Civil Service for Swiss Citizens: New Relief Workers
- Do you need to fulfil your Swiss Civil Service obligations?
- Would you like to put your professional experience to use in a place where people desperately need help?
- Are you motivated to travel to a distant foreign country, respond to people’s needs with humility and compassion, and work alongside them to provide solutions?
If you answered “YES” to all these questions, then this next sentence should be of particular interest to you...
Medair provides opportunities for experienced professionals who have never worked in a field programme to become New Relief Workers – and fulfil their Swiss civil service obligations – as long as they have a relevant skill set and meet our selection criteria.
We are one of the only humanitarian agencies in the emergency relief and rehabilitation sector to provide these kinds of opportunities.
After 20 years of serving the most vulnerable, Medair has learned the immense value of working with teams that include both new and experienced relief workers. New Relief Workers learn the Medair context of emergency relief and rehabilitation, and are able to apply their professional experience and skills right away to help save and sustain lives.
What does Medair provide for New (Civil Service) Relief Workers?
Medair takes great care to ensure the security and well-being of all of our staff. New (Civil Service) Relief Workers receive numerous benefits, including:
- Full briefing at our Swiss headquarters (HQ), as well as in-country briefing
- Security training for those going to insecure environments
- Accommodation, food, and transportation in-country, plus all flights to and from the country programme
- Annual leave, plus Rest and Recuperation (R&R) leave (including travel, accommodation, and food)
- The standard civil service compensation package
Swiss citizens who are fulfilling their civil service obligations receive military insurance, not Medair insurance.
What are Medair’s selection criteria for New (Civil Service) Relief Workers?
Our staff are extraordinary people whose character and commitment strengthen our team ethic and facilitate our work with the most vulnerable.
So, although Medair is willing to open the door for people with limited or no relief work experience, the selection process is still a rigorous one. We set the bar high for prospective staff, and are rewarded with teams that display some of the most remarkable spirit and unity in the humanitarian sector.
All of our prospective New (Civil Service) Relief Workers must meet the following criteria:
- Committed Christians
- Commitment to the Medair Values
- Reflect the vision and values of Medair when interacting with team members, local staff, beneficiaries and external contacts
- At least one year of professional experience in a relevant field
- Overseas intercultural experience
- Willing to commit to Medair for a minimum of one year
- Competent with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written)
- Working knowledge of French (spoken and written) for French-speaking roles
- Single or married (with no children under 18). If married, your spouse must also apply
- Able to live and work with a multicultural team under difficult conditions
- Strong character traits, including emotional stability, adaptability, ability to handle stress, cultural and gender sensitivity, honesty, and physically fit
- Willing to attend Medair’s week-long Relief and Rehabilitation Orientation Course (ROC). (Civilists do not pay travel or course fees for the ROC.)
The ROC
Candidates who meet all of the above requirements must successfully complete Medair’s week-long Relief and Rehabilitation Orientation Course (ROC). The ROC is an intensive experiential introduction to Medair and our approach to relief work. Every prospective candidate is assessed on their performance during the ROC, and this evaluation serves as the strongest determinant as to whether they are qualified to become a Medair New (Civil Service) Relief Worker.
For more information about the ROC, including dates, locations, and a syllabus of activities, click here.
To review the application process, click here.
To become a New (Civil Service) Relief Worker, apply for a Medair ROC, here.
