Join the ICMEC team
Thank you for your interest in The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children. We value the hard work, commitment, and contributions of our staff members as well as our interns! If you support our goal of making the world safer for children, and have a passion for excellence, we want to hear from you! Available positions and internships are listed below. Once you have submitted an application, we will contact you if your skills and experience match our needs. Please do not contact by phone.
Internships
We are no longer accepting internship applications for the Fall 2023 semester.
Please come back soon to apply for Spring 2024 internships. Thank you for your interest!
Legal Research Interns will support the Director of The Koons Family Institute on International Law & Policy, the organization’s research arm, by conducting substantive legal and public policy research and analysis, writing, and editing a variety of publications, white papers, organizational resources, and other projects. Interns may focus on topics such as missing children, child sexual abuse material, online grooming, child sex trafficking, child sexual abuse and exploitation, and other related topics. The research will primarily focus on national legislation and policy but will also consider regional and international legal instruments to understand national priorities and responses. Interns also may utilize foreign language skills and regional areas of expertise.
The Digital Strategy (NCB) Intern will support ICMEC’s National Capacity Building (NCB) program’s digital transformation by translating our programmatic work into compelling digital formats – all in support of ICMEC’s mission to help make the world safer for children. The Digital Strategy (NCB) Intern will report to ICMEC’s Regional Program Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean and will evaluate and create processes, develop digital strategy roadmaps, and design and implement digital campaigns in Spanish. The campaigns will include media on social networks related to Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA) prevention aimed at children, parents, and the community in general. The Digital Strategy Intern will also assist in the development of a communication strategy for issues surrounding missing children.
The Social Science Research (HEROES) Intern will support ICMEC’s HEROES/Europe Program Manager by undertaking research, conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis, writing a qualitative study on Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) and Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) prevention programs to identify the barriers of their implementation in 7 countries, as well as assisting with executing other tasks from the HEROES programs (heroes-fct.eu), and other assigned projects. The main task will involve analyzing a survey that comprises of 60+ responses from NGO, Government, Law Enforcement, Social Services, Helplines, Medical, and other professionals focusing on prevention programs for THB and CSEA, in the following countries: Bangladesh, Colombia, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay. The aim of this report is to understand what kind of prevention programs have been created in these countries, whether there are any implementation barriers, and provide a mapping of organizations that are working on THB and CSEA in each country. The report will include country-specific and general best practices, gap highlights and recommendations, and a comparative analysis across countries on their preventive approach to THB and CSEA.
The Grants & Government Relations Intern will support ICMEC’s Executive Director for Government Relations by undertaking research and identifying appropriate grantors and funding opportunities, drafting small grant applications, and other assigned projects in the field of government relations.
For the Fall 2023 semester, interns will continue to work primarily remotely with the possibility of limited in-person interaction in the ICMEC office in Alexandria, Virginia, if circumstances allow.
Internship FAQs
ICMEC offers full and part-time internships each academic semester.
What are the requirements to intern at ICMEC?
The nature of ICMEC’s activities generally requires that Interns:
- Be available to work 12 to 15 weeks, at least 15 hours per week (20+ hours preferred) during the Fall or Spring semesters;
- Be available to work 8 to 12 weeks, at least 20 hours per week (30+ hours preferred) during the Summer term;
- Undergo initial and periodic background checks; and
- For Legal Research Interns – Have completed undergraduate studies (working toward a Master’s or Juris Doctorate degree strongly preferred). We will consider students in their sophomore, junior, or senior year of undergraduate studies with relevant experience.
- For the Digital Strategy (NCB) Intern –
- Current students who have completed at least one year of internship/ job experience in digital strategy, web maintenance, digital communications, digital marketing, or similar.
- Have excellent writing, editing, and communication skills in English and Spanish.
- For the Social Science Research (HEROES) Intern –
- Have excellent research skills, both desk research and field research/survey and interview analysis.
- Have experience conducting quantitative and/or qualitative analysis through coursework and/or professional role.
- Have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in Sociology, Statistics, Politics, International Relations, Anthropology, or related field in Social Sciences and/or Humanities.
- Have experience with difficult topics such as THB and CSEA is a plus, as well as an international focus, with coursework and/or professional experience demonstrating an interest in and openness towards different countries and regions.
- Additional language skills preferred, including Spanish, Portuguese, Bangla, Greek, or any other.
- For the Grants and Government Relations Intern –
- Have impeccable writing, editing, and communication skills in English;
- Speaking/reading/writing a foreign language fluently is a plus; and
- Have completed at least one year of undergraduate studies in English, Pre-Law, Political Science, International Relations, International Business, or related field.
*In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, internships will be completed remotely for the foreseeable future, but with the possibility of limited in-person interaction in the ICMEC office in Alexandria, Virginia, if conditions allow.
Is the internship paid?
All internships are unpaid, though ICMEC may provide a small stipend to help defray commuting costs to ICMEC’s headquarters office. (The stipend will not be provided when internships are completed remotely.)
Does ICMEC provide housing?
ICMEC does not provide housing for interns nor do we provide a stipend to cover living expenses.
How do I apply?
An application form is available at www.icmec.org/careers. You can submit the application form online. Please be sure to include a Statement of Purpose or cover letter, résumé, official or unofficial transcripts, and writing sample.
Point of Contact:
ICMEC Internship Coordinator
2318 Mill Road, Suite 1010
Alexandria, VA 22314
Fax: +1.703.549.4504
Email: internships@icmec.org
When do I apply?
Applications must be received by the application deadline (though the deadline may be extended as needed):
- August 23 for Fall semester;
- December 31 for Spring semester;
- March 16 for Summer semester.
What’s next?
We will do our best to respond to you quickly upon receiving and reviewing your application, usually within 2-3 weeks.