Each year, Africans who participate in Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program (CEP) catalyze social transformation and spearhead grassroots development efforts in their communities. The Volunteer and Internship Programs (V/IP) Assistant has the important job of helping Tostan to connect invaluable interns and volunteers with appropriate opportunities and project work. This goal will be achieved mainly through working directly with the Africa Volunteer Coordinator and the Associate Director of US Operations (DC Internship Coordinator) to streamline V/IP processes, outreach, recruiting, and external and internal issues related to Tostan’s volunteer/internship programs.

Start Date: September 2010

Minimum commitment: 10 weeks

Location: Washington, DC

Hours per week:  Part-time (20 hours/week) or full-time (35 hours/week) preferred

Direct supervisor(s):  Associate Director of US Operations

Collaborator(s): Director of US Operations, Africa Volunteer Coordinator, other Interns, etc.

• Assist with the creation of V/IP materials, program brochures, website updates, etc.
• Help to maintain Tostan’s relationships with past and present interns and volunteers, including composing email updates to, coordinating local events, etc.
• Update and maintain a Tostan profile on websites that help to recruit qualified interns and volunteers (idealist.org, etc.)
• Answer inquiries regarding the DC Internship Program and manage the DC internship application process
• Conduct research in support of Tostan’s V/IP, including outreach, recruiting opportunities, and professional development opportunities for Tostan staff and interns in the DC area
• Help to coordinate Tostan’s new Internship Program Exchange with other organizations in the DC area
• Assist in developing and publically posting V/IP position descriptions for both the DC internship program and the Africa volunteer program

• Manage all mail arriving to and leaving from the Tostan DC office
• Work with Director and Associate Director of U.S. Operations to identify current and upcoming office needs and deadlines
• Various administrative tasks

• Thorough understanding of Tostan’s programs and methodologies
• Bachelors degree or current enrollment in Bachelors program; studies in International Development, Education, Gender Studies, other social science, Communications, Business, Management, Finance, or related field
• Strong communication skills, including written and spoken proficiency in English ( required) and French ( preferred)
• Previous experience with either a nongovernmental or nonprofit organization or experience in Africa/non-western country
• Project management experience preferred
• Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite required
• Knowledge of Gmail, Google Groups, Google Documents, Google Calendars, and other Internet programs preferred
• Ability to work independently, to self-motivate, and to manage multiple tasks at once
• Flexibility   adapting to a multicultural environment, to be considerate of limited resources, and to adapt work priorities to the immediate needs of supervisor, Tostan, or   project partners
• Must be willing to provide administrative support when necessary

 
Benefits

As a non-profit organization who works to commit the maximum level of resources to our communities, we rely on volunteers to cover all their own expenses during their internships.

• Hands on experience with an internationally recognized NGO
• Development of Curriculum Vitae/Resume
• Opportunity to develop highly sought-after skills in project management, training, and written and oral communication in a multicultural, multilingual environment 

• SmartSite 2.0 (WYSIWYG website management)

This job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required in this position.  Employees may be required to perform other duties outside of their normal responsibilities, to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

To learn more about the Washington, DC Internship Program, please click here.

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