Short-term voluntary internship opportunities
Our short-term voluntary internships are an ideal opportunity to gain experience in a successful NGO whilst contributing to alleviating poverty and suffering. Our short-term voluntary internships generally comprise a single role that encompasses working on a specialised project. You will become very skilled in your role and gain insight into how an NGO operates.
Check out our profiles and opportunities!
Short-term voluntary internship opportunities
Internal Communications Assistant
Activism Assistant Volunteer - Oxfam Cymru
Internal Communications Assistant
Oxfam House, Oxford
Commitment:
3 days/week or equivalent hours, for a minimum of 3 months (there is flexibility around this).
Department name:
Internal Communications Team (ICT)
Part of Corporate Communications Department (CCD). ICT leads and facilitates corporate communications to all staff worldwide.
Key Responsibilities:
- Management of online Daily Message (an internal message board) and development of communications Intranet pages
- Supporting the management and running of events
- Supporting the delivery of communications projects, with responsibility for specific elements
- Research for and analysis of communications products/trends
- General support to the team
Skills and competences:
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills, with fluent written and spoken English
- Experience of producing information materials
- Good interpersonal skills and an ability to work well in a team
- Ability to organise, plan and prioritise work
- Good understanding of online communications tools
Deadline: Friday 3rd October
Interview date: Week commencing 6 October 2008
Start date: ASAP
Contact: Leisa Ashton
Email: lashton@oxfam.org.uk
Tel: 01865 47 2152
Online Marketing Assistant
Oxfam House, Oxford
Commitment:
ASAP – December. Minimum 2 days per week with flexible hours between 9 am to 5.15 pm.
Department name:
E Commerce Team
The team is part of Oxfam’s New Income Team, which seeks to maximise online revenue to raise funds for Oxfam accumulating in income streams of £10m+.
The Oxfam Online Shop launched in September 07 and sells new fair trade products, Unwrapped Virtual Gifts and donated second hand products. It is the first online charity shop of it’s kind with revenue targets of £7m+ for this financial year.
Key Responsibilities:
To support the Customer Acquisition Manager on a day to day basis for Oxfam Online Shop digital marketing campaigns.
The Online Marketing Assistant will be working with the external media agency to manage the below campaigns. This involves reviewing weekly reports and taking actions to optimise the campaign to deliver on ROI.
- PPC Search (Google, Yahoo! And MSN) e.g. reviewing keyword performance and ad copy, suggesting new keywords and ad copy where relevant.
- Affiliates (Buy At) e.g reviewing affiliate performance and identifying new initiatives to drive sales volumes.
- Display e.g. reviewing performance by websites according to placement and creative, identifying value added opportunities to boost performance.
- General administration.
- And any other reasonable requests by Customer Acquisition Manager.
Skills and competences:
- Proven excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Interest in online marketing – experience and a creative approach is a plus!
- Analytical and numeracy skills, with great attention to detail. Basic computer literacy and competency in MS office is expected.
- Project management skills. The ability to manage your own workload and time and work to meet targets and deadlines without being under close supervision is also essential.
- A pro-active, “can do” attitude.
- Committed to Oxfam’s mission and communicating Oxfam to others.
Deadline: Friday 3rd October
Interview date: Wednesday 8th October
Start date: ASAP
Contact: Rupy Kaur
Email: rkaur@oxfam.org.uk
Tel: 01865 47 3285
Add: E Commerce Team,
Trading Dept, Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Oxford, OX4 2JY
Product Sourcing Executive
Wood Green, London. NW22 6DS.
Commitment:
3 days per week
Department name:
Trading
Working in shops to make as much money as possible to overcome poverty and suffering.
Key Responsibilities:
- Obtaining corporate donations.
- Building links with local community to secure donated product.
- Assessing and evaluating Area needs with regard to donated product in order to maximise income.
- Measuring the impact of new product sourcing methods on overall Area income.
- Researching possible sites for clothing/book banks.
Skills and competences:
- Communication. Good listening skills, knowing when to be proactive and when to ask for help.
- Good IT skills especially Word and Excel.
- Attention to detail and good organisation.
- Creative and able to work on own initiative.
- Good persuasion and influencing skills.
Deadline: October 14th 2008
Interview date: October 20th 2008
Start date: November 1st 2008
Contact: Mark Appiah
Email: mappiah@oxfam.org.uk
Tel: 0300 200 1269
Add: 107 Geere Road. London. E15 3PP.
Activism Assistant Volunteer - Oxfam Cymru
Oxfam Cymru Office, Market Buildings, 5-7 St. Mary’s Street, Cardiff, CF10 1AT
Commitment:
Ideally 3 days a week but hours can be flexible. Length of internship: 3 months minimum.
