Conference Internship

Job description

ISEAL is recruiting for a motivated individual who is interested in sustainability to join our team for a four-month internship supporting the preparation and coordination of out annual conference during that period.

Position details
Application deadline: 9 January 2018
Location: preferably London, UK (Sao Paolo/Brazil may be considered for outstanding candidates)
Duration: March –June 2018
Wage: London living wage: £10.20/hour in 2017 for London based interns (different pay scales apply to other locations). See Internship Programme document for further details

About ISEAL
ISEAL is the global association for sustainability standards, whose membership includes organisations such as Fairtrade International, Forest Stewardship Council and Rainforest Alliance.

Description
ISEAL organises an annual multi-day international conference which is a premier event for the sustainability standards and certification movement, and a gathering point for all of the members and organisations in our network. In 2018 the conference will take place in Sao Paolo, Brazil. As the main event in ISEAL’s calendar, with many sessions, speakers and meetings covering a variety of exciting topics, there is a great deal of planning and preparation required for this occasion. This is an excellent opportunity for any intern aspiring for a career in the sustainability sector to build his or her skills and experience in event planning and coordination as well as in working in a busy global not for profit environment with colleagues from many international backgrounds.

Responsibilities
You will play an active role in our Events team, helping to organise logistics and registrations and make preparations for the conference, leading up to the event. You support the sourcing of catering and any other services at the conference location as well as communicate with attendees, speakers and partners. You will also coordinate with ISEAL´s Communications Team supporting the production of related materials & web pages.

Additional information
 Full training will be provided for necessary systems and processes
 Interested candidates must be legally allowed to work in the UK (for UK based interns)
 Interns are not entitled to any employee benefits provided to ISEAL employees.

This is a four-month full-time internship with an anticipated starting of early March 2018.
To apply
If you would like to express an interest in this internship, please send your CV, along with a statement about why this internship appeals to you, to by 9 January 2018. Due to an anticipated high number of applications we are only able to contact shortlisted candidates for an initial telephone interview.

Desired profile

Profile
We are looking for someone with excellent command of English and Portuguese, who is versatile and organised, with good people and communication skills. The right person is self-motivated and comfortable working in a dynamic environment with multiple tasks and activities to support. The opportunity is ideal for someone who wants to gain valuable experience in how a not-for-profit organisation operates and have exposure to a very active and quickly evolving area of sustainability. The intern will benefit from being part of a dynamic team in an international not-for-profit organisation dealing with many other organisations and individuals around the world. As a full part of the ISEAL team, the intern will also have the opportunity to attend to 2018 staff retreat and learn more about the wide work of the organisation.

Competencies required:
• Strong organisational skills and time management
• Ability to deal with enquiries via e-mail and phone
• Excellent English and Portuguese language skills (spoken and written)
• At ease with IT based systems
• Confidence in completing administrative and logistical tasks
• Creativity and ability to take initiative
• Interest in sustainability issues
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Prior experience in event support desired but not essential
• Prior exposure to region in event locations a bonus