INTERN WORKSITE LOCATION: The Hague, Netherlands

LENGTH OF INTERNSHIP: 6 months

HOURS PER WEEK: 4 days per week (open to full time) - 2 days per week present in the office

STARTING DATE: May 2023

REMUNERATION: Stipend of 50 euros per day

Please apply with a CV before March 3rd

ABOUT MERCY CORPS

Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action – helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Mercy Corps Netherlands (MCNL) was established in December 2017 as a non-profit association, operating in collaboration with its sister organisations, Mercy Corps Global and Mercy Corps Europe (MCE) as one global organisation. All three entities share the same mission, vision, core values and charitable objectives, as well as operational resources for the support and implementation of programme activities. MCNL is operating from the Hague Humanity Hub, joining a dynamic community of innovators in the humanitarian and peacebuilding space.

The breadth and impact of our programmes makes Mercy Corps a unique and truly rewarding place to work. Our teams are proud of what we achieve in the field and we are always looking for talented individuals who share our passion and commitment.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Mercy Corps has ambitious goals to influence policy and practice in key European contexts, including The Hague and Brussels, around humanitarian aid, development and peacebuilding and to raise resources to support our global programmes. This means raising the profile of major complex crises, persuading governments to invest more, and more effectively, in ending conflict and violence, and ensuring humanitarian response helps people to become increasingly independent and resilient.

The intern will work closely with our Strategic Partnerships Managers in the Hague and Brussels, The Hague based Outreach and Communications Assistant, as well as other selected teams of Mercy Corps, and support them in monitoring, researching and providing summaries of relevant policies in the Netherlands and the EU. The Intern will also support the team with the organisation and coordination of external engagement opportunities. The ideal candidate will have excellent oral and written skills in Dutch (native level) as well as in English, and a demonstrable passion for the issues we are looking to address.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES/DESCRIPTION

●        Providing policy research and analysis on MCNL priority policy areas including Conflict Prevention, Climate Change Adaptation and Food Security.

●        Supporting the organisation of and/or Mercy Corps’ participation in key external events and meetings in The Hague and Brussels.

●        Supporting/leading with production of documents summarising key strategy aspects of Dutch and EU donors in countries where Mercy Corps operates

●        Monitoring key political developments in the Netherlands and providing summaries of relevant developments for the wider team.

●        Proposing and supporting the development of new external engagement initiatives that would support MCNL’s influence, profile-raising and funding goals.

●        Updating MCNL’s contact database and managing a calendar of events.

●        Disseminating major reports and briefs to external audiences using Mail Merge/Mail Chimp.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

●        Increasing knowledge and understanding of Dutch government and EU policy processes and institutions;

●        Interacting with various stakeholders, partners, and Mercy Corps team members in the Hague and globally, and growing a network within the aid sector;

●        Learning about policy and advocacy, communications, and other external engagement processes and techniques of an INGO;

●        Build communications, planning and organisational skills;

●        Gaining a deeper understanding of governments’ and NGOs’ responses to humanitarian and complex crises;

●        Gain experience in a multi-cultural work environment, coordinating and communicating with a global team across time zones and geographies, many of whom operate in complex, challenging environments.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

We are looking for someone who is excited by our vision and mission, and the opportunity to help us raise our profile, influence and impact by delivering exciting and original initiatives. The ideal candidate will:

●        Be a graduate or final year undergraduate student in international development, international relations, conflict studies or any other relevant field.

●        Have demonstrable interest in issues around humanitarian and complex crises, climate change and conflict, and relevant policy debates.

●        Show good knowledge of (or proven interest in) the Dutch and EU humanitarian and development policy processes and institutions.

●        Be flexible, proactive and resourceful with good organisational skills;

●        Be fully computer literate: skilled and confident user of Office 365, experience using Mail Merge or Mail Chimp; experience with design softwares such as Adobe Indesign or Canva would be an asset.

●        Have previous experience organising and coordinating events (preferred).

●        Be a native level Dutch speaker and fluent in English (required).

Mercy Corps Diversity Statement

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organisation with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.  We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.