Professional Positions

Positions in the professional and higher categories (grades P and D) are typically for a fixed-term duration and are internationally recruited. Professional positions are the main employment category at the UN and other international organizations.

Linguists

The United Nations offers many opportunities for linguists, principally in one of the six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Positions that require language expertise, such as copy preparers and proofreaders, editors, interpreters, terminologists, translators, verbatim reporters, and language teachers are filled through competitive language examinations. Check the UN website for more information and exam dates.

Short-Term Contracts

Many organizations offer short-term employment opportunities, often to recruit specific technical expertise or to fill temporary staffing gaps less than one year in duration. The recruitment and selection process is typically less cumbersome than applying to internationally advertised professional posts. Short-term opportunities can be a great avenue for exploring further career possibilities.

Click here for links to current short term vacancies by organization

Organization	Headquarters
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)	Vienna, Austria
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)	Beirut, Lebanon
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)	Geneva, Switzerland
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)	Washington, DC, USA
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)	Vienna, Austria
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)	Montreal, Canada
International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY)	The Hague, Netherlands
International Labor Organization (ILO)	Geneva, Switzerland
International Maritime Organization (IMO)	London, UK
International Monetary Fund (IMF)	Washington, DC, USA
International Organization for Migration (IOM)	Geneva, Switzerland
International Telecommunications Union (ITU)	Geneva, Switzerland
International Trade Center (ITC)	Geneva, Switzerland
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)	Hamburg, Germany
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)	Brussels, Belgium
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)	Geneva, Switzerland
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)	Paris, France
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)	Vienna, Austria
Organization of American States (OAS)	Washington, DC, USA
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)	Washington, DC, USA
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)	Rome, Italy
Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)	The Hague, Netherlands
UN Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT)	Nairobi, Kenya
UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)	New York, NY, USA
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)	Geneva, Switzerland
UN Development Program (UNDP)	New York, NY, USA
UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)	Paris, France
UN Environment Program (UNEP)	Nairobi, Kenya
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)	Bonn, Germany
UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)	Vienna, Austria
UN Population Fund (UNFPA)	New York, NY, USA
UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)	Gaza City
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)	The Hague, Netherlands
UN Women	New York, NY, USA
United Nations (UN)	New York, NY, USA
UNOPS	Copenhagen, Denmark
World Bank Group	Washington, DC, USA
World Food Program (WFP)	Rome, Italy
World Health Organization (WHO)	Geneva, Switzerland
World Trade Organization (WTO)	Geneva, Switzerland

United Nations Volunteers

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program is administered by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteers work in development assistance projects, humanitarian, or peacekeeping operations, and are expected to serve for a minimum of one year.

UNV offers a variety of benefits, including travel to/from the assignment, a monthly living allowance, health benefits, and annual leave. To be considered for the program, individuals must be at least 25 years old, have a college degree and a minimum of two years of relevant work experience.

Interested applicants should visit the UNV website for more information and application instructions.

General Service Positions

The United Nations and other international organizations use the term General Service to categorize administrative, secretarial, and clerical support staff positions as well as specialized technical posts such as printing, security, and building maintenance. These positions are generally recruited locally from the area in which the particular office is located, and can be filled by employees of any nationality.