Background

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.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (ICPSD) offers an exceptional group of graduate-level students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to ICPSD's work as a center of excellence for the private sector in development. It is designed to provide support for ICPSD’s applied research and policy advisory services and to complement the interns’ practical experience in various issues related to private sector engagement, south-south and triangular cooperation, skills generation, impact investing and other topics of international development.

UNDP ICPSD leads UNDP’s private sector strategy by mobilizing the private sector to engage in development. ICPSD convenes stakeholders from public and private industries as well as foundations to facilitate knowledge sharing and partnerships, catalyzes private sector actors to develop products and initiatives for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) implementation and provides support to raise capital through innovative financing models such as blended finance.

This assignment is part of UNDP ICPSD’s Private Sector Engagement through South-South Cooperation for the SDGs portfolio (SSTC). ICPSD aims to promote private sector engagement and collaboration among developing countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

More information about UNDP’s private sector related work can be found online at www.iicpsd.org. The Programme operates under the rules and regulations of the UNDP Internship Policy.

Duties and Responsibilities

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

  • Provide research, writing and editing support on issues related to south-south and triangular cooperation;
  • Assist the organization of conferences, forums, training sessions or other collaborative events for south-south and triangular cooperation;
  • Supports the creation and maintenance of partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders;
  • Contribute to designing and implementation of initiatives, projects or programmes;
  • Support publishing knowledge stories/best practices on south-south and triangular cooperation;
  • Provide administrative support on an as-needed basis;
  • Collaborate on the development and execution of online content (images, infographics, videos, blogs etc.) and campaigns delivered across various social media channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc. 

Other relevant tasks as deemed necessary by the supervisor.

Competencies

Technical/Functional Competencies:

  • Excellent 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;
  • Computer literate in MS Office, knowledge of statistical programs such as SPSS, Stata or R is an asset.

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:

  • Experience in academic writing, research and analysis on sustainable development;
  • Experience on south-south and triangular cooperation for development is an asset;
  • Previous experience on project designing and implementation is an asset;
  • 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.

Language:

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

Administrative Issues

Financial Renumeration

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.

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 prior to the interview 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 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.