Psychosocial Support Intern

The hiring office location is in ​Geneva, Switzerland. This internship is designed to be conducted in-person, hybrid or remote work. The modality is flexible, to be discussed with the successful candidate.

This internship is expected to be for a period of maximum six months. The estimated start date for the vacancy is September 14, 2026, however, the specific start date and duration may be adjusted after discussion with the successful candidate. The IIIM internship is unpaid and full-time (40 hours per week). The regular working hours at are 8: 30-17:30, Monday through Friday. Overtime may be required to meet deadlines for specific projects.

​The position of Psychosocial Support Intern is located in the Operational Support Section (OSS) of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011 (IIIM), located in Geneva, Switzerland. The OSS is responsible for ensuring that the safety and wellbeing of victims and witnesses is not adversely affected due to their cooperation with the Mechanism. The Psychosocial Support Intern will work under the supervision of the Witness Support Officer (WSO), assisting with evaluation of current staff support and explore ways to introduce new service opportunities. ​ The purpose of this internship it to enhance the IIIM’s ongoing initiatives and contribute to the quality of psychosocial services provided to staff. Simultaneously, the intern will gain valuable hands-on experience in the field of organizational psychology, honing skills that are highly transferable to future career endeavours.​ The duties of the Psychosocial Support Intern include, but are not limited to: - Assisting with the launch and data interpretation of the Annual Well-being and Employee Engagement Survey - Providing support to the IIIM Workgroup on Well-being and Employee Engagement - Conducting research on best practices of psychosocial support to staff - Supporting the finalisation of the Psychological Preparedness for Deployment Manual - Drafting the vicarious trauma prevention guide - Designing materials for staff support for the Support to Staff online page - Drafting meeting minutes At the end of the programme: - The intern will design and conduct at least one presentation on the topic of staff support. - The intern will assist the WSO in data interpretation of the annual survey and will produce one report on statistical analysis and interpretation of the annual survey. - The intern will produce one article and will assist with the population of the Support to Staff online page. - The intern will produce accurate and detailed meeting minutes for various meetings.

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent). Interested candidates must be pursuing or pursued their degree in areas related to this Job Opening: Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology or related field. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage. Applicants must have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams. Ability to design surveys and polls is desirable. A demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural background and beliefs, which includes a willingness to understand and be tolerant of different opinions and views is desirable.

​English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship.​ Knowledge of Arabic or an additional official UN language is an advantage.

ASSESSMENT A complete online application including all of the documents listed below is required. Please note that documents may only be in English, and that incomplete applications will not be reviewed. 1. Two (2) letters of recommendation. 2. Copies of university/law studies transcripts (including courses taken and grades received). 3. A sample of the applicant's written work in English preferably in a field relevant to the work of the IIIM and no longer than ten pages. 4. A cover letter setting out motivation of the candidate and dates of availability. Short-listed candidates may be contacted by the hiring team directly if further information is needed during the review of their application. Due to the high volume of applications received, candidates who have not been short-listed will not be contacted. SPECIAL NOTICE Interns must keep confidential any and all unpublished information obtained during the course of the internship and not publish any reports or papers based on such information except with the explicit written authorization of the Head of the IIIM. Interns are bound by the same duties and obligations as staff members, and the information to which an intern has access in the course of the internship must not be divulged to external parties. There should be no expectation of employment by the United Nations or the IIIM upon completion of the internship. IIIM interns are responsible for all internship-related expenses that they incur. The United Nations accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during an internship. Therefore, upon award of an internship, interns are responsible for securing adequate insurance coverage and are required to sign and return a statement confirming their understanding and acceptance of these conditions of service. For in-person internships, candidates of certain nationalities must obtain a visa authorizing their stay in Switzerland before they depart for Geneva to begin their internship. While this is the overall responsibility of the selected candidate, the IIIM will provide information and supporting documents in this regard. All internship recruitment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits interns regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. Reasonable accommodation for applicants with disabilities may be provided to support participation in the recruitment process when requested and indicated in the application. A person who is the child or sibling of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. An applicant who bears to a staff member any other family relationship may be engaged as an intern, provided that he or she shall not be assigned to the same work unit of the staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of the staff member. Fulfilment of the responsibilities of this position may necessitate engagement with material and/or information that may be distressing.

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.