Intern – Epidemic Preparedness Track Record Learning Exercise

Position: Intern – Epidemic Preparedness Track Record Learning Exercise
Organization: The Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC)
Duration: 3 months (possible extension)
Location: Netherlands

Start Date: 1^st February 2026

End date :30^th April 2026
Supported by: Selam Seje (Health Specialist) and Jan Heeger (WASH specialist)and Inaisse Chaboune (Response preparedness Coordinator)

About the Netherlands Red Cross

The Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) helps people in need during emergencies, conflicts, and disasters both within the Netherlands, where over thirty thousand volunteers contribute to local preparedness and response, and internationally, by supporting partner Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The organization is part of the global Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and works to protect lives, alleviate suffering, and promote human dignity.

Background

In 2022, the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) and Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) embarked upon a 5 year partnership. The ambition of the partnership is to jointly address current humanitarian challenges in a context of increasing protracted situations, climate related-disasters and compounding crises. The partnership has two main pillars:

1. Provide humanitarian Assistance and Protection to populations in acute and chronic crisis – focusing on anticipatory action and response activities.
2. Enhancing the effectiveness of the humanitarian response system – it centres around strengthening preparedness and response capacity at the local level while conducting humanitarian diplomacy work at the global level.

To support learning and evidence generation beyond routine monitoring and evaluation, thematic studies have been planned within the partnership’s learning agenda. One of the identified themes is epidemic preparedness and response, aimed at informing current and future programming and improvements across the organization in humanitarian programming.

The insights from this learning /evidence generation exercise will be used by NLRC to facilitate internal learning, inform improvement within the ongoing partnership and guide the design of future interventions, while also benefiting National Societies and IFRC. In addition, it will contribute to documenting NLRC’s track record in strengthening national societies’ capacity across the disaster management continuum.

Objective of the assignment

To support the documentation of the NLRC track record in epidemic preparedness (early response) in the current MoFA 2022-2026 partnership and beyond over the last five years and contributing to a variety of learning and communications outputs.

Scope of the work

• Desk review of relevant documents (e.g. project proposals, reports, case studies, evaluation reports, national societies PER plan, Contingency plan, crisis modifier, and SOPs).
• Support key informant interviews (KIIs) with NLRC project delegates, advisors, and National Society project focal person.
• Support an online survey to capture National Societies’ feedback on NLRC’s support in epidemic preparedness and early response.
• Support the analysis of data from the KII and online survey
• Support the synthesis / analysis of reports /documents by collating and aggregating information, identifying themes, capturing insights, and generating key learning areas.
• Support the drafting of the NLRC epidemic track record report.
• Contribute to the development of jointly agreed learning and communication products.

  Deliverables

• Report capturing the NLRC epidemic preparedness track record with relevant annexes
• Case studies (proposed : South Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire)
• Communication products e.g. learning briefs / infographics
• Presentation materials for internal and external dissemination
• Organize learning session (internal)

Required Qualifications

• Current student  in a relevant field (e.g. public health, global health, epidemiology)
• Strong writing, analysis, and organizational skills
• Familiarity with qualitative research and interviews
• Interest in storytelling, and digital tools
• Comfortable using platforms like Google Workspace or SharePoint
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and collaborative
• French language skills would be an asset

What do we offer? 

The student will be part of a small team aimed at developing the track record and will become familiar with how the Red Cross works, both in the Netherlands as well as in several countries abroad. Weekly guidance will be provided, and there is an opportunity to (flex) work at the Netherlands Red Cross’ office in The Hague. Furthermore: 

• Conditions for internship apply as specified in the ‘stageovereenkomst’; 
• The fee (stagevergoeding) is set at 401.25 euros gross per month pro rata (as per 1.0 FTE i.e. 40 hours per week) for an estimated period of 3 months (possible extension).

Learning Opportunities for the Intern

• Exposure to epidemic preparedness and response within the RCRC Movement
• Skills in documentation and knowledge management
• Opportunities to co-create learning and communication products

Supervision and Support

The intern will be supported by a team from the Water, Climate, and Nature Unit and DPR Unit responsible for the epidemic track record learning. Regular in-person / online check-ins, feedback, and access to internal resources will support the intern’s work and learning journey.

Interested? Please submit your application (motivation letter and CV in English) through the apply button before 20 January 2026. Please be informed that interviews can be scheduled on rolling-basis prior the closing date of this vacancy.