Internship Opportunity with the Partnerships, Policy and Communications Unit (UNCDF) at UNDP in USA

UNCDF offers an internship opportunity with the Partnerships, Policy, and Communications Unit at UNDP in the USA. Working under the guidance and supervision of the Head of PPC, and working closely with PPC staff, you will support the ongoing work plan and goals of the unit, including but not limited to expanding partnerships; preparing policy briefs for high-level meetings; supporting the launch of major initiatives on blended finance and enterprises in Africa; and building and maintaining a base of knowledge about the Member States. The internship manager is committed to providing you with the training, guidance and support necessary to complete the duties and responsibilities effectively and within the internship period.

Under the supervision of the Head of Partnerships, Policy, and Communications PPC Unit, and in close collaboration with the Sustainable Finance and Partnerships Specialist in the PPC Unit, you will assist in any of the following tasks:

• Summary of key functions:
• Support for Strategic advocacy and partnership development.
• Support for the creation of new innovative finance vehicles and instruments.
• Support for the facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.
• Partnership development:
• Support the development of corporate strategies tailored to specific donors.
• Support for building and maintaining relationships with the financial sector, private sector investors, and family offices.
• Support for providing strategic advice and policy recommendations with a view to positioning UNCDF strongly.
• Analyze donor trends in the UNCDF funding landscape.
• Define and regularly ‘connect’ UNCDF value propositions in the LDCs in alignment, and when possible, in anticipation of the changing aid architecture and evolving resource mobilization drivers.
• Identification of opportunities for UNCDF programs in its relationship with other UN Agencies.
• Identification of specific areas for support, building on UNCDF comparative advantages and UNCDF programmatic objectives in the country.
• Assist in building and maintaining relations with other UN agencies that support the effective implementation of the IF and LDF business plans, with a special focus on joint mobilization of resources.
• Provides timely and professional response to COs' requests for support on matters of partnership-building.
• Enhances the capacity of UNCDF country and regional offices to pursue and capitalize on strategic partnerships and resource mobilization opportunities.
• Support for the mobilization of core and non-core resources:
• Provide effective and efficient support to the Executive Secretary and senior management in the mobilization of core and non-core resources in all aspects of resource mobilization.
• Support and create new partnerships with non-traditional donors, particularly corporations, the investment sector, and the financial sector.
• Specifically, support UNCDF senior management in the mobilization of core and non-core resources through in-depth analysis of donor-specific ODA trends, political and economic developments, aid policies, practices, and budget allocations in specific donor countries.
• Contribute to the development of corporate policies and procedures for core and non-core resource mobilization, including through strategic partners.
• Effective Internal and External Donor Relations:
• Based on in-depth knowledge of national environments, identify targeted interventions to mobilize support for UNCDF and influence positively donor countries’ national budgetary and other decision-making processes.
• Build and maintain UNCDF’s visibility and reputation at relevant financial conferences and investor events.

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You must have:

• Demonstrates strong writing skills, particularly the ability to present persuasive, coherent, and well-founded arguments.
• Demonstrates ability to write in a style that is accessible to a broad audience of policymakers, academics, and activists.
• Demonstrates drive to achieve results in a timely manner and to seek and find solutions to any problems encountered.
• Demonstrates ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to convert complex and abstract ideas into simple visual concepts.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task.
• Be able to work in a multicultural environment and be aware of political sensitivities.

Education: 

• Be enrolled in a degree program in Business Administration, Economic Development, Economics, Finance, or another related field.
• Applicants to the UNCDF internship program must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:
• Be enrolled in a graduate school program (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent);
• Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected, must start the internship within one year of graduation.

Desirable Skillset & Experience: 

• Experience creating presentations, creating Excel files, and writing papers that capture complex concepts and put them into simple language.
• Experience in working on financial transactions or creating financial models.
• Experience in a consulting firm or an investment bank will be an added advantage.
• Self-starter; organized; able to multitask, balance multiple responsibilities, and work to the deadline.

Additional assignment-specific qualifications: 

• Solid understanding of international development. 

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required. Fluency in French is desirable.
• Knowledge of other UN languages will be considered a plus.

 General Internships Terms & Conditions:

• UNCDF Internship program is governed by the UNDP Internship Policy Framework & Rules.
• The maximum internship duration is 6 months.
• Interns are partially financially remunerated by UNCDF. The costs associated with the assignment will be partially supported by UNCDF and the rest to be borne by the nominating institution, related institution, or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his/her own arrangements for travel, accommodation, etc.
• It is expected that due to CoVID-19 restrictions in place, the most- immediate internship assignments will be home-based till the situation in the respective duty station improves.

About UNDP:

As the United Nations' lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. It helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, and institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Its work concentrates on three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance, and peacebuilding.

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