Internship Opportunity: Junior Research Officer- Specializing in Localization and Market System Development

About Trust Consultancy and Development

Trust Consultancy and Development is an independent research and third-party monitoring and evaluation (M&E) consultancy based in Gaziantep, Turkey, with two sister-companies, one in Islamabad, Pakistan and one in Erbil, Iraq. Trust provides a range of services and works with partner companies and NGOs in the MENA(T) region and beyond. Our work addresses the growing demand for high-quality research, third-party research, data collection, data analysis and capacity-building services. Our clients include international and national non-governmental organizations and donors, including UNICEF, UNFPA, OCHA, Expertise France, Global Communities, IRC, IMC, DCA, Save the Children, People in Need, World Vision, Norwegian Refugee Council, GIZ, USAID/BHA and ECHO. As a research and M&E company, we offer a unique perspective and can tap into a network of people working on the ground in real time on the issues we research. Currently, we are working in Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

To learn more about us, please feel free to visit: https://trustconsultancy.org/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/trust.inc/

About the Internship Position

Trust Consultancy is looking for 1-2 innovative researchers with experience and/or who would like to gain knowledge in humanitarian and development sectors, especially focusing on localization, market system development, role of private sector in refugees businesses in Turkey.

• This is a 3-4 months remote, part-time/full-time internship.
• During this internship, interns will work under supervision of international consultants (UK and Turkey based).
• This is an unpaid internship.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Interns will be involved in some or all of the following tasks:

1. Engaging in communication with external stakeholders such as UN, INGOs, local NGOs and companies.
2. Conducting online research to gather relevant information. Performing desk reviews to synthesize existing knowledge.
3. Carrying out literature reviews to comprehend the current research landscape.
4. Assisting in the design of tools for research purposes.
5. Contributing to data analysis efforts.
6. Conducting interviews to gather valuable insights.
7. Take notes and preparing for virtual meetings on platforms like zoom, as well as sending calendar invites along with links.
8. Other tasks (based on interns’ interests/experience and needs of the Trust).

Candidate Profile and Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this position should:

1. Have a University Degree or relevant qualifications or is currently studying for a university degree in the humanitarian or development sector (a master’s degree in the humanitarian or development sector is an asset).
2. Have strong research skills, detail orientated and able to glean information from various sources.
3. Have strong writing and editing skills for different purposes.
4. Be able to provide evidence and details of current and previous research.
5. Be a fluent/native English speaker.
6. Demonstrate a profound understanding of the development and humanitarian sectors.
7. Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
8. Have abilities to manage diverse activities and meet deadlines.
9. Demonstrate excellent organisational skills, analytical skills and attention to detail.
10. Be able to work in a multicultural work environment.

Furthermore,

1. Knowledge/experience in Tukey context is an asset.
2. Knowledge of Arabic or Turkish is an asset.
3. Experience/familiarity with localization, market system development, livelihood, refugees business is an asset.

Benefits

Trust Consultancy is a small but growing consultancy with great success since it was established in 2016. This is an unpaid internship; however, there are several benefits for our interns. The interns will:

1. Gain hands-on experience in the areas of their interest (many of our interns were involved in projects during the first week they joined Trust).
2. Benefit from various training programs Trust conduct with no fees. We have at least 1-2 training sessions a month. Some of the training we offer include project management, program management, core humanitarian standard, Sphere, gender-based violence, and more. Moreover, interns will receive training about proposal writing from an internationally qualified and experienced trainer. Please consult our website and Relief Web for more information about our trainings;
3. Have a networking opportunity. During the internship, interns can communicate with stakeholders externally and internally (NGOs, donors, consultants). In addition, Trust has a LinkedIn Alumni group where all those who worked and still working in it join, so they keep communicating with each other for possible work/opportunities.
4. Improve communication and presentation skills. Our interns will have the opportunity to manage internal and external webinars, arrange for debates, and organise social events.
5. Have possible opportunities with future employment with Trust, depending on individual performance and our organisation’s needs. There will be opportunities to work with Trust after the internship; as an officer or technical consultant, full-time/part-time or task-based assignments.
6. Be able to combine this internship with their thesis. This internship is an excellent opportunity to select an MA thesis/topics related to Trust’s work; therefore, Trust can support interns in linking to respondents for their fieldwork/interviews, including questions about their research in the projects and support in data collection and data analysis. Many of our ex-interns did their MA thesis during or after their internship with Trust.
7. Gain better experience in external communication with external stakeholders.
8. Enhance their public speaking skills as interns will manage webinars and meetings.