Deadline for Applications
April 6, 2026
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
H (no hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
Internship
2026-04-01
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering a full-time internship with the Human Resources Unit at UNHCR Warsaw, Poland.
Established in December 1950, UNHCR is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for asylum seekers, refugees, returnees, internally displaced communities and stateless people. Every year, millions of men, women and children are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict and persecution. UNHCR currently operates in over 130 countries, using its long expertise to protect and care for millions.
Title: HR Intern
Duty Station: Warsaw, Poland
Duration: 4 months (with possibility of extension)
Contract Type: Internship (Full time)
Earliest hire date: as soon as possible
Organizational context
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international action to protect and assist refugees, stateless persons, and others forcibly displaced. The HR internship will be based in the Warsaw office, supporting the Multi-Country Office (MCO) covering Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia. The HR team in Warsaw consists of a Senior Human Resources Officer and two HR Associates. The intern will report directly to the Senior HRO and gain first-hand experience in supporting HR operations across multiple country contexts.
This internship offers practical exposure to core HR functions, including recruitment, absence management, and personnel administration. It provides an opportunity to develop professional skills in a dynamic, international environment, working closely with experienced HR professionals and contributing to UNHCR’s mission in the region.
The position
The HR Intern will assist the HR team with day-to-day administrative and operational tasks, including absence management for non-staff personnel, support in vacancy management, and filing and archiving personnel records. The role provides exposure to core HR processes and offers hands-on experience in a professional environment.
A detail-oriented and organized individual, currently pursuing or recently graduated in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field. Strong communication skills, discretion with confidential information, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and a proactive, team-oriented attitude are essential.
Duties and responsibilities
• Filing and archiving: Maintain organized personnel records, both electronic and physical, ensuring compliance with confidentiality standards;
• Absence management: Assist in tracking and recording leave for non-staff personnel, ensuring accurate documentation and timely reporting;
• Vacancy management: Provide clerical support the recruitment process by coordinating applications and helping with shortlisting.
• Support with onboarding of new staff;
• Support with updating and delivering training materials on HR topics such as Code of Conduct, Newcomers’ Induction and Employability Training;
• General support: Assist with HR reporting, data entry, and ad-hoc administrative tasks as required by the team.
Minimum qualifications required
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Be either a recent graduate (having completed their studies within two years of applying) or a current student in a
graduate/undergraduate school programme from a university or higher education facility accredited by IAU/UNESCO ; and
• Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR .
• not have exhausted the maximum cumulative internship period with UNHCR, including any prior internships (8 months for full-time and 12 months for part-time)
NOTE: An individual who bears the relationship of parent, child or sibling or step-parent, step-child or step-sibling to a current UNHCR staff member or affiliate is not eligible for an internship.
Desirable qualifications and skills
• First Required Language is English at B2 level
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion
• Eagerness to learn and adapt in a fast-paced environment
• Team player with a proactive attitude
Conditions
It is a full time role with working hours starting from 8:30 am to 16:30 pm, Monday to Friday (40 hours per week, including the lunch break). The successful candidate will be assigned to support the team in Warsaw.
Allowance: Interns who do not receive financial support from an outside party will receive an allowance to partially help to cover the cost of food, local transportation and living expenses.
Travel: Unless provided or paid by external sponsoring entities, UNHCR reimburse interns engaged from a location outside of the country of the duty station for the ticket costs of their outward and return travel to/from the duty station by the most economical route available on economy class, irrespective of the duration of the journey. Reimbursement shall be limited to the authorized outward and return travel between the intern’s country of residence and the intern’s duty station, or actual route of travel, whichever is lower.
Before travel is undertaken, the selected intern must obtain authorization in writing from the hiring office. Such authorization must include the approved cost of the ticket.
Internships normally last two to six months with the possibility of extension up to eight months for full-time internships and twelve months for part-time internships.
Obligations
Acquiring and renewing current visas, residence permits including all associated costs, obtaining medical certification and compliance with taxation requirements (if applicable), are the responsibility of the intern.
The selected candidate will need to provide UNHCR with a proof of health insurance coverage applicable to the assigned internship location and a certificate of good health from a qualified medical practitioner certifying their fitness for work and travel. In the event the selected candidate is not able to produce the required certificates, they will not be admitted to the Internship Programme.
---------------------------------If you are a person with a disability and you expect you may face challenges during the recruitment process, you can indicate it in your application form.
There are options to select any health conditions you may have and outline any necessary adjustments related to disabilities during the recruitment phases. Providing this information is optional. It will be treated as strictly confidential and used only for the purpose of finding out how to better assist you during the recruitment process.
Adjustments for candidates with disabilities will be provided as best as possible and as needed upon request.
All candidates will be assessed based on meeting the requirements for each vacancy in relation to experience, skills, and education.
The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing or training.
We welcome applications from candidates with a refugee or stateless background.
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
,
,
Desired Languages
English
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Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Other information
This position doesn't require a functional clearance
Remote
No