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The Commonwealth Foundation is recruiting for its Graduate Internship Programme. We are seeking four Interns for six-month placements across different areas of our organisation.
To be considered, all applicants must have an existing right to work in the United Kingdom and must be able to provide evidence of that right in their application.
Who we are
The Commonwealth Foundation is an intergovernmental organisation established by Member States in support of the belief that the Commonwealth is as much an association of peoples as it is of governments. We are the Commonwealth agency for civil society; an organisation dedicated to strengthening people’s participation in all aspects of public dialogue, so they can act together and learn from each other to build democratic societies.
Our vision is of a Commonwealth of equal, just and inclusive societies. Our mission is to contribute to that vision by:
- Supporting the active and constructive participation of Commonwealth citizens in all aspects of their governance
- Nurturing the growth of vibrant and free civil societies in all Commonwealth countries
- Advancing the principles and ideals of the Commonwealth
We work in accordance with our values to advance the principles and ideals of the Commonwealth as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.
The role
Our Graduate Internship Programme provides opportunities for recent graduates to participate in all aspects of the Commonwealth Foundation and gain experience, strengthen their knowledge and develop their skills.
We maintain a team of interns who are recruited together for a six-month period, which may be extended to a maximum of 12 months depending on performance and the needs of the Foundation. Our interns are fully integrated into the Foundation’s staff structure, and we pay close attention to their professional development.
The successful candidates will be allocated to one of the following areas of our work:
- Commonwealth Civil Society (home of our major grants work)
- Creative (within the Advocacy & Creative Programme, home of our cultural initiatives including adda and the Commonwealth Short Story Prize)
- Advocacy (within the Advocacy & Creative Programme, also home of outreach, advocacy and the Critical Conversations events series)
- Communications (working across the Foundation as part of the Knowledge, Learning & Communications team)
Responsibilities are tailored to the needs of each team and the intern’s own areas of skill and interest. For more information on our programmes and our work, see our current Strategic Plan.
Although interns will be based in one of the above programmes, they will be given the opportunity to experience other areas of the Foundation’s work and will also collaborate with their fellow interns on specific projects.
Our responsibility to Interns
We prioritise the professional development of interns, encouraging participation in both internal and external learning opportunities and experience across programme areas to broaden knowledge and skills.
We include our interns in all our activities including strategic and work planning and staff events, and endeavour to ensure that everyone feels nurtured and valued.
Who we look for
The Foundation strives to be a welcoming and inclusive place to work. We aim to ensure that the Graduate Internship programme is as accessible as possible to people from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.
You will have excellent research and administrative skills and ideally have a good knowledge of, or interest in, at least one area of our work: freedom of expression, climate justice or health justice. Experience using technology is important, and knowledge of Microsoft Office and online platforms is required.
We are looking for people who are curious and willing to learn and who will actively promote the values and principles of the Commonwealth and the Foundation.
You must possess and declare at the time of application the right to work in the UK for the full duration of the internship. The Foundation cannot assist in altering the visa status of any applicant.
What we offer
We offer interns a salary of £2,000 per month (equivalent to £24,000 per annum) for a six-month fixed term internship contract. Annual leave is calculated at 30 days per year (pro-rata) inclusive of public holidays and the Foundation’s own designated leave days.
We are currently operating a flexible working policy which requires all staff to work from our central London office at least five days per fortnight including every Wednesday. Applicants must be able to affirm their capacity and willingness to work within our policy.
Our aim is to help our interns to their next position. To that end, we provide guidance on future opportunities as well as assistance with refining CVs and undertaking interviews. There is no expectation of a role with the Foundation at the end of the internship.
Our commitment
The Foundation celebrates diversity, and we are proud of our diverse and welcoming team. All qualified applicants already eligible to work in the UK will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status or pregnancy.
If you need us to make any special accommodation in the recruitment and selection process because of a protected characteristic, please let us know.
The process
Applications should be submitted online via the Foundation website. The application requires you to download and complete an application form, setting out your experience and interests and what you can bring to the role as described, and in the role description provided to download. Your completed application form will then need to be submitted online via the link on the Foundation website.
The application also requires you to provide evidence of your existing right to work in the UK.
Important note on closing date:
The nominated closing date for applications is Monday 22 April 2024, 1pm BST.
However, we will monitor the number of applications received, and reserve the right to close the application window early any time after Tuesday 2 April, 1pm BST. This is to keep application numbers manageable and to be able to give due consideration to all applications received. We therefore recommend submitting your application as early as possible and before Tuesday 2 April 1pm BST.
