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 a new internship opportunity to support the ongoing products related to partnership with Samsung Mobile and the new initiatives the unit is looking to work on this summer.

Samsung’s partnership was established in August 2019. We’re getting closer to the fourth year of the partnership agreement with Samsung, which is marked by growth and deepening collaboration through the development of a successful youth empowerment initiative, #Generation17, as well as an extremely positive returns through the Samsung Global Goals (SGG) App. The SGG App is now installed on nearly 300 million mobile devices worldwide. The partnership has mobilized nearly $10M USD to date through corporate and individual donations.

BERA is looking for a reliable, motivated student or recent graduate to join our team in the near term, who is available to work at least 20 hours per week for the next 8-10 weeks.

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, and demonstrate advanced writing skills. Candidates with a strong interest and/or experience in communication, and who have advanced communication skills in Spanish, and/or French are preferred.

Working arrangements

  • This is a paid ‘virtual’ assignment.
  • The assignment will require the intern to work a minimum of 20 hours per week for 8-10 weeks.
  • As of 1 January 2020, Interns may be given a stipend according to UNDP Internship Policy, if it is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government foundation or scholarship programme. This is  intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station. The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly.
  • Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of the internship. UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship. Interns must provide proof of enrollment in health insurance plan.
  • Interns are not eligible to apply for, or be appointed to, any post in UNDP during the period of the internship.
  • Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.
  • The purpose of the internship 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.
  • The intern will be evaluated at the end of the contract.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Assist with Generation17 new cohort announcement,
  • Create copy and visual assets for #Generation17 and new crowdfunding campaigns,
  • Translate content into French and/ or Spanish,
  • Support, as needed, with the crisis crowdfunding campaigns and webinars,
  • Edit proposals decks,
  • Work on the 2023 content update for the Samsung Global Goals App.

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 on Photoshop.
  • Candidate must be fluent in English.
  • Spanish and/ or French are desired language skills. Other UN languages are welcomed.  
  • While the intern will generally adhere to the Eastern Standard workday, he/she will also be required to work across time zones globally and must be available outside of a standard 9-5 p.m. EST schedule to effectively support the work of regional bureaus and country offices.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Applicants to UNDP internships must at the time of application meet one of the following academic requirements:
    1. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) in Communications, Journalism, Public Administration or relevant field to the internship position
    2. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
    3. 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 to regarding status of enrollment or graduation.
  • Must have work authorization permit.

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.
  • Write compelling and relevant content, storylines, social media copy, etc
  • Experience in reviewing, proofreading, and editing proposals/decks.