Careers in international organisations

Switzerland strives to fill strategic positions in multilateral organisations with senior Swiss officials. It develops strategies and conducts targeted campaigns to achieve this goal.

In certain cases, Switzerland supports candidacies submitted by individuals. The Swiss government selects the candidates it supports based on Switzerland's political interest in the position and in the multilateral organisation. As a rule, Switzerland takes active steps to support a candidacy once an individual has been shortlisted. In order to be able to examine whether a candidacy can be supported by Switzerland, the FDFA requires the complete application dossier (vacancy notice, application letter, curriculum vitae).

If you are applying for a specific position in an international organisation, the FDFA will be happy to provide advice and support.

Switzerland's presence in international organisations

Getting into an international organisation

There are different ways to start your career in an international organisation. In addition to a degree from a higher education institution and several years of relevant professional experience, you need excellent social skills and flexibility if you want to have an international career. If you want to apply to work in an international organisation you need to be:

• Willing to work anywhere in the world, even in remote and/or unsafe regions, rural areas or crisis zones
• Prepared to accept hardships in terms of quality of life, security and supplies (e.g. irregular supply of water or electricity, lack of healthcare services)
• Intercultural skills: working together with people from different countries requires patience and sensitivity.
• Ability to handle long periods of uncertainty concerning your employment contract. International organisations often employ staff on short-term contracts only and do not guarantee follow-on contracts.

If you are interested in a career in an international organisation, visit the job portals listed below, where you will find information on vacancies and application processes.

Switzerland helps young professionals start careers in international organisations by funding Junior Professional Officer posts advertised on the cinfo website. 

Cinfo jobs portal: Swiss Junior Professional Officer positions in UN organisations 

List of job portals of key international and regional organisations

• UN Inspira: posts at the UN Secretariat (en)
• UN Funds, Programmes, Specialised Agencies and Others
• OSCE
  Please note that only selected OSCE jobs can be financed by Switzerland. You can find these on the homepage of the Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding.
• Council of Europe
• OECD
• List of international organisations with links to their job vacancies (German only)

Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding

The Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding offers jobs in multilateral organisations. You can also find OSCE jobs financed by Switzerland here.

Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding, Types of deployment

Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit

The SDC's Swiss Humanitarian Aid Department and the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) second specialists to support their partner organisations. Specialists are recruited via the SHA pool. 

Development cooperation and humanitarien aid

Working for the SHA 

Applicants specialised in human rights

Human rights are one of the cornerstones of Swiss foreign policy. Two of the UN Human Rights Council's key mechanisms to promote and defend human rights are the 'special procedures' and the treaty bodies of the UN, which ensure that the human rights conventions are being implemented and monitor how this is done. If you have recognised skills in the field of human rights here are some interesting links:

Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Election of treaty body members

Special procedures: nomination, selection and appointment of mandate holders