Internship (2 positions) - Climate Change Innovation Portfolio, Home-based, Office of Innovation, 6 months (full-time)

Contract

This is a Internship contract. It usually requires 0 years of experience, depending on education. More about Internship contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, innovate

UNICEF’s innovation portfolio approach focuses our innovation efforts on the most challenging problems UNICEF is trying to solve for and with children and young people. There are 9 innovation portfolios, with each portfolio containing innovative solutions (sourced from across UNICEF and beyond) that have potential to scale and significantly accelerate results for children, including the Climate Change Innovation Portfolio. Read more here and here.

Children are the least responsible for climate change, yet they will bear the greatest burden of its impact. The worsening effects of climate change mean that children face both the immediate impacts of climate-exacerbated humanitarian emergencies and the slower-onset impacts such as water scarcity and disease burden. For children who are already disadvantaged, the risks of climate change are even higher: as crises become more common, poorer families will face even greater difficulties recovering from these increasingly frequent shocks. Read more here.

The climate crisis is a child rights crisis, and time is running out to make the transformations necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Innovation can and must play a central role in finding solutions to this crisis and accelerating the impact of our work in protecting children from the effects of climate change, placing their needs at the center of environmental strategies, and empowering them as agents of change. The UNICEF Climate Innovation portfolio consist of digital innovations, social innovations, data innovations and frugal innovations to tackle the most pressing climate challenges facing children and young people. Example of climate solutions part of the UNICEF’s portfolio can be found here.

How can you make a difference?

• Research support: the candidate will assist with collating, reviewing, and presenting research findings for both internal and external publication. As an example, previous climate portfolio interns have contributed to the research and development of a guide for Country Offices to deploy innovative air pollution programming.
• Data management support: the candidate will assist with keeping the Climate Innovation Portfolio data updated for internal use and on the global UNICEF innovation portal.
• Project evaluation support: the candidate will support in the development of a checklist for incoming portfolio projects, as well as employ the checklist to evaluate the absence/presence of features for a Portfolio Manager to consider in early-stage and accelerated projects, i.e., data protection and security measures.
• Drafting of documents: the candidate will support with drafting of concept notes, scope of works for joint partnerships, presentations to donors and partners. As an example, previous interns have contributed to the concept note for the Executive Director on an overview of UNICEF’s climate action work.
• Innovation pipeline building: support with the identification of new climate innovative solutions that benefit children and young people.

Expected Deliverables

• Monthly report summarizing work and achievements
• Completion of research pieces, scope of works for joint partnerships, presentations for partners as requested
• Maintenance of portfolio data on UNICEF innovation portal
• Development of summary specifications on new innovative solutions
• Project evaluation summaries

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

The candidate shall be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. degree programme, or have graduated within the past two years in at least one of the following areas or in a relevant field:

• Environmental Science • Environmental Policy • Sustainability Studies • Development Studies

The candidate should have:

• Experience in conducting and presenting research findings
• Experience with managing/coordinating a project (considered an asset)
• Experience with data analysis (especially through the use of a specialist software)
• Experience with using Microsoft Office package (word, excel, power point, notes, teams)
• The candidate must have good interpersonal skills (liaising with people of many different nationalities) and organizations skills
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Proficiency in any other UN languages is considered an asset (French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese).

Age: Interns must be at least 18 years

Visa: UNICEF is not responsible for obtaining any visas for internships. However, UNICEF can provide a Note Verbale to respective Consulates, to support the application of Visas.

Insurance: The selected candidate must provide proof of health/accident insurance plan that covers them in the country of the assignment and for the entire duration of the assignment. UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during on or off UNICEF premises.

Employment: There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship.

Stipend: The eligible intern will receive a monthly stipend as a contribution towards their living expenses. The selected candidate is expected to work remotely if located outside the Office of Innovation duty station

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter:https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.