Programme Intern

Deadline for Applications

August 29, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

A (least hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Internship

Target Start Date

2026-09-01

Terms of Reference

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship based in its Programme Unit in Algiers, Algeria.

Established in December 1950, UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR currently operates in over 130 countries, using its long expertise to protect and care for millions.

Organizational context:

UNHCR has been accredited to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees, since 1984. It provides protection and assistance to persons of concern in both urban and camp settings. UNHCR’s operation in Algiers serves more than 10,000 refugees and asylum-seekers from the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. At the request of the Algerian authorities, UNHCR undertakes registration and refugee status determination for asylum-seekers and helps them to secure durable solutions once recognized as refugees. Owing to natural and human-made crises regional and global in nature, over the past years there has been an increase in the number of individuals seeking asylum in Algiers.

In this context, the Programme Unit plays a central role in coordinating and monitoring UNHCR’s partnership arrangements to ensure the effective delivery of protection and assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers. Working in close collaboration with national and international partners, the Programme Unit oversees project planning, implementation, and reporting, ensuring activities are aligned with UNHCR’s global Results-Based Management framework. It further contributes to strategic planning and resource allocation, supports monitoring and evaluation of interventions, and promotes accountability to affected populations. By fostering constructive dialogue and coordination with partners, the Programme Unit strengthens protection and assistance delivery, while promoting sustainability, resilience, and complementarity with national systems and other humanitarian actors.

The position:

Under the supervision of the Associate Programme Officer and in line with UNHCR standards, policies and operating procedures, the intern will support the activities of Programme Unit.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Assist in monitoring the implementation of programme activities and contribute to tracking progress against established plans and indicators.

• Support the review and consolidation of implementing partner reports, project proposals, and related documentation.

• Contribute to the maintenance and updating of programme monitoring tools, databases, and filing systems in line with UNHCR standards.

• Assist in the preparation of internal and external reports, briefing notes, and other documentation required for planning, monitoring and reporting purposes.

• Support the organization of meetings, workshops, and capacity-building activities, including drafting minutes and follow-up actions.

• Conduct desk research and compile information relevant to programme design, implementation, and reporting.

• Provide administrative and logistical assistance to the Programme Unit, ensuring effective coordination and communication.

• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum qualifications required:

To be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and

• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR .

• Not have exhausted the maximum cumulative internship period with UNHCR, including any prior internships (8 months for full-time and 12 months for part-time)

NOTE: An individual who bears the relationship of parent, child or sibling or step-parent, step-child or step-sibling to a current UNHCR staff member or affiliate is not eligible for an internship.

Desirable qualifications and skills:

• Proficiency in computer applications, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams.

• Excellent drafting and communication skills in both French and English (both oral and written); knowledge of Arabic would be an asset.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team in a multicultural environment.

• High level of accuracy, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple tasks within established deadlines.

Conditions:

The internship is a full -time role with working hours starting from 8.30am to 16:30pm Sunday to Thursday (40 hours per week). The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in person in Algiers, Algeria.

Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.

Travel: Unless provided or paid by external sponsoring entities, UNHCR reimburse interns engaged from a location outside of the country of the duty station for the ticket costs of their outward and return travel to/from the duty station by the most economical route available on economy class, irrespective of the duration of the journey. Reimbursement shall be limited to the authorized outward and return travel between the intern’s country of residence and the intern’s duty station, or actual route of travel, whichever is lower.

Before travel is undertaken, the selected intern must obtain authorization in writing from the hiring office. Such authorization must include the approved cost of the ticket.

Internships normally last two to six months with the possibility of extension up to eight months for full-time internships and twelve months for part-time internships.

Obligations:

Acquiring and renewing current visas, residence permits including all associated costs, obtaining medical certification and compliance with taxation requirements (if applicable), are the responsibility of the intern.

The selected candidate will need to provide UNHCR with a proof of health insurance coverage applicable to the assigned internship location and a certificate of good health from a qualified medical practitioner certifying their fitness for work and travel. In the event the selected candidate is not able to produce the required certificates, they will not be admitted to the Internship Programme.

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If you are a person with a disability and you expect you may face challenges during the recruitment process, you can indicate it in your application form.

There are options to select any health conditions you may have and outline any necessary adjustments related to disabilities during the recruitment phases. Providing this information is optional. It will be treated as strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of finding out how to better assist you during the recruitment process.

Adjustments for candidates with disabilities will be provided as best as possible and as needed upon request.

All candidates will be assessed based on meeting the requirements for each vacancy in relation to experience, skills, and education.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training.

We welcome applications from candidates with a refugee or stateless background.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

,

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Work Experience

Other information

Candidates profiles will be assessed against the internship requirements. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Remote

No