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 Inspectorate Division (INS) implements the Technical Secretariat’s on-site verification activities ensuring the efficient and effective deployment of inspection teams to both military and industrial facilities around the world in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). INS maintains the preparedness to respond to and investigate allegations of use of toxic chemicals as weapons and to conduct, upon request from States Parties in the event of a chemical incident, Challenge Inspections and Investigations of Alleged Use in accordance with Article X of the CWC.
The Programme Control and Monitoring Branch (CMB) oversees the development and implementation of the Division’s programme and budget and manages non-staff operational financial resources
CMB improves efficiencies and ensures that INS remains flexible, agile and transparent when allocating and utilizing financial resources. Focusing on budget processes and quality assurance, CMB defines the priorities for resource allocation in accordance with the Division’s mandate and strategic plan, sets and reports on key performance indicators, and forecasts resource needs consistent with programme objectives and the Director-General’s priorities.
CMB also ensures standard operating procedures (SOPs) and other quality assurance documents are developed and updated to guide the standardization and preparations to conduct all types of missions.
Main Responsibilities
The purpose of this internship is to support the work of the Programme Control and Monitoring Branch (CMB) within the Inspectorate Division (INS) in strengthening data-driven programme oversight, monitoring, and reporting processes, while providing the intern with practical experience in results-based management (RBM), data analysis, and programme support within an international organization.
The intern will contribute to the extraction and structuring of data from programme and project documentation, support the development of monitoring tools and workflows, and assist in analytical and research tasks related to programme performance. Through these activities, the intern will gain hands-on experience in programme monitoring, data management, and reporting practices, as well as exposure to OPCW’s planning and oversight frameworks.
Under the supervision of designated CMB staff, the intern will undertake the following tasks:
- Support development of tools and compile data from programme and project reports to support monitoring, tracking, and analysis of INS activities.
- Assist in the development and maintenance of datasets, dashboards, and tracking tools aligned with CMB’s monitoring functions.
- Support the transformation of information into structured workflows, templates, and presentations to facilitate programme oversight.
- Conduct desk research on topics related to programme and project management, performance monitoring of organizational processes, summarizing findings.
- Assist in the preparation of meetings, presentations, reports, briefings, and materials for internal coordination and management review.
- Provide support for meetings and coordination activities, including logistical and administrative tasks where relevant to learning objectives.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of internal processes, tools, and knowledge management practices within the INS.
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 States.
Desirable:
- University degree in international relations, public administration, data analysis, or a related field.
- Familiarity with results-based management (RBM), programme/project management, or monitoring and evaluation concepts is an asset.
Skills and Competencies
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to extract, structure, and interpret data from reports and documents.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, particularly Excel (data handling) and PowerPoint (presentations); knowledge of data visualization tools (e.g. Power BI) is an advantage.
- Good research and drafting skills, with the ability to produce clear and concise written outputs.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an international, multicultural environment.
- Excellent command of English (written and spoken); knowledge of another OPCW official language is an 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
Please note that all vacancies will close at 22:00 The Netherlands local time on their respective closing day. Thereafter, the vacancy announcements will no longer appear in the Candidate Portal and you will no longer be able to submit your application. We recommend that you apply well in advance of the deadline.
Staff members in the General Services category are normally recruited and paid on a local basis.
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 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