National SBC Intern

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, operates in over 190 countries and territories with a mission to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. The organization is committed to promoting the rights of every child and offers diverse opportunities for professional and personal development to its staff. UNICEF emphasizes collaboration with government and civil society organizations to ensure that child rights are realized, contributing to broader development goals.

Job Overview:
The National SBC Intern will work under the guidance of the Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist team, contributing to community health programming with a focus on ethnic communities, particularly the Hmong population. The intern will support UNICEF’s SBC initiatives across various areas including health, immunization, child marriage prevention, and parenting for adolescents. This role involves engaging with local communities, drafting communication materials in Lao, and assisting in the planning and logistics of community outreach activities. The intern will also liaise with various UNICEF program sections to gather and consolidate information related to community health and adolescent development, ensuring that interventions are culturally appropriate and effective.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support coordination with the Lao Women’s Union, Lao Front for National Development, and district-level partners to enhance community engagement efforts in Hmong and other ethnic communities, particularly regarding immunization and child marriage prevention.
• Draft Lao-language communication materials, including articles, brochures, and community messaging that promote positive parenting, vaccine confidence, and healthy behaviors in culturally sensitive ways.
• Liaise with UNICEF program sections to collect and consolidate key information, stories, and visual content related to community health, adolescent development, and ethnic-inclusive SBC interventions.
• Assist in the planning, logistics, and preparation of materials for community outreach and engagement activities, focusing on routine immunization, zero-dose children, adolescent health, and social norms change.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the supervisor to support the communications team.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Undertaking a degree or recent graduate in a relevant area such as Communications, International Relations, Public Relations, Public Health, Development and Planning, or other related fields, with excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
• Skills: Fluency in Lao and English is essential, including excellent drafting and oral presentation skills.
• Knowledge of ethnic minority languages is advantageous.
• Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely in written and oral form and produce reports in a timely manner.
• Ability to cope with stressful conditions and demonstrate political/cultural sensitivity.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an international, multicultural, and interdisciplinary environment.

Educational Background:
Candidates should be pursuing or have recently completed a degree in a relevant field such as Communications, International Relations, Public Relations, Public Health, Development and Planning, or similar areas. Academic performance should be strong, as evidenced by recent records from their educational institution.

Experience:
Relevant experience at the country level, particularly in development, fragile settings, and humanitarian contexts, is preferred. Interns should demonstrate the ability to work effectively in diverse environments and possess a strong understanding of local development issues.

Languages:
Fluency in Lao and English is mandatory. Proficiency in additional ethnic minority languages is considered a plus, enhancing the intern's ability to communicate effectively with diverse communities.

Additional Notes:
This internship-position" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">internship position is likely to be part-time and may have a specific duration. UNICEF promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including those from various ethnic backgrounds and individuals with disabilities. The organization offers a range of benefits, including paid parental leave and reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. UNICEF does not charge any fees during the recruitment process and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct.