Intern EuroNGOs

EuroNGOs (the European NGOs for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Population and Development) is offering a 6-month internship based with its Secretariat in Brussels, starting on 1 June 2015.  

About EuroNGOs

EuroNGOs (the European NGOs for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Population and Development) is a network of 32 non-governmental organizations from 22 European countries advocating for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. In essence EuroNGOs works to: (1) convene and connect civil society and likeminded stakeholders; (2) producing and sharinginformation and knowledge, strengthening skills for policy and advocacy work, and facilitating the development of collective advocacy actions. Its specific focus is sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) at development cooperation and global policy level. For more information visit:www.eurongos.org.

As a member-led network, the EuroNGOs supreme governing body is the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Between AGMs, EuroNGOs members delegate a Steering Committee to govern the network. The day-to-day management of activities and the overall coordination of EuroNGOs are in the hands of a small and dedicated Secretariat, based in Brussels and hosted by the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN) which also serves as EuroNGOs fiscal agent. The Secretariat is composed of two full time staff, three part-time support staff (finance and IT) and consultants hired for ad hoc tasks.      

Internship Description

Interning with EuroNGOs is an opportunity for young university graduates to develop professional experience on human rights, gender, health and development in the not for profit sector. Over a period of six months, the intern will gain essential experience for her/his professional development, primarily:

·         first-hand understanding of how NGO networks functions,

·         specialized thematic knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the context of development  and global policy; and

·         familiarity with office work and being part of a small, busy team.

The intern will take on a responsible role in supporting the Secretariat, and benefit from a training adviser through a challenging experience in an active international environment. She/he will primarily focus on:

Programmes: administration and logistics (40%)

EuroNGOs enjoys a well-established convener role among civil society working on sexual and reproductive health and rights issues. In practice this translates in the capacity of gathering, at regular intervals, leading advocates to have strategic conversations on key issues of the day. EuroNGOs most important gathering of the year is its annual international conference, scheduled in 2015 on the first week of November in Norway. Other events include 2 Steering Committee meetings, the Annual General Meeting, and one training workshop.

The intern will spend most of her/his time to prepare, ensure the smooth running and conclusions of meetings. This includes, among others: collecting quotes for venues/catering and other service providers, setting up the registration system, sending invitation, preparing logistical notes, liaising with supported participants and speakers, working on the graphic identity of events, preparing payment requests, oversee all practicalities during the meetings, sending thank you and follow up notes.

The intern is expected to participate in all EuroNGOs – sponsored events in Brussels and in Norway. There will be numerous opportunities to also attend other meetings and conferences in Brussels on topics of relevance for the EuroNGOs membership.

Communication: mailing lists and website (40%)

A key component of the Secretariat work is to share information. This is done in two ways. Directly, by producing various publications (a newsletter, a digest and ad hoc messages/notes); and indirectly, by managing two mailing lists (one for members and one for the broader SRHR community) which are virtual ‘safe’ spaces to communicate.

The intern will spend a considerable amount of her/his time to:

§  administer the mailing lists (e.g. adding/cancelling subscribers; collecting statistics);

§  update the website (uploading information on a regular base);

§  assist the Programme Officer in various stages of the development of the monthly newsletter (e.g. monitoring and collecting information, proofreading /fact checking news).

Assisting the Network Coordinator (20%)

The intern will assist the Coordinator by:

§  taking minutes of meetings (e.g. Steering Committee, coordination calls, workshops, conferences)

§  providing support in the preparation of various reports (e.g. workshops, donors’ reports).

§  Conduct research as requested.

§  Other ad hoc tasks to implement the EuroNGOs 2015 Work Plan

Qualifications

This internship is open to university graduates or post-graduate students with a keen interest in sexual and reproductive health and rights. Applicants should be hard- working, well-organized, resourceful, personable, and able to commit to a six month engagement. Advanced IT skills (including website/blog and mailing list management), excellent command of English (equivalent to mother tongue level) and strong writing skills are essential.

**Please note: **

§  In line with EuroNGOs mandate and values, applicants must be supportive of sexual and reproductive health and rights and pro-choice.

§  Only applications from candidates that are able to reside in Belgium for six months will be considered.

Terms of the internship

The internship is full-time. The intern will receive a cash stipend of € 700/month. S/he will be entitled to 11 days off during the internship. The intern reports to the EuroNGOs Coordinator.

How to Apply

Please apply by sending:

§  a 1 page letter of interest

The letter should briefly address the following questions: 1. What do you hope to achieve through an internship at EuroNGOs? 2. How do your education, professional experience and interests match the requirement of this position?

In the letter please confirm that you are able to start on 1st June 2015 and that you can reside legally in the EU for six months.

§  Your CV

§  contact details of two referees

§  a 1 page essay

The essay should elaborate on: why are sexual and reproductive health and rights important for sustainable development?

to Patrizia Pompili, EuroNGOs Coordinator, at patrizia.pompili@eurongos.org by Monday 27 April 2015 11:00 a.m. (no calls or email inquiries, please). Please use “EuroNGOs Internship Programme” as the subject of your email.

Only complete applications will be reviewed.

Due to the small size of the Secretariat, we will be able to contact only shortlisted candidates and we will not be able to give individual feedback. Interviews will take place between 11 and 13 May 2015.