Candidates are encouraged to negotiate flexible working hours where this will help towards employment, financial, childcare or living arrangements.
Occasional out-of-office working (eg. evening events) by arrangement. Out-of-office expenses will be reimbursed.
Department name:
Key Responsibilities:
To increase the number of Oxfam activists in Wales. To increase the number of actions they are taking and to maximise the impact of those actions.
- To support the Oxfam Cymru Campaigns Officer in developing Oxfam’s activism in Wales.
- Take a lead role on campaigns projects, organising events such as a stalls, training sessions, media and publicity stunts and meetings.
- Providing quality support to Oxfam campaigners and allies, in person, by phone and electronically, for example through the Oxfam Cymru facebook group.
- Maintaining and distributing campaigns resources and information for events, meetings, speakers’ engagements, festivals, shops and local activities.
Skills and competences:
- Pro-active ‘can do’ attitude, ability to work on own initiative and with minimum supervision.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proven organisational and time management skills.
- Information gathering, research and dissemination skills.
- Experience of using databases.
- An interest in development issues and Oxfam’s work.
- An appreciation / interest for working within the environment, culture and people of Wales.
What Oxfam can offer you:
You will build a strong knowledge of Oxfam Cymru’s work and across all our functions. You will be a key member of a busy and energetic team. Volunteering for Oxfam offers you excellent work experience; a chance to build confidence in the work place; gaining experience of dealing with people; and the opportunity to learn more about Oxfam’s work and general issues around aid and development.
- A full induction programme will introduce the successful candidate to Oxfam Cymru’s work programmes.
- Oxfam Cymru is an actively learning team within which the postholder will be encouraged to maximise his or her potential. In particular we will seek to match development projects to the post holders long-term ambitions.
- Following the placement, post holders will be eligible for recruitment to Oxfam GB internal posts.
- Volunteer expenses to cover food and travel costs.
- You will be supported by and report to the Campaigns Officer. In their absence, the PA to the Head of Oxfam Cymru will co-ordinate the requirements of the post.
- Oxfam has a set of standards for working with volunteers that clearly set out the support and supervision that volunteers should expect, and the expectations of Oxfam.
Deadline: Monday 1st October
Interview date: Week beginning 13th October
Start date: As soon as possible
Contact: Julie Lewis
For further information about the post please contact Julian Rosser, Oxfam Cymru Campaigns Officer by email: jrosser@oxfam.org.uk
Email: jlewis@oxfam.org.uk
Tel: 0300 200 1269
Media and Communications volunteer - Oxfam Cymru
Oxfam Cymru Office, Market Buildings, 5-7 St. Mary’s Street, Cardiff, CF10 1AT
Commitment:
Ideally 3 days a week but hours can be flexible. Length of internship: 3 months minimum.
Candidates are encouraged to negotiate flexible working hours where this will help towards employment, financial, childcare or living arrangements.
Department name:
Oxfam Cymru
Our media work promotes Oxfam's work in all levels of the Welsh media, and responds to enquiries from them. The media work supports Oxfam Cymru’s campaigning work by motivating campaigners in Wales to take action towards ending poverty. We also work with the media to influence public opinion; politicians and other opinion formers who can help create a fairer world. This position would also take on responsibilities for Oxfam Cymru’s Unwrapped project to take place from October – January 2008.
Key Responsibilities:
- Providing weekly media briefings – reading newspapers, broadcast and online coverage that relates to our work.
- Update, maintain and develop data base of media contacts and investigate online opportunities for Oxfam Cymru
- Supporting the Media and Communications Officer in the organisation of media events and photo opportunities
- Work with the media and communications officer to develop a marketing communications strategy to promote campaign and/ or PR initiatives.
- Liase with Media unit colleagues in Oxfam head office to co-ordinate activity around any UK wide campaign or PR projects.
- Developing ability to understand what stories are newsworthy and to spot media opportunities for Oxfam Cymru
- Work with Communications and Campaigns assistant to develop a close relationship with Oxfam Shop managers and proactively pursue ideas to secure media coverage of Oxfam shops in local and regional media in Wales
- Assist with drafting and issuing press releases and handling enquiries from the press
- Developing a particular focus on local media, often adapting “national” stories for local papers and radio stations.
Skills and competences:
- Interest and knowledge of the Media – Welsh and GB.
- Familiarity with MS Word and other software packages ideally including Excel.
- Familiarity with electronic communication devices and platforms
- Ability to show initiative and work confidently as part of a team or through leading on individual pieces of work.
- Ability to absorb information quickly and pass it on to others in an easily accessible and understood way.
