Traineeship in the Protection of the Civilian Population Unit at International Committee of the Red Cross

What we do

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works worldwide to provide humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and at the same time promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

Purpose

The associates (3 positions) will contribute to the work of the Prevention and Protection of Civilians unit whose task is to strengthen ICRC’s response to protect civilians and other populations of concern from violence. It gives guidance on complex protection issues and strategic and operational support to field delegations and other headquarters’ units in the following areas of activity: ICRC’s prevention approach, monitoring, documentation and analysis of violations of IHL and other bodies of law, and strengthening operational interventions to prevent, avoid or mitigate civilian harm. The unit is also responsible for the production of methodological and policy guidance documents and for global training in its areas of expertise. It leads on the development and promotion of universal standards for practitioners engaged in protection work (Professional Standards for Protection) and represents the ICRC externally in all areas of concern of the unit.

Each associate will work more closely with a few advisers within the unit. Currently, the unit has advisers working on the following themes: prevention, the conduct of hostilities, law enforcement, digital risks, community-based protection.

The associates will support the work of the advisers and managers on the following tasks:

• Research on new and emerging topics, especially linked to community-based protection, the conduct of hostilities, law enforcement operations, prevention linked to international humanitarian law
• Training (e-learning and in-person)
• Information management
• Administration

Accountabilities & Functional responsibilities

In the PCP unit, Associates are expected to:

Support to unit’s research work

• Conduct research project(s) linked to the unit’s operational priorities
• Identify and summarize external research and reports on relevant topics in the field of prevention and protection and share findings with the team.

Support the unit’s work at the HQ level

• Assist in finalizing guidelines and other internal notes on methodologies and practices linked to the protection of civilians.
• Support the organization of prevention and protection trainings, events and meetings by contributing to event programming, training materials, evaluations and reporting
• Contribute to reports for promoting protection concepts internally, as well as reports for external audiences to express ICRC points of view on protection concerns.
• Contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of prevention and protection work.
• Contribute in the collection of ‘success stories’, operational examples and best practices from the field
• Update relevant communication platforms and information management tools, such as an internal and external webpage or communities of practice tools.

Support to the field

• Assist in following pilot project implementation.
• Assist with the monitoring of PCP-related developments and activities in priority operational contexts.

Certifications / Education required

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field
• Fluency (oral and written) in English, and a very good command of at least one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish.

Professional Experience required

At least 6 months of relevant professional experience, including internships, preferably abroad. As associate positions are meant for recent graduates, we will not consider applicants with more than 2 years of relevant professional experience.

Desired profile and skills

• Fluency (oral and written) in English, and a very good command of at least one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish.
• Interest in protection work;
• Demonstrated ability to research, analyze, and synthesize information;
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely (written and oral);
• Comfortable working in a team, good interpersonal skills;
• Good level of autonomy/independence in managing work;
• Competent user of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Experience with a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society;
• Experience with information management tools such as SharePoint or Lotus Notes, and skills for producing content on internet/intranet purposes;

What we offer

We offer our associates the means to learn, practice and develop, through:

• paid traineeships: all associates receive a salary allowing them to live in Geneva;
• support and supervision from broad teams with competencies in the associate’s field of work;
• an informal buddy programme to welcome and support newcomers;
• both formal and informal training opportunities, including an initial three-day training programme, access to our online learning platform and cohesive on-the-job learning.

Additional information

• Location: Geneva
• Type of contract: Traineeship
• Length of assignment: 12 months
• Relocation: Not provided for traineeships
• Visa/permit: legitimacy card provided
• Gross monthly salary: 3567 CHF
• Estimated start date: 03/01/2022
• Application deadline: 10/10/2021
• Application documents required: diplomas, work certificates, scan color of passport – please upload it on your profile

The ICRC values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.