About Us
The OPCW internship programme is aimed at motivated students with an interest in gaining experience in international organisations. The programme normally provides work placements in the Technical Secretariat for a three to six month period. The objective of the internship is to provide you with first-hand experience in the day-to-day working environment of an international organisation. You will work with our international experts towards the OPCW mission to achieve a world permanently free of chemical weapons.
As part of our team, working directly with outstanding and inspiring career professionals, you will be exposed to high-profile conferences, participate in meetings, and contribute to our analytical work as well as the organisational policy of the OPCW.
General Information
Responsibilities
Job Summary
The Inspection Team Personnel within the Inspectorate Division is looking for two interns.
The interns will provide support to both the Industry and Technology Advancement Unit (ITA*) and the Chemical Demilitarisation and Contingency Unit (CCD*) on the monitoring and continuous improvement of its core activities.
The interns will be exposed to the OPCW's mandate (as per the Chemical Weapons Conventions (CWC) and other relevant reference documents) and will obtain understanding of how ITP contributes to its accomplishment. The interns will also be able to practice their skills and to acquire new knowledge and experience in the process.
*The Industry and Technology Advancement Unit (ITA) is the unit within the Inspection Team Personnel sub-programme in the Inspectorate Division (INS) that is responsible for the Division’s technical activities related to the conduct of industry inspections under Article VI of the CWC and maintenance of technical qualifications of the pool of inspectors to be deployed to all types of missions, as well as other operations and international cooperation activities.
*The Contingency and Chemical Demilitarisation Unit (CCD) is the unit within the Inspection Team Personnel sub-programme in the Inspectorate Division (INS) that is responsible for the Division’s technical activities related to the conduct of industry inspections under Articles IV and V of the CWC and maintenance of preparedness to conduct CI, IAU, TAV and non-routine missions.
Main Responsibilities
Jointly with other Inspection Team Personnel staff, the interns will be involved in the following tasks and activities:
- Participate in the monitoring of ITP projects' implementation;
- Contribute in Knowledge Management initiatives;
- Help in updating relevant ITP documents and contribute to the creation of digital content;
- Analyse information gathered from diverse sources and contribute to the preparation and review of various written outputs as required by the Head(s) of ITP;
- Proactively use OPC databases and manipulate analytical data;
- Perform research on relevant ITP topics, preparation of ITP presentations and ad-hoc reports;
- Any other related duties as required by the Head(s) ITP.
Qualifications and Experience
Education
Essential:
- Enrolled in and have completed at least one year of a degree programme in a university (or equivalent tertiary institution) or; in a graduate school programme (second university degree or higher) or;
- Have graduated from a university or a graduate school within a year prior to the commencement of the internship and;
- Be a citizen of an OPCW Member State and fluent in both written and spoken English.
Desirable:
- Bachelor's or master's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Data Analytics, or any other related field.
Skills and Competencies
- Proficient knowledge of the English language (both spoken and written) and of Microsoft Office
Suite (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook); - Effective communication and organisational skills;
- Ability to work well and productively in a multicultural and multifunctional team;
- Knowledge of Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, MS List and e-learning platforms would be a strong asset.
Languages
Fluency in English is essential and a good working knowledge of one of the other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.Additional Information
Acceptance for the programme shall not carry with it any expectation of employment with the OPCW. Interns may not apply for, or be appointed to, any posts or positions at the OPCW within six months of the internship agreement end date. The internship programme is run in accordance with the applicable internal rules and where applicable the OPCW Staff Regulations and Interim Staff Rules.
- Participants in the Internship Programme receive no financial remuneration from the OPCW for expenses that they incur in relation to the programme. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, taxes, accommodation, living expenses and repatriation, etc. are the responsibility of the intern. The intern has to enter and exit the country in accordance with the applicable immigration procedures in The Netherlands.
- Participants will be asked to provide proof that they have sufficient financial means for living expenses for the period of their internship.
- Interns will work with the normal working pattern of the OPCW which will amount to no more than 40 hours a week.
- Participants who are citizens of non-EU countries should agree not to undertake other work in the Netherlands during their internship other than as an intern at the OPCW, notwithstanding whether such other work is compatible with the discharge of their functions with the OPCW.
Only fully completed applications submitted before the closing date and through OPCW CandidateSpace will be considered.
Only applicants under serious consideration for a post will be contacted.
Applications from qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged.
OPCW General Terms and Conditions
