What we do

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works worldwide to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and, at the same time, promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

Context and Purpose

If you are a recent graduate interested in digital archiving, linked data, ontologies and artificial intelligence, and if you are curious and meticulous, creative and agile in a digital environment, this position will interest you. The ICRC General Archives are looking for someone with a strong interest in archiving and digital workflows holding a university or an equivalent higher education institution degree to join its team for a one-year contract.

The ICRC General Archives are composed of institutional, operational, and diplomatic files documenting the history of the ICRC, its development, activities, and the missions that were undertaken since 1863. Although only open to the public until 1975, they are the indispensable go-to for researchers in the field of humanitarianism, the history of armed conflicts and the development of international humanitarian law. They are also widely consulted internally by all departments. These archives, which contain both large quantities of paper and digital born documents, are currently being converted to largely digital use. This is also being done with the aim of further improving the findability of the content.

Under the supervision of the Head of General Archives and of the Digital Archivist within the unit the associate in the General Archives will support the archives’ mission and take part in the ongoing digitization project and related data-driven activities.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Support the creation and the fine-tuning of the ICRC ontology
• Participate in metadata creation and enhancement, adhering to Records in Context.
• Help configure the digital archive and asset management system.
• Prepare data entry, metadata mapping, and migration from legacy systems for the new digital repository.
• Conduct data driven improvements for the ongoing inventorying of archives.
• Contribute to the development and updating of documentation, workflows, and user manuals for digital preservation processes.
• Participate in testing and refining preservation strategies, including backup routines and disaster recovery plans.
• Assist with audits and reporting on collection growth, usage metrics, and quality control findings.
• Provide first-line user support and training for staff accessing the digital archive.

Professional experience required

• University or higher education institution (HES) degree
• As per the ICRC rules for Traineeships, applicants should have maximum one-year of professional work experience (on a paid contract) or two years of internships/traineeships following their last degree.

Desired profile and skills

• Excellent written and spoken English and French (minimum C1)
• Strong digital and archive skills
• Tech-savvy, with a strong interest for metadata, ontologies, and data-driven
  workflows
• Team-oriented
• Strong organizational skills and attention to details

Additional information

• Location: Geneva
• Type of contract: Traineeship - 12 months duration
• Activity rate: 100%
• Estimated start date: December 2025
• Line Manager: Christian Vogg
• Monthly Salary (13 installment): 3'917CHF (As of January 2026  - 3'935CHF)
• Recruiter:  Diara Niang
• Application deadline: 22nd of October 2025

Interested candidates who meet the above criteria can apply here .
Applications may be submitted in either English or French.

We look forward to hearing about your interest in the role and what you can bring
to the ICRC General Archives team.

The ICRC values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Our values

• At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this page.