External Relations Intern

Job Posting Organization:
UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, is a global organization established to save lives, protect rights, and build a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people. The organization was founded in 1950 and has since grown to operate in over 130 countries, employing thousands of staff members dedicated to humanitarian efforts. UNHCR's mission is to ensure that everyone has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country, and to return home voluntarily, integrate locally, or resettle in a third country. The Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa (RBWCA), based in Dakar, oversees operations in eight countries, including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria. This region is currently home to over 21.9 million forcibly displaced individuals, highlighting the critical need for effective humanitarian response and support.

Job Overview:
The External Relations Intern will join the External Engagement Team at UNHCR's Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa. This internship is designed to provide the intern with hands-on experience in donor engagement, partnership management, and communications within a global humanitarian context. The intern will play a vital role in supporting the Mastercard Foundation partnership, which focuses on enhancing educational and employment opportunities for forcibly displaced youth across five countries in the region. The intern will be responsible for identifying compelling stories from the field, contributing to high-quality content production, and assisting in organizing regional events. This position requires strong drafting and communication skills, familiarity with social media, and excellent organizational abilities. The intern will work closely with various teams to ensure effective coordination and visibility of the partnership's impact.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Associate Donor Relations Officer, the intern will engage in a variety of tasks related to communications, partnerships, and regional coordination. Key responsibilities include:

• Content Development and Communications: - Identify and document compelling stories and impact narratives from UNHCR operations in West and Central Africa, focusing on donor priorities and partnership objectives. - Draft communication materials such as social media posts, web stories, briefing notes, and event summaries. - Ensure the production and dissemination of communication content aligns with donor visibility requirements and UNHCR branding guidelines.
• Support to Partnership Engagement and Regional Events: - Prepare briefing materials, presentations, and background notes for thematic events, donor meetings, and partnership reviews. - Organize and coordinate regional workshops, events, and visibility activities. - Draft summaries, reports, and follow-up materials from meetings and events, highlighting key outcomes and commitments.
• Support to the Coordination Team of the Mastercard Foundation Partnership: - Compile updates and inputs from country operations involved in the partnership. - Assist in organizing meetings, consolidating technical inputs, and maintaining partnership documentation. - Prepare regional briefs and materials that highlight the partnership's progress and impact.
• Perform any other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must meet the following essential qualifications: - Be of Senegalese nationality, have refugee status in Senegal, or possess the right to work in Senegal. - Availability to work full-time for the duration of the internship. - Enrollment as a student in International Relations, Political Science, Communication, or a related field. - Excellent communication skills with strong interpersonal abilities, comfortable working in an international and multicultural environment. - Fluency in French and good knowledge of English, with advanced writing and editing skills. - Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI). - Strong analytical thinking, innovation, and creativity. - Highly organized with attention to detail, capable of multitasking and prioritizing workload. - Flexibility and teamwork skills. - Experience in data collection, analysis, and presenting data is an asset, particularly for supporting impact communication and donor-facing materials.

Educational Background:
Candidates must have graduated or be current students in a graduate or undergraduate program from a university or higher education facility accredited by UNESCO. They should have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a relevant field related to the work of the organization.

Experience:
The position requires candidates to have relevant experience, particularly in communications, partnerships, or program coordination. Experience in data collection and analysis is considered an asset, especially for supporting impact communication and donor-facing materials. The intern should be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and be able to adapt to changing priorities.

Languages:
Fluency in French is mandatory, and a good knowledge of English is also required. Advanced writing and editing skills in both languages are essential for effective communication and content development.

Additional Notes:
The successful candidate will be based in Dakar, Senegal, for an eight-month full-time internship, working 40 hours per week from Monday to Friday. The internship will include a Food and Local Transportation Allowance (FLTA). If the intern is sponsored by another source during the internship, this allowance will be deducted. Applications from refugees and women are strongly encouraged, reflecting UNHCR's commitment to diversity and inclusion in its workforce.