Background

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) is responsible for positioning UNDP as the world’s leading global development agency, promoting its global authority and thought leadership on sustainable development and the interconnected issues of poverty, inequality, and climate change. BERA leads and supports UNDP in building and nurturing strategic relationships and alliances essential to achieving its mission. Creating strong political and financial backing for UNDP by providing partners and supporters with a clear understanding of what UNDP does and how our mission, capabilities and flagship services relate to them. The Bureau leads UNDP’s work on innovative and diversified partnerships and ways of financing the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also responsible for global campaigns on critical development issues, which aim to inform government policies and build partnerships around high-impact solutions. BERA coordinates and sets corporate standards across the functions of partnerships, marketing and communications within UNDP and leads on internal communications.

The Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy is positioned around three service lines; Public Partnership; Advocacy, Marketing and Communications; and Private and Finance Partners, all working in close collaboration and coordination under the guidance of the Directorate and with the support of the Management Support Unit and Strategic Analysis and Engagement team.

The Innovative Digital Partnerships Unit within the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA) of UNDP is pleased to announce the creation of multiple internship opportunities to support the new and ongoing activities related to partnership with Samsung Mobile. Since 2019, Samsung and The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have been collaborating on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the Samsung Global Goals app and the Generation17 initiative.

UNDP and Samsung have co-designed, launched, and implemented initiatives related to the SDGs with a particular focus on Youth Empowerment and Education using digital technologies. In August 2019, the Samsung Global Goals App was launched in 2 languages, subsequently expanding to more than 80 languages and countries today. The Samsung Global Goals app offers mobile phone users the opportunity to familiarize themselves with all 17 SDGs and their impact on communities worldwide. Through the app, users actively contribute to the achievement of these Global Goals by learning about each goal and making direct donations to UNDP to support its ongoing development work. With the app now installed on approximately 300 million Samsung devices globally it has significantly expanded UNDP’s global outreach. In 2020, Generation17 was born. It is an initiative that leverages the collective power of Samsung and UNDP to amplify the voices of young people, inspire change, and pave the way for a better future for us all. Combining UNDP’s youth and policy expertise with Samsung’s global scale and Galaxy technology, Generation17 aims to empower young leaders worldwide by providing mentorship, networking opportunities and technology, so they can mobilize their communities for the Global Goals.

BERA is looking for a reliable, motivated student or recent graduate to join our team in the near term. The intern must be a resourceful self-starter who thrives in a rapidly evolving context and will be able to work effectively in a demanding work environment. He/she will possess excellent attention to detail, follow through, organizational skills, relationship-building capacities, adaptability, and demonstrate advanced writing skills in English.

Duties and Responsibilities

Support Unit Leadership:

  • Provides day to day support to the Global Lead for Digital Fundraising and Steering Committee in meetings by taking notes and assuming responsibility for timely completion of action items.
  • Drafts letters, emails, reports, presentations, social media posts and other written and visual materials.
  • Creates and maintains systems and processes to streamline operations.

Assist with Fundraising:

  • Develops and executes external outreach strategy to support unit partnership and digital giving priorities.
  • Provide support as needed for digital giving efforts, including content creation for appeals, website updates, and social media.
  • Edit, review, and refine proposal decks to ensure clarity and alignment with program goals.

Competencies

  • At a minimum, the candidate should be proficient in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • He/she ideally possesses digital media skills including the ability to create effective, persuasive online and social media content and visual assets.
  • Candidate must be fluent in English and have exceptional speaking and writing skills.
  • Second languages are welcomed.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

•           Applicants to UNDP internships must at the time of application meet one of the following academic requirements:

(a)        Be enrolled in any relevant graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) to fit the position;

(b)        Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);

(c)         Have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

•           A Certification must be obtained from school regarding status of enrollment or graduation.

Experience:

Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the programme, however, candidates with the following skills are encouraged to apply:

•           Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Writing samples are encouraged.

•           Write compelling and relevant content, storylines, social media copy, etc.

•           Experience in reviewing, proofreading, and editing proposals/decks.