Crisis Action
Title: UN Office Research and Campaigns Assistant
Location: New York (applicant will require relevant authorisation to work in US)
Responsible to: UN Advocacy and Campaigns Manager
Stipend: $2600 per month
Starting date: 1 September 2021
Duration (fixed): Five months
Application deadline: 31 July 2022, 23:59 EST
This is a paid internship position. We would particularly encourage applicants with a background in campaigning and advocacy unrelated to the UN, but with an interest in developing experience on the work of the UN and UN Security Council in particular, and a strong commitment to the protection of civilians in conflict.
Crisis Action supports a diverse working environment and strongly encourages applications from women, people of colour, people with lived experience of conflict, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ and gender non-conforming people.
The Campaign and Research Assistant will work with the UN Director and Advocacy and Campaigns Manager in a small New York office. Candidates will be resident in NY and must have prior authorization to work in the US.
About Crisis Action
Crisis Action is a dynamic international non-governmental organisation that works with individuals and organisations from global civil society to protect civilians living in warzones. We work behind the scenes as a coordinator and catalyst, to support a diverse range of partners to increase the impact of collective campaigning. The support we provide may include warning of emerging crises and prompting early responses; sharing information and analysis; researching and analysing government policy; facilitating partner dialogue; negotiating policy platforms; coordinating joint action; planning and executing campaigns and evaluating the effectiveness of responses.
Crisis Action’s current conflict priorities are Ethiopia, Yemen and the Sahel. We also monitor ongoing emergencies and often engage in short-term “emergency response” advocacy, such as our current campaign on Ukraine. Crisis Action has offices in Beirut, Brussels, Johannesburg, London, Nairobi, New York, Paris and Washington D.C.
Crisis Action has been awarded the 2012 Macarthur Foundation Award for Effective and Innovative Institutions and the 2013 Skoll Foundation Award for Social Entrepreneurship. More information about Crisis Action is available on our website and our most recent Annual Report.
Principal roles
- Support of campaign activities: Your primary focus will be working with the UN Advocacy and Campaigns Manager and UN Office Director in support of our campaigns including: supporting the development of campaign strategies and action plans; covering UN briefings and Security Council meetings related to Crisis Action’s core campaigns and monitoring related international and UN news; analyzing UN Security Council Members’ positions and identifying opportunities for influencing those positions; organizing and minuting meetings with partners and key UN and Security Council contacts; co-representing Crisis Action in policymaker settings; media outreach, including drafting media materials; social media engagement; supporting visiting delegations to directly engage policymakers in NY.
- Administrative support to the UN Office: Within the UN office, you will play a key role in making sure the office runs smoothly and will provide administrative support such as setting up conference calls, and maintaining contact lists, databases, and financial records.
Qualifications
Essential:
- Commitment to Crisis Action’s mandate
- Interest in International Humanitarian Law, the workings of the UN Security Council, and the role of the international community in upholding international peace and security
- Initiative, curiosity, enthusiasm, ambition, and an eye for detail
- Ability to analyze complex political issues, identify campaign opportunities, develop innovative campaign activities, and deploy a range of campaign tactics to achieve policy change
- Excellent written and spoken English, strong writing and editing skills
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to cultivate key contacts amongst policy makers, media, and civil society
- Ability to work as a member of a small team with minimal supervision
- Exceptional time management, ability to cope with multiple internal and external demands
The following is desirable:
- Experience in social organizing or campaigning (in any form);
- Experience working with coalitions; understanding of the challenges involved in developing and managing coalitions;
- Experience of working with diverse teams of international staff;
- French, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese or Russian language skills
How to apply
Please upload your CV and a cover letter in English, explaining your interest in working with Crisis Action and why you are a good fit for the role, based on examples in your current or past positions, by following this link: www.crisisaction.org/opportunities
References will not be contacted without permission. We regret that due to the volume of applications we cannot respond individually to each applicant.
Equal opportunities: Crisis Action values diversity and is committed to equal opportunities. All applicants for employment will receive equal treatment without discrimination on grounds of gender, race, ethnic or national origins, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation, or any other grounds.