Graduate Internship Programme

Our Graduate Internship Programme offers placements for recent graduates across the Foundation’s programme areas. Responsibilities depend on the area of placement and the intern’s own capacities. Typically they will include project work, research, preparation of briefing papers, and provision of logistical and administrative support.

We currently have three internship vacancies throughout the Foundation. Interns recruited under this call can be expected to work in a range of areas including communications; event management; and partner relations.

The Foundation prioritises professional development of its interns: encouraging them to participate in both internal and external learning opportunities and to rotate between programme areas to broaden their knowledge and skills. Before they move on from the Foundation, our interns are provided with support in interview skills and CV development, as well as networking contacts.

The organisation

The Commonwealth Foundation is an international intergovernmental organisation established by Heads of Government in support of the belief that the Commonwealth is as much an association of peoples as it is of governments.

It is the Commonwealth agency for civil society; a unique, stand-alone organisation established by, funded by, and reporting to governments.

The Foundation is dedicated to strengthening people’s participation in all aspects of public dialogue, to act together and learn from each other to build democratic societies. To that end it works to:

Support the active and constructive participation of Commonwealth citizens in all aspects of their governance
Nurture the growth of vibrant and free civil societies in all Commonwealth countries
Advance the principles and ideals of the Commonwealth.

The person

The individuals should have excellent research skills, administrative skills and ideally have a knowledge of the development arena. Capacity and experience in the use of technology is paramount and knowledge in Microsoft Office and online platforms will be required.

We work together to promote a welcoming and inclusive environment, which attracts a wide range of candidates and reflects our commitment to celebrating and promoting diversity.

Key tasks and responsibilities

All interns working at the Commonwealth Foundation will be required to:

Actively promote the values and aims of the Commonwealth
Provide support in delivering the Foundation’s objectives, including assisting in cross-Foundation events and initiatives
As well as working within their own team, they will also work on cross-Foundation projects as required
Undertake research projects/produce research papers
Contribute to the planning, monitoring and evaluation and reporting cycle of the Foundation
Contribute to the documentation and sharing of lessons learned and incorporation of these in project reports, publications and appropriate presentation materials
Support the technical aspects of the Foundation’s work including but not limited to assisting in the management of webinars, online meetings and social media.

Closing date:

Thursday 14 January 2021, 1pm GMT

Interviews:

Week of 25 January 2021

Start date:

Monday 15 February 2021

Other:

6-month duration
The role will be based remotely with the intention of returning to the London offices once Government and Commonwealth Secretariat COVID-19 policies allow
The Intern is included fully in any external training opportunities (including conference attendance) and appropriate internal learning & development programmes
Assistance is given where possible to aid the Intern in securing a permanent role in another organisation at the end of their internship. If there was a suitable vacancy at the Foundation, the intern can apply, however, there is no guarantee of a permanent role at the end of the internship.
£55 per day expenses allowance + £20 per day travel allowance
As an internship, this does not constitute employment with the Foundation. There are no payments for bank holiday, privilege days or sickness. There is a limited holiday allowance

Legislation

Under UK employment law you must have the right to live in the UK either by having a nationality from a qualifying member country of the European Union or by possessing an appropriate visa. The Foundation is unable to sponsor any visa applications, so this must be in place at the time of applying. Any applications received without the necessary right to live in the UK qualifications will not be processed.

More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/eu-eea and https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration. Commonwealth citizens who do not possess an appropriate visa, in line with UK legislation, do not have an automatic right to work in the UK.