Switzerland: Membership and Office Management Intern

We are looking for a bright and organised Membership and Office Management intern to join the inspiring and challenging work of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in the Spring/Summer 2020.

Since our establishment in 1915, we have brought together women from around the world who are united in working for peace by non-violent means. Joining our team will enable you to transfer the skills you have learned in the classroom to a professional environment and bring you in direct contact with a network of inspiring women grassroots activists.

What does it look like to be theMembership and Office Management intern?

As the Membership and Office Management intern, you will support the work of WILPF governance, membership development and networking (up to ~80% of the work) and provide help with general administration (up to ~20%).

The internship will give you the opportunity to experience the “behind the scenes” of a grassroots organisation. You will be deeply involved in strengthening our membership and maintaining internal contacts, while also contributing to the day-to-day office management of a busy secretariat. You will need to be able to think of structure, engagement, and overall members’ experience while working on your tasks.

It is an advantage if you work systematically and you are good at staying in control in a busy environment with different tasks, opinions, and personalities. With the Membership Coordinator, you will ensure follow-up and ongoing communication between the Secretariat and WILPF members. Your tasks will include the following:

• Assisting with the engagement of our national and international membership, including liaising with members for assisting WILPF’s advocacy and communications efforts;
• Minuting the International Board meetings and providing support to advance their decisions on a number of issues related to WILPF membership;
• Organising and systematising documents related to the national and international membership, including updating databases and website content;
• Creating WILPF’s membership newsletter and supporting the implementation of effective internal communication with WILPF members;
• Providing direct membership support by participating in the development of material for WILPF’s members (e.g. guidelines, templates, webinars);
• Writing blogs to amplify the work of WILPF members;
• Assisting with the maintenance of general mailboxes, mailing lists, emails, and online directory;
• Supporting the organisation of meetings/events, including room booking, coordination, and update of internal documents;
• Assisting the International Office Manager in day-to-day administration and IT work.

The ideal candidate is an enthusiastic team player with excellent organisational skills. If you have some experience in database management, Office 365 and have a talent for using new digital platforms and interfaces, we are looking for you!

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a degree programme or holder of an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in communications, public administration, information and technology science, library and information science, IR or related fields;
• Have strong writing skills, rigorous attention to detail, and a structured approach to problem-solving;
• Have advanced skills in Microsoft Office software suite (Word, Excel, Outlook);
• Have some familiarity with task management tools (like Trello) and electronic mailing lists (like Mailman and Mailchimp);
• Have some experience in the area of administration/event management including familiarity with formal minuting of meetings;
• Be interested in learning, or already familiar with, web editing (WordPress) and graphic design (InDesign);
• Be fluent in English and have a working knowledge of French;
• Have experience interning or volunteering in a non-profit organisation is a plus;
• Share WILPF’s values and goals.

Practicalities

The full-time internship will be Geneva (Switzerland) from March 2020 to August 2020.

You will work closely with our Membership Coordinator, who will also be your supervisor.

WILPF is a member of the “We Pay Our Interns” initiative, which means that we pay a gross monthly stipend of 900 CHF.

If this sounds interesting, and you wish to get practical experience in a grassroots feminist organisation, then please send a cover letter and your CV (maximum two pages, without photograph) to internship (a) wilpf.org by 6 January 2020 (midnight CET). Please write: “Membership and Office Management internship Spring/Summer 2020” in the subject field.

We expect to conduct interviews and complete the entire process by mid-February 2020. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applications without a cover letter and CV will not be accepted.

*PLEASE NOTE* Candidates from a non-EU/EFTA member state with no valid Swiss work permit will only be considered if their profile meets the work permit requirements established by the State of Geneva.