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 Information Services Branch (ISB) brings efficiency and effectiveness to information management at the OPCW. ISB staff provide the Technical Secretariat with the relevant Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, applications and products, and their support.
The IT Intern will be responsible for creating and executing QA test cases, designing test beds, and ensuring software quality assurance processes. The role requires foundational knowledge of SQL for data validation, query testing, and database verification. This internship will provide hands-on experience in software testing, defect tracking, and automation frameworks.
Interns will get hands-on experience in software quality assurance and testing. They will also get exposure to industry-standard QA tools and methodologies as well as practical application of SQL in testing and validation.
Main Responsibilities
Interns will be asked to conduct the following tasks:
- Develop, document, and execute QA test cases based on software requirements;
- Design and maintain test beds to simulate various user scenarios;
Perform functional, regression, and integration testing; - Identify, document, and track defects using issue-tracking tools;
- Write and execute SQL queries to validate data integrity and database consistency;
- Collaborate with developers and business analysts to understand application features;
- Assist in creating automated test scripts using relevant tools (if applicable);
- Ensure compliance with QA standards and best practices;
- Participate in team meetings and provide status updates.
Qualifications and Experience
Education
- Enrolled in and have completed at least one year of a degree programme in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field in a university (or equivalent tertiary institution) or; in a graduate school programme (second university degree or higher) or;
- Have graduated in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field 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.
Skills and Competencies
- Basic knowledge of software testing methodologies and QA processes;
- Experience or coursework in SQL, with the ability to write and execute queries;
- Familiarity with bug-tracking tools (e.g., JIRA, Bugzilla) is a plus;
- Understanding of test automation frameworks (e.g., Selenium) is an advantage;
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills;
- Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills;
- Good communication and teamwork abilities.
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.
According to article 8 paragraph 44 of the Chemical Weapons Convention the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible.
OPCW is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. OPCW recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.
OPCW General Terms and Conditions
