The Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) offers a selected group of outstanding graduate-level students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to IICPSD's work as a center of excellence for private sector in development. The internship is designed to support IICPSD’s applied research and policy advisory services and to complement the interns’ practical experience in various issues related to private sector engagement, skills generation, impact investing and other topics of international development. The Programme operates under the rules and regulations of the UNDP Internship Policy.

UNDP IICPSD leads UNDP’s private sector strategy, mobilizing the private sector to engage in development. IICPSD convenes stakeholders from public and private industry as well as foundations to facilitate knowledge sharing and partnerships, catalyzes private sector actors for developing products and initiatives for SDG implementation and provides support to raise capital through innovative financing models such as blended finance. 

IICPSD’s impact investing portfolio aims to position impact investing as a leading enabler of SDG financing especially in least developed and developing contexts. To this end, the Center conducts research and technical assistance services on both conventional and faith-based impact investing to showcase the potential of specific markets for the growing impact investing momentum.

The main duties that the intern will be expected to carry out are:

• Provide research, writing and editing support on issues related to impact investing;
• Support publishing knowledge stories/best practices on impact investing and;
• Contribute to designing and implementation of initiatives, projects or programmes;
• Provide administrative support on an as-needed basis;
• Prepare relevant communications materials (speeches, brochures, success stories, social media materials etc.);
• Collaborate on the development and execution of online content (images, infographics, videos, blogs etc.) and campaigns delivered across various social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. 
• Other relevant tasks as deemed necessary by the supervisor.

Technical/Functional Competencies

• Excellent research and writing skills, as well as strong analytical aptitude and strong communication skills;
• Ability to manage workload with minimum supervision and collaborate with a wide range of colleagues while meeting deadlines;
• Excellent interpersonal skills: being able to listen and collaborate with a wide range of players, being able to work independently, being pro-active and taking initiative;
• Be able to work both independently and as part of a team.

Personal Competencies:

• Commitment to UNDP's mission, vision and values;
• Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences;
• Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: a) be enrolled in a second university degree programme (Master Degree); b) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (Bachelor Degree); or c) have graduated with a university degree in in fields such as economics, finance, business, development, international relations, law, public administration or similar and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Experience:

• Solid experience in academic writing, research and analysis;
• Experience on sustainable development, impact investing, and SDG financing is an asset;
• Computer literate in standard software applications;
• Demonstrated keen interest in the work of the UN, and of UNDP in particular, and have a personal commitment to UNDP's Statement of Purpose and to the ideals of the UN Charter;
• Demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs;
• Previous experience on project designing and implementation is an asset;
• Social media account management and content development skills are desirable.

Language:

• Strong spoken and written English is required;
• Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Financial Issues

Interns will be given a stipend according to the UNDP Internship Policies, if they are not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme.

The monthly amount of the stipend will be determined for each duty station based on the stipend rates published yearly by the OHR Policy and Compensation Unit. The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly.

Application Procedure

The application should contain:

• Brief Cover Letter (in English) stating interest in and qualifications for the post;
• Current and complete CV in English;
• One relevant writing sample.

Please group all your documents into one single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.

Candidates who are selected must submit the following documents:

• Official document(s) confirming your education status;
• Proof of medical and life/accident insurance valid for the location in which the internship will be carried out. Selected intern must have medical and life insurance.

UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months.

UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship.

Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.

It is important to note that interns are responsible to arrange for their own visa and residence documents, and need to plan for these well in advance.

Subsequent Employment

The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but to complement an intern’s studies. Therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship. More information is available at: http://www.undp.org/internships/.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.