UNDP Jobs - 88043- Intern - International Trade Center

Intern - International Trade Center

Location :

Colombo, SRI LANKA

Type of Contract :

Internship

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

17-Oct-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Intern

Duration of Initial Contract :

3 - 6 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

3 - 6 months

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

About International Trade Centre (ITC)

ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations (UN). It is the only multilateral agency fully dedicated to supporting the internationalization of SMEs. ITC's mission is to foster inclusive and sustainable growth and development through trade and international business development. ITC Headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

ITC projects and programmes contribute to the global efforts to achieve UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and the Aid for Trade agenda.

ITC works at three levels:

Strengthening the integration of the business sector of developing countries and economies in transition into the global economy,
Improving the performance of trade and investment support institutions for the benefit of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), and enhancing the abilities of trade support institutions to better support them,
Improving the international competitiveness of SMEs.

About the Project

ITC is the lead implementing agency for the “EU – Sri Lanka Trade Related Assistance: Increasing SMEs trade competitiveness in regional and EU markets” funded by the European Union (EU). The Department of Commerce (DoC) of the Ministry of Industry is the focal point for the project in Sri Lanka.

Project objectives are as follows:

Overall Objective: Contribute to Sri Lanka’s inclusive trade-led growth and regional integration, thereby contributing to poverty alleviation,
Specific Objective: Increase trade competitiveness of Sri Lankan SMEs in regional and EU markets.

The following are the project expected results (ER):

ER 1. Coherent trade strategy for export competitiveness designed and implemented, including policies, regulatory reforms and trade negotiations as shaped by the WTO, regional integration process, EU GSP+ scheme
ER 2. Enhanced efficiency of cross-border procedures and SMEs’ capacities to comply with cross-border procedures for exporting to SAARC and EU
ER 3. Improved compliance and quality infrastructure services to meet quality and SPS requirements in the regional and EU markets
ER 4. Increased SME competitiveness in export-oriented sectors (spices, food and ITO/BPO industry)

To support the implementation of the project and the achievement of its expected results, a national project office is established in Colombo, Sri Lanka, located within the premises of the DoC. The project office consists of a National Project Coordinator, a National Project Adviser and a National Project Administrative Assistant. The team is responsible for the coordination and day-to-day management of field operations, provision of technical support to project implementation, and outreach, communication and development of working relations with stakeholders in Sri Lankan provinces.

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will work under the overall supervision of the Sri Lanka National Project Coordinator. He/she will carry out the following duties, as required:

Project Implementation

Support preparations for project events, workshops, working group meetings and other events in Sri Lanka in coordination with HQ staff, consultants, beneficiaries and partners in Sri Lanka;
Provide support to incoming missions of experts by attending workshops, meetings and other events as required to assist with logistics and note-taking;
Provide support and assistance in the preparation of project-related documentation such as project work plans, progress reports etc..
Assist in collecting data for monitoring and reporting on project results.
Provide assistance to translate project documents to/from Sinhalese and/or Tamil.

Research

Undertake research in support of the work of the project team, to keep the team abreast with the developments in the country and identify synergies and opportunities;
Prepare briefing materials, write-ups and presentations on the findings (word, powerpoint);
Provide research support on any other country-specific issues relevant for the project and its expected results.

Competencies

Relevant fields of Study

Economics, Business, International Trade, Commerce or related field.

Skills

Computer literacy, particularly with relation to Microsoft Office and social media.
Good communication and analytical skills and the capacity to present findings clearly in writing and orally.
Consultancy and/or business analysis experience would be an advantage.

Languages

Fluency in spoken and written English, with knowledge of Sinhalese and/or Tamil a distinct plus.

Required Skills and Experience

Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
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.

Family members of UNDP staff cannot apply.

The Applicant must undertake the following obligations:

Cover cost and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses;
Secure adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship (Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern)
Follow UNDP internship guideline in copyright, roles and responsibility, external communication etc.

Interns will not receive any remuneration.