Social Work Intern

About MSF USA

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international organization that provides medical care to those in need, including people affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, disasters, and social exclusion in over 70 countries. MSF operates globally with local staff, guided by medical ethics and principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality. MSF USA supports the global movement through staff recruitment, fundraising, advocacy, and communications.

Role Overview

The Social Work Student Intern will work in the Psychosocial Care Unit (PSCU), focusing on the emotional well-being of humanitarian workers. Tasks will be agreed upon by the PSCU Supervisor and the Field Placement Office of the student's university. These may include direct clinical work, presentations, material development, and research. The internship runs from September 2026 to May 2027.

Department Accountabilities

• Organizational Culture & Create a Safe Space:

  • Set and drive transparent goals, targets, and ADEI&B initiatives to foster a human-centered, engaged, and productive workplace.
  • Build a culture that fosters trust, collaboration, high performance, respect, and belonging among diverse teams and peoples.

• Performance Management & Talent Development:

  • Develop and implement policies and processes for individual development planning, performance goal setting, feedback, and formal appraisals.
  • Review performance annually and adjust pay if necessary.

• Employee Engagement:

  • Create a workplace culture that engages and motivates employees.
  • Create opportunities for employees to connect, offer professional development, and maintain a positive work environment.

• Compliance and HR Operations:

  • Execute and manage P&C operations using predetermined protocols and procedures to achieve specified operational performance standards.

• Compensation & Benefits:

  • Review and administer compensation and benefits packages, including setting salaries, providing health insurance, and managing payroll.

• Talent Acquisitions:

  • Fill permanent or temporary positions within the organization by attracting, shortlisting, selecting, hiring, appointing, and integrating candidates.

• Payroll Administration:

  • Carry out payroll administration processes to ensure correct payment of employees.

Roles Specific Outcomes

• Provide Orientation:

  • Provide orientation to humanitarian workers on well-being on assignment and reintegration post-assignment.

• Develop Resource Materials:

  • Develop resource materials for successful humanitarian assignments and reintegration.

• Conduct Presentations:

  • Conduct presentations on stress management and other relevant topics.

• Conduct Research:

  • Conduct research on humanitarian worker well-being.

• Compile and Analyze Data:

  • Compile and analyze data related to humanitarian worker well-being.

Behavioral Competencies

• Thought:

  • How MSF USA staff understand the organization, manage complexity, and contribute by creating the new and different.

• People Focus:

  • Builds strong relationships and delivers solutions geared to aiding others.
  • Solicits feedback and data; conveys a clear understanding of the level of service the team is providing; takes action when standards are not met by team; aligns processes with organizational needs.

• Global Perspective:

  • Takes a broad view when approaching issues, using a global lens.

• Cultivates Innovation:

  • Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
  • Approaches professional work in unique or innovative ways.
  • Offers original ideas.

• Results:

  • Drives Results
  • Consistently achieves results, even under tough circumstances.
  • Regularly pushes self to achieve outstanding outcomes; consistently establishes bold goals for own performance; is passionate about excellent results and significant contributions.
  • Shows great tenacity to complete goals/initiatives in a timely way.

• People:

  • Understand their impact on others through collaboration and inclusion of different perspectives to achieve common goals.
  • Buils partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
  • Readily involves others to accomplish goals; stays in touch and shares information; discourages "us versus them" thinking; shows appreciation for others' ideas and input.
  • Values Differences
  • Recognizes the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
  • Confronts stereotyping and offensive comments promptly.
  • Consistently behaves with great sensitivity toward differences in cultural norms, expectations, and ways of communicating.

• Self:

  • Demonstrates self-awareness by having an open mindset and by continuously seeking opportunities to learn, grow, and improve.
  • Instills Trust
  • Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
  • Models honesty and authenticity and encourages others to be up front with one another.
  • Demonstrates reliability and places a strong emphasis on the team meeting its commitments.
  • Fairly represents others' positions.

• Situational Adaptability:

  • Adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.
  • Serves as an example of adaptability and provides guidance and support to help others adapt to new situations.
  • Considers the needs of clients, constituents, and the organization; shifts priorities appropriately.

Technical Competencies

• Planning and Aligning:

  • Plan and prioritize work to meet commitments aligned with MSF-USA goals.

• Financial Acumen:

  • Interpret and apply understanding of key financial indicators to make better business decisions.

• Data Collection and Analysis:

  • Determine and analyze trends from data collected to assist in compiling reports that will help in decision-making.

• Project Management:

  • Plan and manage small project work assignments within desired cost, time, and quality parameters.

• Presentation and Written Communication:

  • Develop and deliver multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
  • Listen attentively and take an interest; keeps others well informed; conveys information clearly, concisely, and professionally when speaking or writing.

Desired Qualifications & Experience

• Education:

  • Enrolled in a Master of Social Work (MSW) program at an accredited university which has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Psychosocial Care Unit of Doctors without Borders.
  • Students from equivalent master’s level programs in Counseling or other Mental Health fields will also be considered.

• Language Proficiency:

  • Foreign language proficiency a plus, especially French, Arabic, or Spanish.

• Travel Requirements:

  • No travel required for this position.

• Compensation:

  • $18 per hour is the hourly rate.

• Employment Terms:

  • The internship is for the school term of September 2026 – May 2027.

• Application Process:

  • We do not accept phone calls or emails during the recruitment process.

• Work Schedule:

  • Our staff works a hybrid schedule with the ability to come into the NYC office a minimum of 2 times a week. The required days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from January to June and September to December.

• Background Screening:

  • Reference checks and/or background screening appropriate to the responsibilities of the role.

• Equal Opportunity and Accommodations:

  • MSF-USA is dedicated to creating a diverse, impartial, and inclusive workforce. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other differences as per applicable laws.

• Relocation Assistance:

  • Neither relocation assistance nor visa sponsorship will be offered for this position.