Field: become an INTERSOS humanitarian aid worker
INTERSOS recruits specialized staff in various disciplines to work in international crisis contexts and provide support, protection and assistance to vulnerable communities and populations. Activities include protection, health and nutrition, food security, water access and sanitation, emergency education, emergency distributions and shelters. Profiles sought include adequate prior experience, generally international, and high technical professionalism, adherence to INTERSOS humanitarian principles and mission, and strong adaptability.
Most Needed Profiles
Protection
To ensure that all our beneficiaries can enjoy their basic rights by ensuring their protection, we are mainly looking for technical profiles such as specialists in GBV (Gender Based Violence), CP (Child Protection) and human rights monitoring, or Technical Coordinators, but also Technical Project Managers, with direct management responsibilities for activities.
Programs
The most sought-after profiles are coordinators such as Head of Mission, Program Coordinator, and Project Manager. These roles are generally concerned with humanitarian response based on needs analysis, and the implementation and monitoring of activities. The skills required are often managerial and representative in nature, depending on the level of responsibility.
Human Resources
In a humanitarian context of increasing complexity, people management is crucial. For our missions, we are looking for Coordinators and HR managers who are responsible for managing domestic and international staff.
Health and Nutrition
The integrated multi-sectoral approach put in place by INTERSOS requires specialized profiles in the medical or paramedical profession. The most frequently available roles are Medical Coordinator, Project Medical Referent, and Medical Activity Manager.
Finance
With a view to program support, and to ensure compliance with institutional donors, each mission has a Finance Coordinator figure, sometimes joined by Deputy FC figures.
Logistics
In order to ensure smooth operations, Logistics Coordinators are in charge of procurement, transportation and movement management, and mission infrastructure. They are supported by Logistics managers and Officers.
Selection process
How the process works for field positions
This is the first step in the process: read the requirements for the position carefully and apply if your profile matches the required skills and experience. Previous international experience is often highly recommended.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview. However, we may decide to pre-select your profile and contact you later to initiate a recruitment process for another opportunity. In any case, we always try to send feedback in a timely manner, although due to the large number of applicants, it may take some time.
INTERSOS, as a humanitarian organization, often works with great urgency and tight deadlines: therefore, the selection may be closed before the official position deadline.
The first interview aims to assess candidates’ adherence to the range of skills required by INTERSOS, with a focus on the key soft skills for each specific position.
The HR interview always takes place online, in video mode: remember to make sure you are in a sufficiently comfortable and quiet place.
The technical assessment is conducted if the first HR interview is successful. It includes a test and/or a technical interview, depending on the responsibilities of the role. The interview takes place online, while the technical tests are usually submitted in .doc/docx format or using Google form-so make sure you have the Office package. If the outcome of the technical assessment is positive but the position is filled with another candidate, the profile is still validated and added to the HR Roster. The candidate will be notified and may be contacted later, for similar positions.
The last interview is usually held with a panel from the specific Mission, or the relevant Mission Chief, to exchange specific information about the context, team, and challenges related to the role. It takes place online.
Some positions may also require an evaluation with a psychologist, given the particularity of some contexts and/or the level of responsibility of the position.
Once the candidate has passed the last interview, the reference check begins. The HR contact person related to the most recent assignment and three hierarchical managers are required. At the same time, the collection of medical documentation necessary for departure also begins.
After these procedures are completed, a formal proposal for cooperation and the complete package of conditions is sent. The onboarding process can begin.
Medical and immunization checks are completed. Passport and personal documents are required to proceed with visa application and flight to the place of assignment. Online training on the Organization, outlined according to the position and context of the assignment, is provided prior to departure.
Welcome to INTERSOS!
Working conditions and benefits
Generally, due to the security conditions that can be difficult, most duty stations do not allow the aid worker to be accompanied (Field duty station). However, in some locations, where specified in the vacancy, it is possible to be accompanied by one’s partner (Accompanied duty station) or family (Family duty station). The classification of duty stations is subject to criteria for safety, access to health and educational services, and is non-negotiable.
Some specific conditions are related to the individual vacancy, but generally these are the conditions applied:
Induction: Each new staff receives preparatory training prior to departure, adequate to provide the necessary information related to the structure of INTERSOS and the main decision-making processes and working tools, in order to facilitate their entry into the Organization.
Salary: The monthly salary is defined for each position according to the standard salary grid and function grid, taking into account the experience of the selected candidate. It is communicated during the HR interview, or otherwise during the first stage of the selection process.
Transport: round-trip flights at the beginning and end of the mission, are covered by the Organization. For each mission lasting at least 9 months, there is an additional A/R trip to the country of residence and back to the mission, covered by the Organization. In the Accompanied duty stations, even for the partner. In family duty stations, even for dependents.
Insurance: medical insurance, vaccines and psychological support is provided for the aid worker upon request. In Accompanied duty stations, also for the partner. In family duty stations, also for dependents.
Visas: INTERSOS takes care of the cost and visa support for the aid worker. In Accompanied duty stations, also for the partner. In family duty stations, also for dependents.
Accommodation: In Field duty stations, shared accommodation in Guesthouse is provided. In Accompanied duty stations and Family duty stations, there is also the option of reimbursement of part of the cost of accommodation and a flat allowance for installation expenses. In Family duty stations, there is also a contribution to school fees for dependent children.
R&R: Applies only in Field Duty stations. It consists of 7 days of psycho-physical recovery every 8/10/12 weeks, depending on the mission. There is an associated allowance of €1,000.
Vacations: 2.5 days of monthly vacations apply