Interviews: week of 13 May 2024
Start date: Monday 24 June 2024
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 22 April 2024 12pm BST
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Graduate officer, Evidence Team
Job Description
Salary: £25,000, 35 hours per week
Contract length:12 months fixed term contract
Location: Working in catchments across London, occasionally more widely in UK. Office/Home based.
Responsible to: Evidence Project Manager
ABOUT THAMES21
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Thames21 is key to our success and as such we employ staff from a diverse range of backgrounds, this we feel is key in ensuring that everybody has an equal opportunity and is not treated differently or discriminated against because of their characteristics.
We value the voices of our individual employees, and we strive to work in a collaborative, innovative balanced way. The postholder must actively support this.
Purpose of the job
The Graduate Officer in the Evidence team will play a pivotal role in carrying out surveys and the collection and analysis of water samples across various locations in London.
This new and exciting role, involves across multiple projects and is an entry level position where you will collaborate with citizen scientists, conducting thorough fieldwork to gather data and samples, using and developing your analytical and reporting skills to contribute to the generation of impact and valuable insights for environmental assessments.
As the Graduate Officer, you will mainly play a supporting role, but you will also have the opportunity to work on and support various Evidence Programme projects, allowing you to further develop your environmental surveying, data analysis, report writing and community engagement skills.
Example projects that you could be working on include;
· monitoring the effectiveness of wetlands and other nature-based water treatment interventions,
· baseline environmental surveys and monitoring for a landscape scale restoration project
· working alongside citizen scientists in various catchments across London to collect information about waterways pollution sources and possible solutions.
These projects work closely with water companies, statutory bodies, corporate companies, and community groups, therefore enabling you to get exposure of working with other key stakeholders within a project.
You will also support the Project Manager in utilising the outputs of models and GIS to create story maps to share their work widely and increase data impact.
This position offers an excellent opportunity to contribute to environmental research and assessments within London. The successful candidate will be part of a dynamic team working at the forefront of evidence-based initiatives aimed at safeguarding and improving water quality in the Thames River catchment.
Main duties and responsibilities
You will work independently but will also at times work together with the Evidence team and with expert (e.g. NGO, authorities, academics) and non-expert (e.g. community groups and volunteers) stakeholders to deliver impactful evidence for water quality and quantity issues for a variety of projects.
Tasks may include:
· Water sample and survey collection: Conduct fieldwork to gather water samples, deploy and maintain sensors and conduct ecological surveys (such as riverfly and geomorphological surveys) from various sites across London
· Support data collection by citizen scientists: Provide guidance on sample collection methods to ensure accuracy and consistency in data acquisition
· Data analysis and visualisation: Combine fieldwork results with data collected through citizen science, the outputs of models and other data sources to understand catchments, evidence pollution issues and develop solutions. You will also provide data summaries in the form of graphs and maps
· Report writing: Produce presentation and visualisation of data and results online and in verbal and written reports aimed at a range of expert and non-expert audiences to ensure pathways to impact of the evidence and wide accessibility of data in the public domain
- Equipment maintenance: Perform routine calibration and maintenance checks of probes, loggers, and sampling kits (e.g. Aquatroll sondes, Hanna Checkers) to ensure accurate and reliable data collection.
- Team collaboration and lone Working:
- Work outside in a riverside environment in a variety of weathers – this will mean working on your own, as well as with team members, volunteers and professionals.
- Work with Thames21 colleagues to develop and implement Thames21’s vision and support overarching project objectives.
In addition to the duties and responsibilities listed, the post holder is required to perform any other reasonable duties which may be requested from time to time.
This job description cannot cover every issue or task that may arise within the post at various times and the post-holder will be expected to carry out other reasonable duties from time to time which are broadly consistent with other Thames21 activities with those in this document.
You will have the opportunity to:
· Develop skills in field work, data analysis and high impact reporting
· Help improve the evidence base around water quality, quantity and existing ecological value to enable effective decision making and restoration, develop solutions, support implementation and quantify the benefits.
· Help improve knowledge of water quality in river catchments in London and highlight opportunities to mitigate pollution.
· Support the development of pioneering solutions to urban and rural water pollution
· Be part of a successful and dynamic environmental charity.
· Explore London’s waterways and make a real difference to their health.
For more information and how to apply, please see the attached job descrition.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.