Traineeship Assistant (internal applicants only)

Please note: This opportunity is only open to Graduates of the RLRH traineeship programme in Kampala.

Job title

Research Kampala Traineeship Assistant

Location

Kampala, Uganda (at least 3 days per week based at the RLRH Kampala Hub)

Salary

Gross Yearly KSh 1,555,553 – 1,825,329 

Hours

Full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Contract Type

Fixed-term, 6 months

Reporting to

Kampala Hub Facilitator

Start Date 

2 November, 2026

Closing Date

9 October 2026

About the Refugee-led Research Hub

The Refugee-Led Research Hub (RLRH) was founded in October 2020 with the mission of supporting individuals with lived experience of displacement (e.g., those fleeing conflict, seeking asylum, intergenerationally dislocated, or otherwise) to become leaders in fields related to humanitarian response, forced migration, and human rights. RLRH delivers academic bridging programmes to an international cohort of students affected by displacement, facilitating access to graduate degrees and professional development opportunities across the world. RLRH also enables researchers with displacement backgrounds to lead primary and secondary research studies, from inception to completion. Our research agenda, guided by the concerns of displaced communities, aims to have a direct impact on policy and practice.

A majority of RLRH colleagues and scholars identify as current or former refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs, and stateless persons. Our network of colleagues, researchers, students, and other professional affiliates is comprised of 1500+ individuals across 100+ countries. RLRH has offices in Nairobi, Kakuma refugee camp, Kampala, Kuala Lumpur, University of Oxford, and the Oxfordshire community. The Kampala Hub opened in 2026 and is growing its programme of in-person research and professional development activities in Uganda.

The Role

Overview of the Professional Pathways Pillar

The Professional Pathways Pillar (PPP) supports individuals with displacement backgrounds to access career opportunities. We work most closely with RLRH affiliates who have completed our academic and research programmes and other students who have completed or are pursuing postgraduate degrees at partner universities. We also collaborate closely with allied organisations and universities to systematically strengthen the inclusion of refugees in the workforce. RLRH’s people-centred career advancement programming brings to life our vision of creating transformative refugee leadership in impactful professional settings throughout the world. We deliver three main interventions:

1. Foundationally, we provide individualised career counselling to RLRH affiliates at any stage in their journey, helping them to identify career pathways that are well suited to their personal and professional skills, experiences, and aspirations. 
2. To build out core professional skills, we run a stipended six-month, in-person
   advanced traineeship for degree completers, which combines foundational professional training with deep mentorship. This is currently run in three of RLRH’s offices – in Kampala, Kakuma, and Nairobi, with plans for future expansion – in collaboration with our Research Pillar. 
3. To develop meaningful and sustained pathways, we facilitate paid external professional placements with values-aligned partnered employers who are active and influential across various sectors of interest to RLRH affiliates. Placements provide a supportive environment for affiliates to establish themselves in the workforce, building skills and profiles that will serve them for years to come. 

On top of our existing global footprint, the PPP will grow in the coming years in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, with the aim of supporting African graduates across 20+ universities worldwide to transition to meaningful employment soon after completion of their degrees. By 2028, the programme expects to have enrolled 110 African displacement-affected graduates in the traineeship across RLRH’s physical hubs and facilitate 130 professional placements with employer partners.

Overview of the Position

The Kampala Traineeship Assistant will support the Kampala Hub Facilitator in the day-to-day coordination and delivery of RLRH’s Graduate Traineeship Programme in Kampala. The traineeship provides graduates with forced displacement backgrounds with mentorship and professional development to support their transition into professional careers. It is delivered in person over six months and offers trainees skills in research and project coordination. 

Working closely with the Facilitator, the Assistant will help keep the programme running smoothly by organising schedules and logistics, assisting with materials needed for sessions, supporting workshop delivery, tracking trainee progress, and handling routine administration. The Assistant will be a first point of contact for trainees on practical matters and will help maintain a welcoming and well equipped hub space. 

Responsibilities

Traineeship coordination and logistics support: 50%

• Support the Facilitator with the recruitment and onboarding of trainees, including preparing onboarding packs and organising orientation.
• Maintain the traineeship calendar and coordinate logistics for workshops.
• Serve as a first point of contact for trainees on practical and logistical questions, referring substantive matters to the Facilitator.
• Assist the Facilitator in keeping the trainees’ progress tracker up to date.
• Help maintain documentation for current delivery and future cohorts (e.g., traineeship handbook, templates, session records).

Learning and workshop support: 25%

• Co-facilitate selected sessions and enrichment activities under the guidance of the Facilitator.
• Support trainees with practical aspects of their blogs, such as locating resources.
• Collect participant feedback and summarise it to inform improvements.

Operations and administration: 25%

• Support the Facilitator in tracking traineeship expenditures.
• Assist with coordinating administrative activities between Finn Church Aid (FCA) and RLRH.
• Coordinate with RLRH’s Operations & Strategy team on routine administrative matters for the Kampala Hub.
• Assist with managing the hub space day to day.

Selection criteria

Essential selection criteria:

1. Graduate of the RLRH traineeship programme in Kampala. 
2. A bachelor’s degree in international development, refugee/migration studies, education, communications, or a relevant field in Social Sciences or Humanities.
3. At least one year of experience in programme coordination, administration, event organisation, or a similar support role (paid, volunteer, or internship experience all count).
4. Strong organisational and time management skills, with close attention to detail and the ability to manage several tasks and deadlines at once.
5. Experience supporting learners or peers, for example through tutoring, peer mentoring, training support, or student leadership.
6. Confidence using digital tools, including Google Workspace and/or Microsoft Office.
7. Experience in community engagement activities, in particular in Uganda and/or East Africa.
8. Clear verbal and written communication skills, including note taking and short report writing.
9. Ability to work independently on assigned tasks and work flexibly as part of a small team.

Desirable selection criteria:

1. Basic understanding of the qualitative research process.

RLRH encourages applications from individuals who have been affected by displacement and others who may belong to historically under-represented groups, including but not limited to those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQI+, women, and differently-abled candidates.

How to apply 

Please complete the online application form for this role. You will be asked to:

• Upload your CV (no longer than three pages).
• Upload your cover letter. Within the cover letter, you should:
  • Outline how you meet the criteria for the role.
  • Explain why the role interests you. 
  • Provide an example of how you have organised an activity or event, or supported peers or learners in achieving their goals.
• Provide details of two references (name, email, organisation, and relationship to candidate).
• Complete a short set of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) questions. Your answers to the following questions are entirely optional. This information will not be used as selection criteria. If you'd rather not share this information, feel free to select "Prefer not to say".

We are committed to ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to apply and be considered for any role, and our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you would like to request an adjustment (including requests for alternative formats) to our process, please contact our team at [email protected].

Use of AI

In line with RLRH’s AI Use policy, we kindly ask that you do not use generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT) to draft or edit your responses. Applicants may use limited AI to improve grammar or formatting, however, the use of AI to generate complete cover letters, answer specific application questions, or create other responses/presentations is prohibited.