Communications Intern at UN Women

Type of Contract: Internship
Post Level: Intern
Languages Required: English
Duration of Initial Contract: Initial duration of 3 months
Expected Duration of Assignment: 6 months

Background

• UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women, and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
• Placing women’s rights at the centre of all its efforts, UN Women has a mandate to lead and coordinate United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. This includes providing strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.
• In Nigeria, the UN Women Country Office supports the  Nigerian Government to implement its development vision, aligned to United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership Framework (UNSDPF) as well as UN Women’s Strategic Plan.
• UN Women Nigeria seeks to engage a young, dynamic graduate to serve as an intern within its Communications team. The internship will initially be issued for a period of three months and, subject to good performance, may be extended for a further three months. The purpose of the internship is to give students the opportunity to have a first-hand experience for them to build their capacity as part of their studies and to also contribute to the work of UN Women.
• Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Communications Associate, the Communications intern will have the opportunity to learn how to provide communications support that ensures high quality, accuracy and consistency of work. S/He will also have an opportunity to work in close collaboration with the Country Office staff to learn, exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery.

Learning Objective:

• Develop an understanding of UN Women’s work and the UN system.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Under the supervision of the Communications Associate, the intern will, the following tasks:
• Provide support to collect information, write and disseminate content (UN Women social media, newsletters, etc)
• Assist in the production of communication materials that showcase the added value and thought leadership of UN Women Nigeria
• Assist the communications team: in the organization of key outreach events like International Women’s Day, and other project events and opportunities
• Support in dissemination of information and publications;
• Participate in meetings and perform other communications/advocacy support tasks as required.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• The intern should be pursuing academic studies in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Development Studies or other similar subject at post graduate level.
• Be enrolled in a post graduate school programme (second university degree, or equivalent, or higher)
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent).
• Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.

Language:

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) in English is required.

Experience:

• No work experience is required
• Some knowledge and experience in events coverage, organizing events and/or training, media relations and/or advocacy campaigns, using traditional and social media will be an asset
• Some experience in graphic design (Adobe suite) and creating communication materials will be an added advantage
• Strong computer skills, Word, Excel, Power Point.

Eligibility
Applicants to the internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
• Have graduated with a university degree as defined above and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Competencies
Core Values and Guiding Principles:

• Integrity:
  • Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
• Professionalism:
  • Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.
• Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity:
  • Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff;
  • Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Ethics and Values:
  • Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.
• Organizational Awareness:
  • Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment.
• Development and Innovation:
  • Take charge of self-development and take initiative.
• Work in teams:
  • Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Communicating and Information Sharing:
  • Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication.
• Conflict Management:
  • Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.

Technical/Functional Competencies:

• Excellent writing and research skills
• Strong analytical aptitude, communication and presentation skills
• Good organizational, time management and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work flexibly and meet tight deadlines
• Attention to detail and proven ability to work independently and effectively

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).
• Candidates will be required to meet the requirements of Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter as well as the requirements of the position.
• The United Nations is committed to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity for all its human resources, including but not limited to respect for international human rights and humanitarian law.
• Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to whether they have committed, or are alleged to have committed criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.