OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA’s mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention, and facilitate sustainable solutions.
The Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (ROMENA) is based in Cairo and covering 21 countries in the region. OCHA ROMENA has recently put a renewed emphasis on enhancing partnerships with regional, national and non-governmental actors across the region. The aim of these partnerships is to strengthen cooperation on regional- and country-level preparedness, to enhance strategic and operation coordination during response and to ensure the understanding and complementarity of the international humanitarian system with national and regional mechanisms.
This internship will be based in Cairo, Egypt, and works in close collaboration with the OCHA ROMENA Administration team to achieve delivered tasks and responsibilities. The intern shall work under the guidance and supervision of the ICT officer.
The internship is being offered for a minimum period of six (6) months, with a possibility of extension.
Responsibilities
In general, the intern shall support OCHA ROMENA in fostering a conducive operating environment that facilitates the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance (both material and protection).
Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background and duties may include but are not limited to:
• Supporting the Information and Communications Technology Unit (ICTU) which is responsible for providing comprehensive ICT support to integrated OCHA office in Jordan.
• Assisting in Installation and maintenance of Desktops, Laptops and Printer hardware and software (computer equipment standards);
• Assisting in hosting workshops in meeting rooms as well as online; VTC, webex, MS team and Zoom, etc.
• Assisting in the infrastructure for enterprise resource planning applications and other office automation applications;
• Assisting in networking, Internet access, share-drive, file-sharing, MS Outlook, email and groupware services.
•Assisting in managing server data together with protection for the computer environment from viruses and similar threats; and business continuity and disaster recovery.
• Assisting in the inventory management of ICT equipment and supplies.
• Supporting to helpdesk services;
• Performing other duties as assigned.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM:
Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges. Remains calm in stressful situations.
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.
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 ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets time line for delivery of product or
services to client.
Education
To qualify for an internship with the UN Internship programme, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:
a) Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or
b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent); or
c) Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation from an academic programme.
Applicants who are unable to commence the internship within one year of graduation shall not be accepted. The University degree must be in the area of Information and Communication technology, Computer Science or related field.
Work Experience
No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship, fluency in English and Arabic (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.
Assessment
Candidates will be assessed based on their Personal History Profile (PHP). Individual interviews may be conducted by the Hiring Manager directly for further consideration. A complete online application (cover note included in the PHP) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The cover note must include:
a) Title of degree you are currently pursuing;
b) Graduation date (when you will be graduating from the programme);
c) IT skills and programmes in which you are proficient;
d) Explanation why you are the best candidate for the internship position.
In your PHP, please be sure to include all past work experience, if any and three (3) references.
Due to high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.
Special Notice
Applicants are encouraged to apply for internships which relate directly to their studies and/or skills and expertise. Applicants are asked to please indicate preferences which best match her/his suitability and do so carefully in order to enhance the value of the internship for both the intern and the receiving UN department. 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 advertisement, “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 a child 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. In line with the United Nations internship programme, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs-(OCHA) internship provides a framework by which students from diverse academic backgrounds gain exposure to the work of the United Nations through assignment to offices within the Secretariat. The Programme endeavours to attract qualified students, offering them an opportunity to enrich their educational experience through exposure to the work of the Organization. Equally, it provides the Office with the assistance of students specialized in various professional fields. The internship is an unpaid and full-time opportunity and the intern must adhere to the established official weekly working hours of the duty station where it is based with one hour for a lunch break. Interns shall not represent the United Nations in any official capacity. There should be no expectation of employment by the United Nations upon completion of the internship. Interns are responsible for all internship-related expenses that they incur. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during an internship. Therefore, upon award of an internship, interns are responsible for securing adequate insurance coverage and are required to sign and return a statement confirming their understanding and acceptance of these conditions of service. For more information on the Programme, please visit: https://www.unog.ch
United Nations Considerations
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places 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. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.
The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.
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.