Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeInternship
Target Start Date2023-08-16
Job Posting End DateAugust 17, 2023
Terms of ReferenceCandidates must be legally present in Costa Rica at the time of application, recruitment and hire.
Only candidates holding a legally job permit in Costa Rica will be considered eligible.
We are committed to maintaining diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and culture. Persons belonging to minority groups, persons with special abilities, men and women, are encouraged to apply for vacancies. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
Eligible candidates may be required to take a technical test and/or an interview.
If you have special needs or require assistance to apply, please contact cossarrhh@unhcr.org
Covid-19 Vaccination and related Safety Measures:
UNHCR has a responsibility to prevent and curb the spread of COVID-19 as part of its accountability to its workforce and the communities it works in and serves. Whilst other measures (such as hand hygiene, physical distancing, ventilation and wearing masks) remain crucial, being vaccinated against COVID-19 plays a key role in protecting oneself, families, colleagues, and the community including persons of concerns and has been proven to significantly reduce risks of serious illness and death from COVID-19. Therefore, in alignment with other UN agencies and based on the advice of the UN Medical Directors network, UNHCR strongly urges all colleagues to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and others.
Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of full vaccination, independently of contract type and duration, unless the candidate is based in a location with documented lack of access to COVID-19 vaccines.
Therefore, the people recommended for the position must provide proof of vaccination or the medical recommendation that justifies non-vaccination.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship under the HR Unit at UNHCR San Jose, Costa Rica.
Established in December 1950, UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR currently operates in over 130 countries, using its long expertise to protect and care for millions.
Title: HR Internship
Duty Station: San Jose, Costa Rica
Contract Type: Internship
Start date: 1September 2023.
Organizational context
Costa Rica is a country with a longstanding commitment to human rights. It has been a model in the region on refugee protection and integration schemes and is a leader in seeking to end statelessness. In the past four years, Costa Rica has become an asylum country for refugees from the main displacement situations in the Americas (Nicaragua, Venezuela and Northern Central America), and a transit one for persons in mixed migration movements from other continents.
As of December 2022, Costa Rica hosted over 239,000 asylum seekers, refugees and other persons of concern. In the aftermath of socio-political unrest and violence in Nicaragua in April 2018, Costa Rica became the main reception country for an unprecedented number of Nicaraguan refugees. To date more than 217,000 Nicaraguan asylum seekers have or are waiting to apply for asylum, nearly 91 percent of the total caseload of asylum seekers.
The recent large influx of asylum seekers has not only taxed the capacity of the authorities to process and assist persons of concern, but also UNHCR’s operation. To adequately support the Government in its response and ensure protection and assistance to asylum seekers, the UNHCR operations budget tripled in the past year and its personnel increased from 16 to more than 80 staff. The establishment of a Field Office near the border with Nicaragua has been part of this period of rapid change and adaptation, requiring the reorganization of the operation to deliver, including in the context of L1 and L2 declarations. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a worrying impact on the possibility of refugee and asylum seeker population to meet their basic needs, such as nutrition, shelter and self-reliance.
UNHCR key activities involve registration, border monitoring, community-based protection to identify particularly vulnerable individuals, case management, counselling, CBI interventions, health insurance, livelihoods and peaceful coexistence projects through its partners or directly.
The position
Human Resources Intern will function under the direct supervision of the Human Resources Associate. S/he will support the HR unit with him/her in personnel administration and other HR related matters, including the process of recruitment and appointment of staff, and in the performance management and welfare issues of staff under area of responsibility (AOR).
Duties and responsibilities
• Provide clerical support in the recruitment, assignment and management of local general service staff;
• Assist with the selection processes: schedule interviews and tests in the selection processes for multiple vacancies; verification of references, certifications and credentials; and filling organizing;
• Assist newly arrived international staff with administrative formalities related to their accreditations, security/ground passe;
• Assist newly arrived staff on the onboarding processes;
• Follow up with Universities and other institutions’ agreements;
• Issue and deliver attestations and certificates of service;
• Support HR monthly staffing statistics;
• Maintain personnel records in the office, including maintenance of the attendance, overtime and leave records;
• Maintains files and archives for all staff and recruitment processes up to date;
• Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum qualifications required
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO; and
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.
Desirable qualifications and skills
• Education: ongoing or completion of undergraduate/graduate programme in Business Administration, International Business, Psychology or related field;
• Computer Literacy; Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio)
• English and Spanish proficiency;
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills;
• Good planning and organizational skills:
• Ability to work well under pressure and cope with multiple tasks;
• A proactive individual with ability to work as part of a team.
• Showing a genuine interest in learning and adapting;
• Experience and/or willing to work with diverse people and cultural awareness.
• Good organizational, planning skills.
Conditions
It is a full time role with working hours starting from 8.00am to 5:30pm Monday to Thursday and Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 md (40 hours per week). The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in Rohrmoser, San Jose, Costa Rica
Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.
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Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance