is looking for two interns to support its Executive Office, which is led by the ECW Director and Deputy Director, supported by an Executive Specialist and two General Service staff members.

How can you make a difference? 

Under the overall guidance of the ECW Director and the direct supervision of the Executive Specialist, the interns will play a crucial role in supporting the efficient operation of ECW’s governance functions and enhancing external relations through effective communication and knowledge management.

The internships will be full-time and based in the ECW Secretariat in New York.

The interns will work primarily with ECW’s Director and Executive Specialist on the following areas:

Knowledge Management

• Update and maintain ECW’s governance database and web page.
• Update and maintain a dedicated archive and database for the Director’s briefings and talking points.
• File and archive grant notification letters and governance memos for easy retrieval and reference.

Event Planning and Coordination

• Provide support in the planning and organization of governance meetings, ensuring logistics and arrangements are well-managed.

External Relations

• Review and respond to public inquiries received in the Secretariat mailbox, ensuring timely and accurate responses.
• Support the drafting of official letters to governance members as required.
• Participate as an observer in governance meetings to facilitate effective communication and understanding of external stakeholder dynamics.

Research and advocacy

• Collaborate with the Education, Advocacy, and Communications teams to provide strategic inputs for the Director’s briefings and talking points. Focus areas include youth empowerment and leadership, education during emergencies and protracted crises, human security, and international human rights.
• Conduct comprehensive research on the professional backgrounds and key interests of individuals scheduled to meet with the Director.

Reporting

• Support the drafting of Governance and Executive Office related content for the monthly Secretariat Operational Update.
• Assess and report on the types of public inquiries received, identifying trends and recommending relevant actions to enhance responsiveness and stakeholder engagement.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will? 

• Be enrolled in a master’s degree programme.
• Have an academic background in any of the following fields: International Relations, International Development, Human Rights/Humanitarian Affairs, Education, Social Sciences, Project Management or related field.
• Be fluent in English (speaking, writing and reading).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience in programme management and working with multi-cultural teams.
• A keen interest in organizational governance processes and administrative operations.
• Competence in using office software (e.g., MS Office suite) and familiarity with database management.
• Capable of drafting professional correspondence and reports.
• Proficiency in office management tasks such as filing and correspondence handling.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion. 

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 competencies required for this internship 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 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 checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 

Remarks:  

Before applying, candidates are strongly encouraged to read ECW last annual report and understand ECW’s overall strategic and education objectives.

ECW is 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.

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 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 is 5 August 2024 for 6 months (26 weeks). An internship may be terminated by either party, with a notice period of at least two weeks.

As this internship assignment is based in New York, selected interns will receive a stipend in the amount of USD 1,700 per month. 

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

This is how cinfo can support you in the application process for this specific position: 

• Application preparation: Before you apply for this position: Improve your application documents by registering for a Job Application Support. Our coaches are here to help tailor your application to the requirements of the job (service provided at your own cost). 

• Interview preparation: When invited to the interview: Prepare for the interview by registering for a Job Application Support. 

• Additional services for  Swiss nationals who get invited to  the selection process (written test, interview, assessment centre, etc.): 

  • Let us know by writing to [email protected]. We flag matching applications to HR partners and SDC/SECO for visibility. 

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