Internship-Public Information at OCHA

The United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the UN Secretariat department responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to complex emergencies and natural disasters. OCHA also ensures that there is a framework within which each actor can contribute to the overall response effort. In emergencies, OCHA communications officers at headquarters (HQ) and in disaster or conflict situations play a key role in ensuring the humanitarian community speaks coherently and sends appropriate and consistent messages through the media. This helps OCHA rapidly mobilize the political will, funding, supplies and equipment to relieve suffering and help people rebuild their lives. Our spokespersons coordinate with partners to develop key messages that define the overall impact, needs and required response – whether in terms of advocacy or practical aid provision. Key messages are developed in consultation with colleagues in-country, to ensure that the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and others convey up-to-the-minute, clear and consistent information. OCHA also assists the media by ensuring that regular joint press briefings are held, bringing together representatives from across the humanitarian community. It also ensures that speakers are available for interviews in various languages, and helps media access key decision makers and aid operations, especially in hard-to-access locations. Through our communications network, OCHA works with a variety of partners in local, regional and international media to ensure that decision makers and the public read, hear or watch balanced coverage of current relief operations, brewing emergencies or forgotten crises. The internship will be based in Geneva, Switzerland, within the Media Relations Section (MRS) of Communications Services Branch (CSB), and the intern will under the guidance and supervision of Public Information Officer/ Spokesperson. This internship is being offered for a period of six (6) months, with an estimated start date of 05 January 2015.a period of six (6) months, with an estimated start date of 05 January 2015.

RESPONSIBILITIES: Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual's background, duties may include but are not limited to: assisting with the implementation of activities to publicize priority issues and/ or major events, coordination and planning of media outreach efforts, monitoring and reporting on progress against defined outputs and analysing the outcome; compiling daily media monitoring capturing news and opinions of relevance to OCHA's operations and reputation; identifying issues and trends, and offering suggestions on appropriate action/ responses; supporting activities to promote media coverage (e.g. press conferences, interviews, ad verbatim transcripts and other special activities) of priority issues and/ or major events; supporting OCHA's Integrated Spokesperson's Office unit in Geneva in preparing twice-weekly press briefings; editing and proof-reading web stories from the field as required; editing and re-working OCHA-generated public information material for social media; contributing toward all stages of production of information products (e.g. press kits, press releases, feature articles, speeches, booklets, brochures, backgrounders, audio-visual materials etc.); initiating and sustaining professional relationships with key constituencies; and performing other duties as requested by supervisor, as appropriate.

COMPETENCIES: CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors on-going developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. 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: Applicants must be enrolled in a Bachelor's (final year), Post graduate, Master's or Ph.D.programme or equivalent, preferably in communication, journalism, international relations, public administration or in a related area. Applicants that have successfully completed an academic programme in a discipline mentioned above must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Applicants are not required to have professional working experience for participation in the internship program though any academic and/ or practical experience in use of social media, multi-media production, including photography, and writing/ producing web content is desirable. Applicants should be computer literate in standard software applications; have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations, 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 includes willingness to understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

LANGUAGES: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship fluency in English and French (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

ASSESSMENT METHOD: Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration. Applicants are encouraged to apply for internships which relate directly to their studies and/ or skills-set, and they will be assessed based on information provided in their Personal History Profiles (PHPs). A completed on-line application is required, please mention the title of the degree which you are currently pursuing and the scheduled date of graduation (month and year); indicate all standard office software packages in which you are proficient, including information technology applications and/ or programs; and specify your general interest in the United Nations in the cover note. Do not forget to designate three references that we may contact who can attest to your qualifications; include present or past supervisors, peers, mentors or thesis advisors, but please do not list any family members. Due to the high volume of applications received, applicants will be contacted only if they are under serious consideration. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNITED NATIONS CONSIDERATIONS: The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

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.

HOW TO APPLY:

SPECIAL NOTICE: The internship within the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, in line with the United Nations (UN) Internship Programme, aims to provide a framework by which students from diverse academic backgrounds gain exposure to the United Nations through assignment to offices within the Secretariat in order to enhance their educational experience and gain experience in the work of the United Nations. Additionally, it provides the United Nations offices with the assistance of qualified students specialized in various professional fields. Interns shall not represent the United Nations in any official capacity. For additional information on the Programme, please visit: https://www.unog.ch . The Programme is unpaid and full-time. The intern should adhere to the established official weekly working hours of respective duty station (if based in a field-office location); the general working hours at United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) are 40 hours per week, from 8.30 until 5.30 with one hour for a lunch break. All costs associated to the internship are to be borne by the intern, specifically: travel, visas, accommodation/ living expenses and medical insurance for the entire duration of the internship. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for the medical insurance of the intern or costs arising from injury, illness or death that may occur during an internship. To apply to this job opening please go to:https://inspira.un.org or https://careers.un.org .A person who is the child or sibling of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. An applicant who bears to a staff member any other family relationship may be engaged as an intern, provided that he or she shall not be assigned to the same work unit of the staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of the staff member. For purposes of this instruction, "child" means (i) the child of a staff member; (ii) the child of the spouse of a staff member (stepchild); and (iii) the spouse of achild of a staff member or a staff member's spouse (son- or daughter-in-law). "Sibling" includes the child of both or either parent of a staff member and the child.