Shelter and Settlements Intern Support – Paid Internship

Established in 1951, International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners. IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It does so by providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

Background

IOM has played a major role in humanitarian shelter operations for many decades. IOM’s unique position as an intergovernmental organization allows it to work at scale in both natural disasters and conflict / complex contexts. In this capacity IOM works in both operations and coordination, and plays a strong role working with partners in support of national authorities. Since 2005, IOM has implemented Shelter and

NFI projects in more than 40 countries.

Over the course of 2019, IOM’s Shelter and NFI programmes reached over 4 million individuals affected by various types of disasters, working in 41 countries overall. Additionally, IOM had a significant coordination role under both formally activated clusters and in country shelter coordination mechanisms and takes an active role in the Global Shelter Cluster and the shelter sector at the global level.

Context:

Under the direct supervision of the IOM Shelter and Settlements expert, and in accordance with the overall direction of the Head of the Preparedness and Response Division, the intern will focus on supporting the Shelter and Settlements team, IOM operations worldwide and other partners working in the shelter and settlements sector by helping through the duties and responsibilities detailed below.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

1. Primary responsibility will be to support the implementation of Shelter Projects, a multi-agency initiative to collate case studies of shelter and settlements responses.

2. Support in the content development, final layout and graphical production of tools, documents and if required audiovisual presentations relating to Shelter Projects.

3. Support global capacity building efforts within shelter and settlements.

4. Provide assistance in reviewing project/programme proposals according to IOM and donor formats, as well as policies and tools for IOM shelter programmes when required.

5. Liaise with IOM’s field colleagues and partners on relevant shelter issues, tools and initiatives when required.

6. Assist the shelter team in the development of humanitarian strategies and resources, including database maintenance and information management.

7. Support the capturing, storing and sharing of humanitarian knowledge; analyse information received from IOM’s field offices.

8. Perform such duties as may be assigned by the direct supervisor or Head of PRD.

Qualifications and Experience

• Strong and demonstrable interest in shelter and settlements in humanitarian response and recovery.

• Advanced degree from an accredited academic institution in a field of study related to shelter and settlements, urban planning, architecture or other relevant social sciences (e.g. humanitarian affairs, development studies, political science, international relations or a related field), or the equivalent combination of humanitarian and construction related work experience in a related area.

• Excellent analytical and drafting skills.

• Excellent design skills, including relevant design software (such as the Adobe Creative Suite), video-editing skills, and potentially web-based presentation skills.

• Excellent communication skills in English (oral and written); good knowledge of oral and written French preferred; knowledge of other languages (e.g. Spanish, Arabic) is an asset.

• Demonstrated expertise and prior experience in working on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) issues is an asset.

• Personal commitment, results focused, efficiency, flexibility; ability to work effectively and harmoniously in a team.

Personal Development

The incumbent will acquire practical insights into the shelter and settlements sector and the cluster system, and will gain experience working in an international multi-cultural environment, with an intergovernmental organization.**

Languages

Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English; working knowledge of French, Spanish and/or Arabic is advantageous.*

Eligibility Criteria

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

a) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent); or

b) Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or

c) Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must commence the internship within one year of graduation.