NEAR Is Hiring: Remote Policy & Advocacy Intern | 12-Month Opportunity for Global South Students & Recent Graduates
Are you a university student or recent graduate from the Global South looking to build practical experience in policy, advocacy, humanitarian affairs and international development? The Network for Empowered Aid Response (NEAR) is offering an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join its Influencing Team as a Policy & Advocacy Intern.
This is a fully remote, part-time internship lasting 12 months and offering a stipend. The position provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience while working with a global network committed to making humanitarian and development systems more locally led, equitable, dignified and accountable.
About NEAR
The Network for Empowered Aid Response (NEAR) is a movement of local organisations working to transform the humanitarian and development system. Its members span Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
NEAR advocates for a system in which local and national organisations have greater ownership and influence over development and humanitarian action. The organisation works to promote locally driven solutions and more equitable partnerships.
NEAR is currently hosted by Adeso (African Development Solutions), an African-based international development and humanitarian organisation focused on influencing policy and supporting solutions led by local and national actors.
About the Internship
The Policy & Advocacy Intern will join NEAR’s Influencing Team and contribute to work involving global advocacy, humanitarian and development policy, research, coordination and locally led change.
The internship is designed as a genuine learning and professional development opportunity. Rather than simply observing the team’s work, the successful candidate will receive practical responsibilities, mentoring and the opportunity to take ownership of a defined piece of work.
The position is fully remote, with a commitment of 20 hours per week, equivalent to 50% of a full-time role. The internship will last 12 months, with the successful candidate expected to start as soon as possible.
A stipend is offered.
Key Responsibilities
One of the main areas of responsibility will be supporting NEAR’s Delegates Programme.
The intern will help coordinate and schedule training sessions and meetings, support virtual training delivery, organise course and briefing materials and distribute resources before and after sessions.
They will also help maintain the programme’s Resource Library, track delegate participation, maintain the Rotation Tracking System and gather feedback, reflections and insights following events.
The intern may also support quarterly advocacy sessions and mentorship pairing between programme cohorts.
Beyond the Delegates Programme, the intern will contribute to advocacy and research activities. Depending on team priorities, this could include conducting background research, preparing briefing notes, supporting drafting activities, taking notes during external forums and tracking commitments and positions.
The role may involve work related to financing, humanitarian delivery, coordination and wider ecosystem objectives.
Coordination and Knowledge Management
Strong coordination will be an important part of the internship. The successful candidate will help maintain shared trackers, monitor milestones and support project management activities using tools such as Asana.
They may coordinate meetings, help keep different workstreams aligned and contribute to knowledge management and information sharing across the Influencing Team.
These responsibilities provide valuable experience for anyone considering a future career in international development, policy research, advocacy, humanitarian programming or nonprofit programme management.
An Opportunity to Own Your Work
One of the most attractive features of this internship is the opportunity to take ownership of a discrete, clearly defined deliverable.
During the first one or two months, the intern will work with their line manager to agree on a suitable project. This could involve producing a mapping, annex or short synthesis rather than a large-scale research project.
The work will reflect both NEAR’s priorities and the intern’s interests and perspective.
With appropriate support, the intern will manage the deliverable with increasing independence. This can help the successful candidate develop a demonstrable body of work that may be useful when applying for future jobs, fellowships or graduate opportunities.
Who Can Apply?
The opportunity is specifically aimed at a young person from the Global South who is currently enrolled at university or graduated within the past year.
Applicants should demonstrate an interest in global advocacy, humanitarian or development policy, or locally led change. Strong written and organisational skills are essential, as is the ability to work independently and manage competing priorities.
Candidates should also be comfortable communicating across cultures in a distributed and multilingual team and have professional proficiency in written and spoken English.
Previous experience supporting programmes, research or advocacy would be an advantage but is not essential. Familiarity with Asana or other project-management tools, an interest in South-South cooperation and multilingual skills would also be beneficial.
NEAR encourages candidates to apply even if they do not meet every desirable criterion.
Internship Details
Position: Policy & Advocacy Intern
Organisation: Network for Empowered Aid Response (NEAR)
Location: Fully Remote
Duration: 12 months
Workload: 20 hours per week / 50%
Remuneration: Stipend offered
Start Date: ASAP
Eligibility: Global South students and graduates within the last year
Application Deadline: 13 September 2026
How to Apply
Interested candidates should prepare a CV, a short cover letter of no more than one page and two references with full contact details.
References may be academic or professional, such as a lecturer, tutor, supervisor or someone the applicant has volunteered with.
Applications should be submitted by email to jobs@near.ngo using “Policy and Advocacy Intern” as the subject line.
This internship offers an excellent opportunity for an emerging professional to gain practical experience while contributing to efforts to reshape humanitarian and development systems. For students and recent graduates from the Global South who are passionate about advocacy, policy, research and locally led development, the role could be a valuable stepping stone toward a career in international development.
Deadline: 13 September 2026 — interested applicants are encouraged to apply early.
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Disclaimer: Remote Job Opportunities (RJO) is not the organization offering this opportunity. For any inquiries, please contact the responsible organization directly. Please do not send your applications to RJO, as we are unable to process them. Due to the high volume of emails we receive daily, we may not be able to respond to all inquiries. Thank you for your understanding.
