View Vacancy – Internal Policy Intern, Berne (CHEB25.010)

Good to have:

• Full professional proficiency in French (written and spoken, minimum of C1 level for CEFR framework* or equivalent);
• Knowledge of international politics;
• Demonstrable experience to research & analyse information (online and offline);
• Demonstrable work experience in an office environment;
• Good IT skills (particularly Microsoft Office).

This is a full-time and fixed-term, internship contract for 6 months; of 40 hours per week inclusive of four compulsory 45-minute lunch breaks. 

Embassy opening hours are 0730 – 1830 hrs (Monday – Thursday) and 0730 – 1330 hrs (Friday).

Gross monthly salary is CHF 2190.00. The Embassy also enjoys 13 Swiss/ UK public holidays per year.

The successful candidate will be subject to professional background and security clearances before a contract is offered.

*Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Switzerland are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local Swiss employment law and FCDO guidance for Country Based Staff.

Visa/work permit requirements: The successful candidate must have pre-existing work authorisation for Switzerland in order to apply.

All applicants should have the right to live and work in Switzerland. The British Embassy does not sponsor work permits.

Equal employment: We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability or gender identity. We particularly encourage applications from candidates with protected characteristics. FCDO want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us, regardless of their background.

Learning and development opportunities: The British Embassy in Berne believes in a strong learning and development culture, and works to give all staff the opportunity to build expertise and achieve personal goals through engaging on the job, learning from colleagues and from formal training courses. 

The successful candidate will be able to enrol in learning activities during their internship, work directly with UK diplomats (including the Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission), and engage with other interns working in the British Embassy in Berne.

Working patterns: The Embassy operates flexible working patterns within an extended working day and a ‘compressed hours’ working week (currently closing at 13:00 Friday). Working from home for one or two days a week is possible, depending on business needs.

Typical hours are 09:00 – 18:00 with a compulsory paid lunch break of 45 minutes (Mon-Thurs), but staff can start earlier/later and finish earlier/later. Time off in Lieu is available in exceptional circumstances where staff are required to work beyond their contracted hours and where agreed in advance with line manager.

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.

We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.

The British Diplomatic Missions will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a job.

*Please note for more information regarding the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your language skill is going to be assessed.