Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

A (least hardship)

Family

Internship

2024-08-31

August 4, 2024

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship with the Admin / Communications Unit at UNHCR Aruba.

Title: Admin / Communications Intern
Duty Station: UNHCR Aruba
Duration: 3-6 months full time.
Contract Type: Internship
Closing date for application:
Start date:

Background information/Organizational Context

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. UNHCR was created in 1950, during the aftermath of the Second World War, to help millions of Europeans who had fled or lost their homes. UNHCR had three years to complete its work and then disband. Today, over 70 years later, the organization is still hard at work, protecting and assisting refugees around the world.

UNHCR workforce is its backbone. The agency is present in 135 countries and as of 2020, it employs over 17,000 people, of whom around nearly 90 per cent are based in the field. UNHCR was launched on a shoestring annual budget of US$ 300,000 in 1950. But as its work and size have grown, so too have the costs. UNHCR annual budget rose to more than US$1 billion in the early 1990s and reached a new annual high of US$8.6 billion in 2019.

UNHCR in Aruba is part of the UNHCR Multi-Country Office in Panama and supports the regional response to outflows of Venezuelans in Aruba and Curaçao. UNHCR works with governments in Caribbean countries to develop and strengthen their protections for asylum seekers, refugees, and stateless persons, conducts refugee status determinations for asylum seekers, and monitors and reports on the treatment of refugees and stateless persons throughout the Caribbean region.
Interns will participate in a range of activities within the office, depending on their skills and interest, and will become familiar with the daily realities of working in a large humanitarian organization. The intern will (i) gain a deeper knowledge of principles and practices guiding the organization’s interventions, particularly as they apply to the work of UNHCR in the Caribbean region; and (ii) develop professional working skills, such as time management, prioritization, teamwork, presentation skills, and drafting. The work of the interns is not confined to a single research project, as interns will be directly involved in all operational aspects of our work.

The position

Administration:
The Administration and Communications Intern will provide, under the supervision of the senior Administrative Associate, administrative assistance to the national office. He/she will contribute to ensure that routine services and activities within the administrative domain are properly implemented. Furthermore, the intern will keep track of local media and propose content for social networks. As per specific instructions, the incumbent may liaise with other internal or external entities, to ensure effective delivery of services and achievement of objectives. The incumbent’s workload and the assignments will remain under constant guidance and direction of the supervisor, also based on the interns interest and learning goals.

Duties and responsibilities

• Provide administrative and finance support, assist in maintaining all accounting files in an orderly and systematic manner including vendors information, invoices, employee time sheet, telework files for all payroll periods and other related activities.
• Assistance in the review of supporting documents for payments and financial reports.
• Support in assets management in the Country Office and for the periodic inventory exercises.
• Drafting of relevant documents, mostly related to purchasing.
• Follow up on incomplete files in administration as payment backups, HR Files, and official documents.
• Monitoring news for Aruba and Curacao, with a specific focus on information on refugees and maritime incidents and migration flows in the Caribbean.
• Sharing on a weekly basis the news found in local media relevant to UNHCR.
• Provide clerical assistance with regard to public information events such as poster campaigns, exhibitions, and public awareness raising events
• Propose content for UNHCRs social networks
• Perform other related duties as required.

Eligible candidates
The position is open to local applicants. Candidates not residing and/or not citizens of the country must comply with all eligibility requirements for employment in line with the prevailing legislative prerequisites in the country.

Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19.

The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities.

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.
• Not have immediate relatives (father, mother, brother, or sister) working for UNHCR as a staff member on any contract type or as an affiliate at the time of application.
• Should have a background in economics, administration, finance or related fields. Students pursuing courses of studies in MBO or higher may apply.
• Fluency and strong drafting skills in English required.
• Solid knowledge of Papiamento is required, in order to follow up with providers and monitor the local news.
• Knowledge of Dutch or Spanish will be an asset.
• While not being a formal requirement, any relevant work experience will be taken into account in the selection of interns.

Desirable qualifications and skills
• Strong research, analytical and drafting skills.
• Excellent oral communication skills.
• Interest in UNHCR’s mandate, refugees and/or human rights.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, as well as within a team.
• Good time management skills.
• A high level of computer proficiency, with familiarity with Microsoft Word products (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook).
• Familiarity with Canvas or Photoshop and Capcut.
• Fluency and strong drafting skills in English is required. Solid understanding of oral and written Papiamento is also required. Fluency in Spanish or Dutch is desirable.

Levels of language knowledge:
A1 – beginner
A2 – elementary
B1 – lower intermediate
B2 – upper intermediate
C1 – advanced/proficient’

English and Papiamento are required a B2 Level
Dutch or Spanish are desirable

Conditions
It is a full time role with working hours starting from 08.00 till 17.30 Monday to Thursday and Friday from 08.00 till 12.00 (40 hours per week). The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in Aruba
Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.

How to apply
Interested applicants should submit their application through www.unhcr.org/careers.html
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.

All UNHCR interns, staff members and affiliated workforce are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

English

,

,

Desired Languages

Dutch

,

Spanish

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No