Political Affairs Intern

INTERN - POLITICAL AFFAIRS [Temporary]

United Nations

New York, NY

Temporary, Internship

The United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre (UNOCC) internships are for an initial period of three (3) months with an opportunity for an extension of up to three (3) months, depending on the needs of the office.

This position is located in the Research and Liaison Unit of the United Nations Operations and Crisis Centre (UNOCC), which provides the UNOCC with an analytical capacity to undertake in-depth mid to long-term research studies on current political, security and operational issues affecting UN field missions.

The internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week under the supervision of a staff member in the office to which they are assigned.

Applicants for this position are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as hiring will begin before the end of the vacancy posting period.

Please be advised that the office is looking for one intern who would be available to start on 1 September 2018 preferably for a period of six (6) months, and another two interns who would be available from November 2018. Please read the 'Special Notice' paragraph carefully before applying.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Coordination Officer, Research and Liaison Unit (RLU), the Intern will:

Conduct research and reference searches on various issues, including political and security developments, human rights, economic and social developments, humanitarian issues;

Support the RLU Team in maintaining key data sets, data models, indices and reports and in developing dashboards, maps and visualizations for senior managers;

Support the RLU in the preparation of analytical and background papers, weekly presentations to Member States (Troop and Police Contributing Countries), including by compiling, processing and visualizing data; analysis of UN system-wide/cross-cutting needs, priorities, resources, risks and performance;

Support the Director of the UNOCC in preparing presentations to the Senior Management; and

Undertake other assignments as required.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Professionalism:

Shows ability to monitor and analyze political, operational and security developments;

Shows ability to produce reports and papers on substantive issues;

Shows ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations;

Shows pride in work and in achievements; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns;

Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

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

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

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) and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation;

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in International Relations, Economics, Political Sciences or related areas is required.

Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel is required;

Knowledge of Adobe Illustrator or ARC GIS is desirable infographics design is an asset;

Knowledge of managing data within Excel, and using tools to collate and present data effectively is highly desirable;

Knowledge of basic humanitarian and human rights challenges is desirable.

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

Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the Internship Programme.

Prior experience and/or strong skills in generating data visualizations is highly desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language, such as Arabic or French, is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise.

Special Notice

A completed online application (Cover Note and Personal History Profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The Cover Note must include:

Explain why you are the best candidate for the UNOCC;

Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme;

Date of availability;

Title of degree you are currently pursuing;

Graduation Date (when you will be graduating from the programme);

List the IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in.

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

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

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 or sexual abuse, or crimes other than minor traffic offences, 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.

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.

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.