External Relations Intern

Job Description:

Deadline for ApplicationsFebruary 26, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)H (no hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Internship

Target Start Date2026-03-02

Terms of ReferenceBackground information/Organizational Context

UNHCR requires a skilled external relations intern to support a range of activities that help us lead the narrative on forced displacement, generate empathy and mobilize action. We are looking for an individual with experience in external relations, including media and social media, public information, stakeholder engagement or fundraising.

The external relations intern will support activities such as public outreach and campaigns, news monitoring and media relations, social media engagement, and building brand awareness. The intern will be expected to work strategically in support of UNHCR's operational and communications objectives for the geographic area of responsibility (AoR). UNHCR's Regional Representation is based in Canberra and its mandate covers Australia, New Zealand as well as 14 Pacific Islands Countries and Territories (PICTs) including Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The External Relations Intern works under the close supervision of, and reports to, the External Relations Officer.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the External Relations Officer, the External Relations Intern will:
* Support the production of high-quality, compelling storytelling content for UNHCR's platforms including social media.
* Support social media community management and content scheduling.
* Update and maintain distribution lists (media, parliamentarians, sector).
* Assist with organising events with partners and for public visibility, e.g., World Refugee Day events, liaising with partners, refugees and local communities on implementation.
* Undertake research and fact-checking for fact sheets, speeches, publications and webpages.
* Support with meeting and mission scheduling and preparation such as drafting bios, briefs, reports etc.
* Support the development and drafting of funding proposals and reporting to donors on projects implemented.
* Support the office's programme planning and reporting cycle, statics and operational data management.
* Support the office by responding to external queries from the general public, including rotational shifts in answering the office phone and monitoring UNHCR's public information email inbox.
* Support the procurement and management of external relations products and publications.
* Undertake other tasks as requested.

Minimum qualifications

Applicants must have:
* Completed at least two years of undergraduate or post-graduate studies in external relations, journalism, communications, international relations or social science.
* Excellent writing and editing skills.
* A good understanding of Australian politics and media.
* A high aptitude in use of Microsoft Office software.
* Experience in Social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn).
* Fluency in English.

Desirable
* Knowledge of and/or demonstrated interest in asylum or refugee protection.
* Previous experience in communications, public outreach or event management
* Speech-writing/parliamentary research experience.
* Content management system experience (Drupal and WordPress).
* Video editing experience
* Experience with media monitoring and distribution platforms and systems.
* Experience with Canva and/or Adobe suite (Premiere Pro).
* Experience with data management.
* Experience with project design and project management.
* Lived experience of displacement.

Allowance
Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive a monthly allowance of AUD 2,342.79 to partially offset the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.

To Apply:

Please note that all applicants must be Australian citizens or permanent residents at the time the application closes and must have Australian work rights to be considered.

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.

Duration of internship: 6 months, with the possibility of extension

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

,
,

Desired Languages

,
,

Additional Qualifications

Skills
Education
Certifications

Work Experience

Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance

RemoteNo