PAHO Internships

Pan American Sanitary Bureau · Washington

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OBJECTIVE OF THE OFFICE/DEPARTMENT

This is a requisition for employment at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO)

Contractual Agreement:

Non-Staff - Intern

Job Posting:

August 1, 2026

Closing Date:

December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Primary Location:

Washington, D.C.

Organization:

HRM Human Resources Management

Schedule:

Full time

PURPOSE OF INTERNSHIP

INTRODUCTION
You are applying to the PAHO generic internship roster which is published twice a year and can be done in person or virtually. The roster will be made available to all PAHO offices from where direct contact will be made with suitable candidates only. In completing your profile, you will be able to choose up to 2 different work areas of interest.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is the specialized international health agency for the Americas. It works with countries throughout the region to improve and protect people's health.

PAHO wears two institutional hats: it is the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System and also serves as Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), the specialized health agency of the United Nations. PAHO offers internships in our country - and regional offices, as well as at headquarters.

The PAHO internship program has three objectives:
a) to provide a framework for assigning students from diverse academic backgrounds to PAHO programs, where educational experience can be enhanced through practical work assignments;
b) to expose students to the work of PAHO and
c) to provide PAHO programs with the assistance of students specializing in various fields. Most students are placed in health-related programs, although placements in other area of work like for example communication, external relations, finance or human resources are also possible.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

Under the supervision of a technical expert in the respective area, interns are assigned a project based on agreed terms of references and in line with their skills set. These terms of references typically include some or all of the following responsibilities:

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Are in the final academic year of a bachelor's degree or enrolled in a master's or a doctoral program or have graduated within the last two years from a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral program.

Skills

Core competencies

All interns should be able to demonstrate the following skills in line with the WHO core competencies:

In addition, interns need to be familiar with commonly used computer programs, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Knowledge of specialized computer programs, for example, statistical software such as XLStat may be an advantage.

Experience

Depending on the area of interest, the below experience may be needed and/or would be an advantage.

Languages

Fluency in one of PAHO's working languages (reading, writing and speaking). PAHO official languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. Knowledge of the local language in some duty stations can be an asset.

Age

Interns should be at least twenty years of age on the date of application.

Additional requirements:

Please note that internships at PAHO are very competitive and only a small number of applicants will be accepted every year. Only successful candidates will be contacted.

If selected for a PAHO Internship, you will be required to provide certified copies of proof of enrolment in a course of studies and a medical certificate of fitness for work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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