Job Description
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)H (no hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeInternship
Target Start Date2025-01-06
Deadline for ApplicationsDecember 31, 2024
Terms of ReferenceTerms of Reference
Internship
UNHCR MCO – Washington, External Relations Unit
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is seeking applicants for a part-time (20 hours/week) or full-time internship (40 hours/week) with the External Relations Unit at UNHCR’s Multi-Country Office for the United States of America and the Caribbean in Washington, DC.
Established in December 1950, UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for asylum-seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR currently operates in over 130 countries, using its deep expertise and working with non-governmental organization (NGO) partners around the globe to protect and care for millions of forcibly displaced and stateless people. (See UNHCR’s Global Report 2023 ( to learn more.)
Title: External Relations Intern
Duty Station: Multi-Country Office – Washington
Duration: 4-6 months
Contract Type: Internship
Supervisor: External Relations Officer
Closing date for application: December 31, 2024
Start date: ASAP after January 1, 2025
Organizational context
The External Relations team represents UNHCR before U.S. Executive Branch officials, Members of the U.S. Congress and their staffers, advocacy organizations, and think tanks, educating and informing them about global refugee crises and UNHCR’s unique and vital role, capabilities, funding, programs, and impact.
Through this opportunity, interns will become familiar with what it takes to strategically coordinate and conduct outreach and awareness-raising activities on behalf of a large humanitarian organization with a major donor country.
The position
The ideal candidate will bring flexibility, curiosity, and a genuine spirit of service to the role. Whether full- or part-time, interns will become an integral part of the External Relations team and participate in a wide range of activities. Across the internship, it is expected that interns will:
1) gain knowledge about UNHCR’s global role, capabilities, programs, and impact, and U.S. policies and political developments affecting UNHCR’s overseas operations and funding;
2) help develop regular updates and analyses for senior UNHCR leaders to ensure continued U.S. support for UNHCR’s global operations; and
3) help strengthen and expand UNHCR's engagement with offices of strategic interest, as well as congressional offices/organizations that have influence over UNHCR’s funding and/or U.S. humanitarian or foreign policy/national security policies.
The internship will offer numerous learning opportunities, including “shadowing” External Relations staff in outreach meetings and having access to extensive internal webinars, lunch talks, and training/online “short” courses in hot topics.
Duties and responsibilities
• Monitor Congressional activities regarding refugees, forced displacement, and overseas humanitarian assistance;
• Attend relevant Congressional hearings and prepare summaries of content;
• Attend relevant briefings by think tanks and other organizations and prepare brief analyses;
• Research and help respond to information requests from the U.S. Administration and Congress;
• Prepare informational memos for UNHCR briefings and meetings with U.S. Government officials, Members of Congress and their staffers, advocacy organizations, and think tanks;
• Assist in the publication of newsletters (writing & editing);
• Help organize public events and briefings; and
• Undertake other projects as needed to further assist the External Relations team’s work.
Minimum qualifications required
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.
Desirable qualifications and skills
• Excellent interpersonal communication;
• Strong research, analytical, writing, and editing skills;
• Superior command of the English language;
• Proficiency in PowerPoint and Microsoft Word;
• Demonstrated commitment or strong interest in international relations, refugee affairs, and humanitarian response;
• An understanding of the Congressional legislative process; and
• A sense of humor -- not required, but welcome.
Conditions
This role requires either a full-time (40 hours/week) or part-time (20 hours/week) commitment, in-person, within the workdays/workweek of 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday. The successful candidate will be assigned to support the External Relations team at UNHCR’s office in Washington, DC.
Interns are responsible for their housing, their legal stay in the United States, health insurance, and any other related documentation. Please note that, at the time of application, applicants must have valid work authorization (EAD) in the United States for the full duration of the internship period. An internship does not create any expectation or entitlement to employment with UNHCR at the conclusion of the internship.
Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party (e.g., from a university stipend) will receive an allowance to partially help cover some costs. This Food and Local Transportation Allowance (FLTA) is not considered a source of income, and UNHCR will not provide any tax related documents such as W-2 forms. The monthly FLTA for a full-time (40 hours/week) intern is currently $1,642.75 (pro-rated for part-time).
How to apply
Interested applicants should submit their application through click on “vacancies” and search for the JR.
Supplemental Application details:
Applicants are requested to submit also 1) a cover letter, indicating full-time or part-time availability; 2) résumé; and 3) short writing sample (2-5 pages), both by uploading those materials through the online application portal, and by emailing them to usawaer@unhcr.org, by the application deadline.
The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training).
We welcome applications from candidates with a refugee or stateless background.
Standard Job Description
Required Languages English
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Desired Languages
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Additional Qualifications
Skills
EducationBachelor of Arts (BA): International Affairs
Certifications
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance
Home-BasedNo
Job Tags
Full time, Contract work, Part time, Work experience placement, Internship, Local area, Immediate start, Work from home, Overseas, Monday to Friday,