Projects Intern Volunteer Roles in Edinburgh

UK-based peacebuilding charity seeks programme interns to become actively involved in programmes, providing meaningful assistance to the organisation as it carries out its mission.

Concordis International is a UK registered charity which runs peacebuilding programmes in Central African Republic, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan and South Sudan. 

Our vision is for every community affected by armed conflict to have the resources they need to manage future conflicts peacefully.  Concordis works alongside those involved in or affected by armed conflict, helping them find workable solutions that address the root causes of conflict and contribute to lasting peace and economic development.  We’re committed to finding solutions that benefit women as well as men, young and old, those in armed groups as well as those who chose not to take up arms, national governments as well as civil society.

Concordis welcomes applications from potential interns who have:

• An interest in peacebuilding at a conceptual level and a curiosity about how it works in practice
• A relevant masters degree in international relations, development studies, conflict analysis or similar (some of our interns work with us while completing their masters)
• Professional level French and English (Arabic would be a bonus)

Position: Programme Intern

Location: Working from home (interns are welcome to join team meetings when in London)

Duration: 6 months, minimum three days per week.  Working hours can be flexible and we are able to accommodate different time zones.

Remuneration: Volunteer; there is no salary or stipend, but Concordis will reimburse reasonable expenses including a small daily lunch allowance of £5/day. 

Training: Concordis will ensure interns receive a high level of relevant experience, including training from senior members of staff

Closing date: 16th February 2025

Start date: mid-end March 2025

Reporting to: Programme Development Manager & Operations Manager

Overview: Programme interns work directly with the Concordis programme teams on all aspects of designing, implementing and evaluating peacebuilding programmes. The main areas of work in which interns are involved include research, conflict analysis, media reviews and report writing.  Interns monitor international and regional institutions and grant making organisations for funding opportunities.  Programme interns may also be asked to acquire new skills or to work with new technology and will be expected to take their turn in tasks such as monitoring the security of teams on the road.

Concordis seeks to build relationships of trust and respect, considering this to be at the heart of successful peace processes.  The work of all members of the Concordis team is required to conform to and advance such an approach.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

Your internship role within Concordis will be shaped by what is happening on Concordis programmes during the six months you spend with the organisation and by your interests, experience and abilities.  As a team, we rely on each member to contribute their skills to our work and we will look to make the most of what you have to offer, while at the same time giving you opportunities to develop new skills and to challenge yourself.

You may be asked to carry out research and analysis into countries in which we are active, guided by our research managers and following our research methodology.  Your role may include assisting with the development of project proposals, monitoring international news outlets and researching potential new project areas.  You may be asked to help with monitoring and evaluating our programmes, working with the programme managers and programme officers to understand and capture results from our programme activities.

You may also be required to give practical, logistical and administrative support to the programme team to which you are allocated, including helping to set up data collection systems, analysing the data collected, preparing and sharing reports, liaising with project partners, preparing for dialogue or training sessions, translating peacebuilding material and taking notes at internal and external meetings.

You will attend team meetings and programme update meetings where you will hear from the Director of Programmes and other members of the programme teams, giving you the chance to understand what is happening on the programmes and to ask questions about any aspect of peacebuilding. 

You will be asked to research sources of funding and may be involved in drafting applications for funding, including generating ideas for new programmes that meet the needs of communities and donors.

You may be required to attend external meetings, seminars and conferences and to contribute to website and social media content.  You will be given opportunities and time to attend virtual training on peacebuilding and related topics.  You will be asked to be part of the Security Monitoring rota whereby we take turns to track the movements of the in-field staff.  This does include occasional weekend working.

The internships are designed to give you concrete experience in research, programme management and funding within the international development sector. 

The role will require you to work virtually with our UK team, with programme teams in one or more of the countries in which Concordis operates and with your fellow interns.  If you live in or are visiting London, we will be delighted to welcome you to join some team meetings in person.