About Us

The OPCW internship programme is aimed at motivated students with an interest in gaining experience in international organisations. The programme normally provides work placements in the Technical Secretariat for a three to six month period. The objective of the internship is to provide you with first-hand experience in the day-to-day working environment of an international organisation. You will work with our international experts towards the OPCW mission to achieve a world permanently free of chemical weapons.

As part of our team, working directly with outstanding and inspiring career professionals, you will be exposed to high-profile conferences, participate in meetings, and contribute to our analytical work as well as the organisational policy of the OPCW.

General Information

• Contract Type
  Intern
• Remuneration
  A monthly stipend of €450 (four hundred fifty euro)
• Closing Date
  05/05/2023

Responsibilities

Job Summary

The Public Affairs Branch provides support to the Director-General and the Organisation by promoting the mission, activities, achievements, and continued relevance of the Organisation. The Branch monitors and liaises with news media, distributes public information, and manages OPCW’s official website and social media. The Branch oversees targeted education and outreach activities, both on and offline, and provides the Organisation with specified audio and video materials.

When applying to the Public Affairs Branch, please indicate “Public Affairs Branch” as your only preference when answering the pre-screening question “As stated in the vacancy job summary, please list your preferred placement (up to three branches)”.

Main Responsibilities

OPCW Public Affairs Branch interns contribute to presenting the face of the Organisation to external audiences. Branch interns support OPCW’s external relations activities by assisting branch staff with some or all of the following:

• Researching and creating a daily news media monitoring report;
• Planning communications campaigns and organising an editorial content calendar;
• Updating the OPCW website, including page content, official documents, and news;
• Conducting social media monitoring;
• Drafting text and preparing artwork for social media posts;
• Developing multimedia content, such as graphics, photography, and video editing;
• Organising and conducting group visits and tours;
• Organising responses to public information queries from journalists and the general public;
• Organising engagement with NGOs; and
• Developing analytics reports.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Enrolled in and have completed at least one year of a degree programme in a university (or equivalent tertiary institution) or; in a graduate school programme (second university degree or higher) or;
• Have graduated from a university or a graduate school within a year prior to the commencement of the internship and;
• Be a citizen of an OPCW Member State and fluent in both written and spoken English.

Skills and Competencies

• Teamwork – We work collectively towards a common goal and together we get the job done. As a team member you have to genuinely value other people’s ideas and expertise and be willing to learn from others.

• Commitment to Continuous Learning – The OPCW is committed to a process of continuous learning.

• Technological Awareness – It is hard to keep up with the fast pace of technological change, but the Organization offers training as well as support to keep abreast of technological development.

Languages

Fluency in English is essential and a good working knowledge of one of the other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.

Additional Information

Acceptance for the programme shall not carry with it any expectation of employment with the OPCW. Interns may not apply for, or be appointed to, any posts or positions at the OPCW within six months of the internship agreement end date. The internship programme is run in accordance with the applicable internal rules and where applicable the OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules.

1. Participants in the Internship Programme receive no financial remuneration from the OPCW for expenses that they incur in relation to the programme. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, taxes, accommodation, living expenses and repatriation, etc. are the responsibility of the intern. The intern has to enter and exit the country in accordance with the applicable immigration procedures in The Netherlands.
2. Participants will be asked to provide proof that they have sufficient financial means for living expenses for the period of their internship.
3. Interns will work with the normal working pattern of the OPCW which will amount to no more than 40 hours a week.
4. Participants who are citizens of non-EU countries should agree not to undertake other work in the Netherlands during their internship other than as an intern at the OPCW, notwithstanding whether such other work is compatible with the discharge of their functions with the OPCW.

Only fully completed applications submitted before the closing date and through OPCW CandidateSpace will be considered.

Only applicants under serious consideration for a post will be contacted.

Applications from qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged.

OPCW General Terms and Conditions