Internship - Human Resources - WHO's Health Emergencies Programme

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

The mission of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme is to build the capacity of Member States to manage health emergency risks and, when national capacities are overwhelmed, to lead and coordinate the international health response to contain outbreaks and to provide effective relief and recovery to affected populations. Emergency Operations within the Health Emergencies Programme is responsible for ensuring that emergency-affected populations have access to timely and effective health services. This includes ensuring a strong emergency management system (based on incident management), effective and inclusive coordination mechanisms, joint assessments and planning by partners, implementation of operations and services according to agreed standards, and strong logistics and operational support. The expansion and strengthening of operational partnerships is a key priority. EMO also leads on humanitarian policy and guidance, as well as representation to key interagency bodies.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Terms of reference

The purpose of this internship is to allow interns to experience the HR duties in the World Health Emergency Programme (WHE) in the regional office within the WHO European Region. In addition to routine duties and support to HR staff, the intern will work on HR project/s related to outreach, streamlining of processes or other relevant area, as agreed with the supervisor.
Under the supervision of the responsible HR Officer, the intern is assigned the agreed terms of reference:

1. Assist the WHE HR Team with the recruitment of staff. This includes, but is not limited to, some or all, of the following HR actions:

   • Drafting vacancy notices, formulating pre-screening questions, and publishing finalized vacancy notices as well as tracking the request on the WHE Recruitment Monitoring table.

   • Support the screening of applications for staff recruitments.

   • Assist with the scheduling of interviews.

   • Conduct background and reference checks for identified candidates.

   • Function as note taker during interviews and support the drafting of the selection report.

2. Assist with drafting of correspondence, memos etc. as required.
3. Support new and ongoing HR initiatives/projects in the unit as required.

Learning objectives

The purpose of the WHO Internship Programme is to provide an enriching learning experience for students and recent graduates. The Learning Objectives outlined within each internship vacancy are a key component of the programme.

Within this internship, the intern will:
• Understand the objectives of the programme/area of work.
• Communicate clearly about the programme/area of work.
• Understand the difference of work between headquarters, regional offices and country offices.
• Understand the full cycle of the recruitment process.

DURATION OF INTERNSHIP

One internship – 6 months
Dates: 1 March – 31 August 2025
One internship - 6 months
Dates: 1 July – 31 December 2025

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Have completed the equivalent of three years of full-time studies in human resources, business administration, social sciences or other field of relevance to HR or administration at a university or equivalent institution prior to commencing the assignment; AND be enrolled in a course of study at a university or equivalent institution leading to a formal qualification. (Applicants who have already graduated may also qualify for consideration provided that they apply to the internship within six months after completion of their formal qualification).

Skills

Core competencies
• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication

All interns should be able to demonstrate the following skills in line with the WHO core competencies:
• Communicating effectively orally and in writing
• Showing willingness to learn from mistakes
• Producing and delivering quality results
• Working collaboratively with team members

In addition, interns need to be familiar with commonly used computer programmes, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Experience

• Experience in administration and/or human resources through academic work or research
• Prior international experience is considered an advantage
• Familiarity with formal written communication
• Time-management and meeting deadlines

Languages

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.
Desirable: Intermediate knowledge of other UN language.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Interns do not receive a salary; however, they are provided with a living allowance, which varies depending on the duty station and any external support (such as grants or scholarships), the intern may receive.
In Copenhagen, the maximum living allowance provided by WHO is approximately DKK 11,460 per month, paid in local currency. The exact amount will be determined for each intern after selection, based on a legal financial disclosure form that the intern will complete. Additionally, all interns in Copenhagen receive a monthly lunch allowance of DKK 1,234.64 (also paid in local currency) to cover meal expenses. WHO also provides all interns with accident and medical insurance coverage.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Please note that internships at WHO are very competitive and only a small number of applicants will be accepted every year. Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

• Living abroad is expensive and finding accommodation can be challenging. All intern candidates should be aware of these factors before they consider applying for a WHO Internship.

• If selected for a WHO Internship, candidates will be required to provide certified copies of proof of enrolment in an eligible course of studies, a completed WHO medical certificate of fitness for work, and the contact details for reference checks.

• WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

• WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits and employs staff regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

• WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply.

• Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int

• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Department of Staff Health and Wellbeing (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at shws@who.int