Livelihoods and Project Coordination Intern

Descripción del puesto:

Deadline for ApplicationsMay 21, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Internship

Target Start Date2026-07-01

Terms of ReferenceTerms of Reference for Tsinghua University
Internship
UNHCR Rwanda Operation
Development Unit, Refugee Self-Reliance and Graduation team

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time onsite internship with the Refugee Self-Reliance and Graduation team of the Development Unit under the UNHCR Rwanda Operation in Kigali.
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: Livelihoods and Project Coordination Intern
Internship Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Division/Section/Service: Development Unit, Refugee Self-Reliance and Graduation team
Duration (length of internship): 6 months
Contract Type: Internship (Full time) - Onsite
Start date: July 2026
Organizational context
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights, and building a better future for displaced communities. In Rwanda, UNHCR supports over 136,000 forcibly displaced persons (refugees and asylum seekers) and is actively shifting its operational focus from traditional humanitarian assistance toward sustainable development and socio-economic inclusion. The intern will be placed within the Refugee Self-Reliance and Graduation team of the Development Unit in Kigali.
This team is at the forefront of operationalizing the Government of Rwanda's Refugee Sustainable Graduation Strategy (RGS) 2025-2030, a flagship initiative aiming to transition 50% of eligible refugee households from aid dependency to self-reliance.
Undertaking this internship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on, high-level experience in the humanitarian-development nexus, inter-agency coordination, and the practical implementation of large-scale graduation models.
The position
UNHCR is seeking a highly motivated, organized, and analytical intern to directly support the Project Coordinator for the EU-funded "Refugee Socio-Economic Graduation & Livelihood Opportunities" project. The ideal candidate possesses a strong foundational understanding of international development or social protection, excellent drafting skills, and the ability to synthesize complex data. The intern will support the Project Coordinator through structured learning assignments, contributing to coordination, documentation, and monitoring processes under close supervision. He/She will play a role in supporting the daily coordination mechanisms between UNHCR, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA), and various development partners. The internship is designed to provide structured exposure to project coordination and monitoring processes within a multi-agency graduation programme, with all substantive decisions and implementation responsibilities remaining under the authority of UNHCR staff.
Duties and responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Partnership Officer / Project Coordinator, the intern will:
* Support the Project Coordinator in coordination activities related to the EU-funded graduation project, including background research, note-taking, and follow-up tracking under supervision.
* Contribute to the drafting of progress updates, technical notes, and visibility materials that highlight the completion of the socio-economic profiling and the initiation of livelihood activities, to be shared with UNHCR management, WFP, MINEMA, and the EU Delegation.
* Assist in preparing background materials, drafting meeting notes, and organizing documentation for governance and coordination meetings (e.g., Steering Committee, RGTM).
* Contribute to compiling and organizing monitoring information related to the "Twin-Track" targeting approach (Ultra-Poor Graduation and Building Sustainable Livelihoods tracks), under the guidance of the Project Coordinator.
* Assist in tracking updates related to Phase 2 field activities (e.g., TVET, financial literacy workshops, leadership programmes) through review of partner reports and coordination inputs.
* Support the review of partner updates related to the formation of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and savings groups.
* Perform any 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 .
* Candidates with previous UNHCR Internship experience must not have exceeded the
maximum total cumulative full-time internship duration of eight (8) months.

Desirable qualifications and skills
* Academic background in International Development, Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a related field.
* Familiarity with poverty graduation models, livelihoods programming, or social protection frameworks.
* Strong analytical skills, with an interest in data management and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) systems.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; ability to draft clear, concise reports and briefing notes.
* Knowledge of French or Kinyarwanda is considered an asset.
* Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in a multicultural, inter-agency environment
Conditions
It is a full-time role with working hours starting from Monday to Thursday from 08:30 to 17:00, including one hour lunch break, normally from 13:00 to 14:00; Fridays from 08:30 to 14:00 (35,5 hours per week). The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in Kigali.
The Intern's allowance for Kigali internship location is 808,300 RWF per month for full-time internship.
How to apply
The selected candidate will receive a link to the UNHCR recruitment portal to create a profile.
Obligations
Acquiring and renewing current visas, residence permits including all associated costs, obtaining medical certification and compliance with taxation requirements (if applicable), are the responsibility of the intern.
The selected candidate will need to provide UNHCR with a proof of funding from the sponsoring institution, health insurance coverage applicable to the assigned internship location and a certificate of good health from a qualified medical practitioner certifying their fitness for work, as well as travel. In the event the candidate is not able to produce the required certificate, they will not be admitted to the Sponsored Internship Programme.
Allowance and Travel: The Sponsoring Institution shall provide non-reimbursable financial support in the form of a stipend/scholarship/allowance/etc. for the period of internship with UNHCR. Travel expenses to and from the internship location shall be the responsibility of the respective sponsoring institution. UNHCR is not responsible for any renumeration for the intern during the internship period.
If you are a person with a disability and you expect you may face challenges during the recruitment process, you can indicate it in your application form.
There are options to select any health conditions you may have and outline any necessary adjustments related to disabilities during the recruitment phases. Providing this information is optional. It will be treated as strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of finding out how to better assist you during the recruitment process.
Adjustments for candidates with disabilities will be provided as best as possible and as needed upon request.
All candidates will be assessed based on meeting the requirements for each vacancy in relation to experience, skills, and education.
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UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, or training).
We welcome applications from candidates with a refugee or stateless background.
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. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

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Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance

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