- Enthusiastic and confident communicator – in writing and one to one – with a range of external contacts, and will be able to clearly inform other members of the team on press and media work.
What Oxfam can offer you:
- A full induction programme will introduce the successful candidate to Oxfam Cymru’s work programmes.
- Oxfam Cymru is an actively learning team within which the post holder will be encouraged to maximize his or her potential. In particular we will seek to match development projects to the post holders long-term ambitions.
- Following the placement, post holders will be eligible for recruitment to Oxfam GB internal posts.
- Volunteer expenses to cover food and travel costs.
Deadline: Monday 1st October
Interview date: Week beginning 13th October
Start date: As soon as possible
Contact: Julie Lewis
For further information about the post please contact Luned Jones, Oxfam Cymru Media and Communications Officer by email: lujones@oxfam.org.uk
Email: jlewis@oxfam.org.uk
Tel: 0300 200 1269
Human Resources Assistant
Head Office, Oxford
Commitment:
3 days per week (Mon - Fri) for a minimum 4 months. Days/Hours are flexible.
Department name:
Employee Relations Team, Corporate Human Resources.
The employee relations team looks after the operational HR needs of around 500 staff in the UK. It also deals with employee relations and HR policies and procedures which cover 6,000 staff worldwide, 1,700 of them in the UK. It provides advice on the application of HR policies and UK employment law.Key Responsibilities:
Project Work (60% of time)
Project 1
Review & update Oxfam’s Nursery Parents Handbook to ensure it covers our aims, objectives and polices. Design the Handbook for Oxfam’s internal intranet, formatting and presenting the information so it is easily accessible and user-friendly.
Project 2
Design and implement a recruitment questionnaire aimed at line managers to gain feedback after recruitment on HR performance and the process involved. The questionnaire should be designed in consultation from line managers to ensure it allows them the opportunity to provide feedback on areas, which are important to them. The questionnaire will be designed using survey shack and the results analysed on a regular basis.
Due to the rapid changes in demand from our customers we can discuss on-going projects. We are committed to developing ongoing project work in relation to business need and personal interest where possible.
Examples of projects by past interns have included:
- Employment Law research in response to ad hoc requests or legal changes. E.g. change to Public Holiday entitlement in the UK, child protection law in Scotland.
- Producing a worldwide Employee Representation spreadsheet
- Developing an A to Z of Corporate Human Resources policies and procedures for key stakeholders.
- Creating a new and improved Health and Safety area within the Oxfam GB Intranet site
Ongoing responsibilities (40%)
- Provide HR administration support to the HR Executives and Administrator (helping with the filing of confidential documents, helping to ensure absence details are updated on the HRIS, providing additional support in the absence of the HR Administrator and helping with any ad hoc projects when they occur)
- Research changes in UK Employment Law using the internet and assess their potential impact for Oxfam.
- Updating and developing the HR intranet site, in line with customer needs. (training will be given for Oxfam’s Content Management System). In particular, maintaining the Human Resources A to Z of Policies and Guidelines.
- Manage the translations of HR Policies from English into French, Spanish & Portuguese. This will involve ordering the translations from Oxfam’s contracted translators and responding to any queries from them by email.
Skills and competences:
- Excellent written and verbal English language skills
- Sound IT and administrative skills including good attention to detail. Web design skills would be an advantage but training is available.
- Ability to work effectively in a team and to support others in their work.
- Ability to deal professionally with highly sensitive and confidential information.
- Would suit someone interested/ or with some experience of Human Resources.
Deadline: 28th September 2008
Interview date: 6th - 7th October 2008
Start date: October 2008
Contact: Catherine Layton, Marie-Claire Holmes (recruiters)
For an informal chat with our previous intern, email Vicki Short vshort@oxfam.org.uk
Email: mholmes@oxfam.org.uk
Assistant Shop Manager
Location: Enfield
Commitment: Minimum of three months, up to one year. Commitment per week is negotiable.
Department and brief description: Retail Charity Shop
Responsibilities:
- Training to the level of assistant manager
- Know and understand all aspects of an Oxfam Shop
- Understanding the work Oxfam does
- Visit our Head Office in Oxfam
- Possibility of work experience within other Oxfam departments.
Key skills:
- A willingness to learn
- Reliability
- Commitment
- Honesty
- Integrity.
Closing date for applications: Ongoing
Interview date: Negotiable
Start date: Negotiable
Contact: Sally Gordon
Tel: 0208 3677728
Postal address: Oxfam Shop, 54 Church Street, Enfield, EN2
6AX
Share this page
Apply today
Download an internship application form and send it to the recruiting manager.
If you have any questions about our internship programme please contact us at internship@oxfam.org.uk
