Location: remote/home-based with missions to the field and reliable internet connection
Contractual modality: 6-month collaboration contract
Remuneration: Euro 500/month
Deadline for applications: 5 March 2026
Background of the Institute
The International Institute of Humanitarian Law is an independent, non-profit, humanitarian association founded in 1970 in Sanremo, Italy. The Institute organizes training courses in international humanitarian law, human rights, refugee law, and related issues. It promotes dialogue by organizing international conferences, meetings, and seminars for high-level government officials, scholars, and practitioners.
The mission of the Department of International Refugee Law and Migration Law is to enhance the knowledge and skills of government officials, international organizations, civil society representatives, and academics involved in working with individuals in need of protection, including refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), stateless individuals, and migrants. Through its capacity-building initiatives and the exchange of experiences, the Department advocates for preserving human rights, thus complementing and augmenting the efforts of various stakeholders in the protection field.
The Institute enjoys a consultative status at ECOSOC, a participatory status at the Council of Europe, and observer status at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) ExCom, and with the International Organization for Migration.
Working under the guidance of the Head of Institutional Engagement Unit (the Unit) of the Department of International Refugee Law and Migration Law (the Department) of the of Humanitarian Law (the Institute), the Junior Collaborator will support the expansion of the Department’s outreach to Development institutions, including global and regional financial institutions, governmental and United Nations development agencies and private sector.
The position focuses on research and identification of cooperation and funding opportunities with actors at the intersection of humanitarian action and sustainable development. The Junior Collaborator is responsible for mapping partnership opportunities and keep record of the Department´s related partnerships and initiatives.
This role offers a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience in working with the senior management of a globally recognized organization and gain knowledge and skills needed to pursue a career in the international sector.
Primary duties and Responsibilities
- Conducts research on the priorities, operational work and plans of development actors, specifically focusing on their contribution to the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
- Identifies and maps potential partnership and funding opportunities with development actors for the implementation of learning initiatives and capacity-sharing both online and in-person.
- Analyzes global and regional trends and updated best practices on the intersection between the protection of forcibly displaced and stateless persons, and sustainable responses-development actions.
- Supports capacity sharing initiatives, like online courses and in-person events related to the subject,
- Maintains and timely update the Unit’s partnerships tracker with reference to the Department’s engagement with Development actors.
Qualifications, Experience, and Skills
- University degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, Economics, Development, International Cooperation or a related field.
- Fluency in English. Another UN language is an asset.
- Understanding of Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus and its application in forced displacement contexts.
- Strong organization and communication (written and oral) skills.
- Ability to work effectively within a multicultural team and adapt to a fast-paced environment.
- Motivation and passion for working in an organization supporting the protection of refugees, internally displaced people, stateless persons, and migrants.
- Previous experience working on development projects at the country, regional, or international level.
- Previous experience with international financing institutions, development banks, development agencies or World Bank Group.
- Understanding of the mandates and operational frameworks of international and regional development actors.
- Familiarity with Refugee Law, Migration Law, Internal Displacement and Statelessness.
- Experience with instructional design tools or digital platforms used for training and capacity building.
The Junior Collaborator is full-time remote role and, upon request of the supervisor should attend meetings and events in Rome CET time zone. Upon request, the Junior Collaborator may need to travel to Sanremo (Italy), Geneva (Switzerland) or other location to perform tasks related to the terms of reference. Missions will be fully covered by the Institute.
Please note that completion of this contract does not guarantee a transition to a position within the Institute; however, junior collaborators who have excelled performed their duties are given priority consideration for future relevant vacancies within the Department.
In recognition of their contribution, the Junior Collaborator will be compensated with 500EUR/month. and granted complimentary scholarships to the Department’s online learning courses.
How to apply and selection process
- Please submit your CV and the motivation letter through: https://iihl.peopleforce.io/careers.
- Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews and other relevant assessments.
- The Institute may choose to begin the interview process before the application deadline should suitable candidates be identified.
The Institute is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, irrespective of gender, nationality, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, or other status. Applications of persons with forced displacement and statelessness backgrounds are particularly welcome.
