Junior consultancy opportunities at ILGA World:

International Junior Professionals Programme

seeking Junior Professional Consultants on United Nations advocacy

Duration: 12 months
Deadline for applications: 24 September 2023, 23h59 Central European Summer Time (CEST)
Start and end dates of Junior Consultancies: 2 January 2024 – 31 December 2024

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The text reads: “Opportunity - International Junior Professional Programme - Junior Professional Consultant on United Nations advocacy” and offers details about the opportunity, the deadline to apply, and who can apply. The ILGA World logo sits at the bottom centre of the image.

ILGA World seeks two Junior Professional Consultants for its United Nations Programme. Currently, our UN programme is divided into the following areas:

1. Treaty Bodies
2. Special Procedures and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
3. Human Rights Council and Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
4. National advocacy engagement  

The Junior Professional Consultants will work with the UN Programme and provide assistance to the four staff members working on the abovementioned areas and UN mechanisms.

The year-long consultancy will allow the successful candidates to have experience with different UN mechanisms and approaches to SOGIESC advocacy at the United Nations.

These are exciting opportunities to join ILGA World, the global LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex) membership-based organisation with more than 1,800 member organisations in over 160 countries.

Who can apply?

Anyone

• with dedication to - and experience regarding - human rights of and social justice for persons of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and sex characteristics
• who meets the requirements set out below

is welcome to apply.

The main target group for the International Junior Professionals Programme are persons who are at an early stage of their career.
The junior consultancies in the International Junior Professionals Programme replace ILGA World’s internship opportunities that we offered in the past.
As an international programme, any person may apply except those living in Switzerland.

Tasks and responsibilities

1. Organising notifications of ILGA World members on the upcoming deadlines and opportunities related to Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, SDGs, Human Rights Council and UPR
2. Collecting, organising and supporting the internal database of Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, SGDs and UPR practice on SOGIESC
3. Compiling periodic reports on UN human rights mechanisms sessions, analysing recommendations and preparing video materials
4. Supporting drafting and delivering statements for dialogues at the Human Rights Council, including with Special Procedures
5. Supporting drafting or drafting submissions to Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures and UPR on particular topics and/or countries
6. Attending Treaty Bodies, Human Rights Council and UPR sessions and other relevant meetings, either in person or virtually
7. Support the coordination of meetings between ILGA World members and Special Procedures mandate holders during country visits
8. Providing support in the development of training materials
9. Assisting ILGA World’s UN Programme staff in the development of new activities
10. Carrying out organisational and administrative tasks together with other UN Programme staff members.

Conditions

• The Junior Professional Consultancies are virtual; no relocation to Geneva is expected or supported by ILGA World
• The Junior Professional Consultancies are twelve months long and require a full-time commitment for their duration (approx. 37.5 hours/week). Working hours arrangements are flexible
• The Junior Professional Consultant will be expected to work from their current location
• The Junior Professional Consultant will receive a compensation of CHF 1,000 (one thousand Swiss Francs) per month for the duration of the consultancy
• The successful Junior Professional Consultants will have opportunities to work with representatives of LGBTI organisations from around the world and other NGOs virtually and/or in Geneva
• Due recognition in publications and activities to which the Junior Professional Consultants have contributed will be given.

Requirements

General requirements

All candidates should:

• have a particular interest in and commitment to LGBTI/SOGIESC human rights
• have experience (paid or unpaid) in NGO work, community or grassroots organising, advocacy or other activist work, preferably in the LGBTI sector
• be well organised, motivated and able to work remotely
• have a good internet connection during the Junior Consultancy period
• have a very good level of written and spoken English. 

Requirements specific to the UN Programme

All candidates should:

• have at least a basic understanding of the UN human rights system and mechanisms gained through study, work or other experience in the UN system
• possess good research skills in law, policy, social sciences or a relevant field
• pay attention to details and have the willingness and ability to work with large amounts of data and information

and should preferably also:

• have direct experience of engagement with/on one or more human rights mechanisms - especially Human Rights Council, UPR, Treaty Bodies, Special Procedures, and/or SDGs;
• have knowledge or experience on intersectional forms of discrimination, including gender, disability and/or race, and
• speak and write in another UN language (particularly Spanish, but also French, Arabic, Russian or Chinese) at a good level.

We especially encourage applications from persons with diverse SOGIESC and from persons living in the Global South.

How to apply

The application for this position needs to be submitted online here: https://recruitment.ilga.org/JCs_UN_2023_application_form

We recommend you first download the application form here to get familiar with the question and, if needed, prepare your answers in advance before completing the online survey form.

Should there be well-found reasons why you cannot submit your application via online survey (e.g. for security or accessibility reasons), you may submit this Word application form, fully completed, via e-mail to un @ilga.org. Please name your Word application file following this model: SURNAME_Name_UN_JPC.docx. For instance: HERNANDEZ_Anna_UN_JPC.docx.

The deadline for submission is Sunday, 24 September 2023 at 23:59 Central European Summer Time (CEST).

Application form

In the application form, you will have to provide information on your personal and contact details; choice of consultancy, timelines and availability; language skills; formal education and degrees; training courses; work and other experience; achievement record and motivation; two references, declaration.

Answer all questions. Read the questions carefully and demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria, as this informs the shortlisting process. The shortlisting process is based on an evaluation of each of the sections.

Language. The application pack should be completed in English. Interviews will also be conducted in English (though other declared language skills may be tested)

Other documents or materials. Do not attach a CV, resume, pictures or any additional document, as they will not be used.

Submit this application form

Confirmation email. You will receive an automatic confirmation e-mail upon completing the application survey. Should you have completed the survey without having received such confirmation please reach out to un @ilga.org.

Late submissions. Please, plan your submission in advance. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Process after the application and key dates

Below you can check the detailed planned timelines of the selection process.

After the assessment of the applications, shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a written task. This will be followed by interviews with candidates who are admitted to the final stage of the selection process, and then verification of references.  The selected candidates will be notified on the dates mentioned in the timelines below. 

24 August 2023 Call for candidates
24 September 2023 Deadline for applications
16 October 2023 Shortlisted candidates notified of results
16 October 2023 Written task is sent
23 October 2023 Deadline for the written task
28 October 2023 Shortlisted candidates notified of results
30 October to 10 November 2023 Interviews with shortlisted candidates
27 November 2023 Notification of selected and not selected candidates
1 January 2024 Successful candidates take up the position

ILGA World Equal Opportunities policy

ILGA World is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

ILGA World is committed to social justice, regardless of any individual or group characteristics, including gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, sex characteristics, race, age, disability, ability, economic status, national origin, religion, ethnicity, and historical, cultural and geographic experiences, nonetheless recognising the unique challenges faced by individuals with each of these characteristics and by those with intersecting identities.

We offer fair treatment to all current and potential employees, Junior Professional Consultants and contractors and aim to ensure that all such individuals receive equal treatment (including access to employment, training and opportunities for promotion, as relevant) regardless of any personal attribute as listed above.

ILGA World promotes gender and equality mainstreaming and it actively promotes equality in all policies and actions. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Lesbian and bisexual women, intersex persons, trans and gender-non-binary persons, and persons from the Global South are especially encouraged to apply. Only qualified candidates will be contacted. If more than one applicant is considered to be equally qualified for the position, priority will be given to applicants coming from marginalised and/or underrepresented groups.