Internship - Climate Resilient WASH Innovation Portfolio, WASH Innovation Hub, Office of Innovation, Remote, Six (6) months, REQ

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, innovation.

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 WASH Innovation Portfolio. Read more here and here.

UNICEF WASH Innovation Portfolio sources, pilots and scales transformational and frontier climate resilient innovations that respond to key programmatic challenges that, if solved, will unlock faster progress for a water secure future for children and young people. The portfolio consists of digital innovations, social innovations, data innovations and frugal innovations working towards addressing WASH challenges to accelerate results for children and young people. Read an example of a WASH innovation part of the portfolio here.

How can you make a difference?

Main Duties / Responsibilities

• Research support: the candidate will assist with collating, reviewing, and presenting research findings for both internal and external publication, including conducting interviews with UNICEF country office teams and regional office teams. The selected intern will be required to support with the development of briefing notes on leveraging climate resilient WASH innovations to accelerate results for children
• Data management support: the candidate will assist with keeping the WASH Innovation Portfolio data updated for internal uses and on INVENT, the global UNICEF innovation portal.
• WASH Hub support: UNICEF is establishing the Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub in Copenhagen as a satellite office to the Office of Innovation. The candidate will assist in related necessary tasks, such as drafting documents and presentations, supporting consultancies conducting landscape assessments, etc.
• 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.
• Innovation pipeline building: support with the identification of new WASH innovative solutions that benefit children and young people.
• Event support: the candidate will support the Office of Innovation contributions to the 2023 UN Water Conference.

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 • Innovation and/or Technology • International Relations • Development Studies • Peace and Conflict Studies
• Be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate or Ph.D. degree programme or have graduated within the past two years, in the area that the internship will cover
• 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 English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Salary/Payment:

Interns will receive a stipend based on their location. USD 1,700 per month in the following offices: New York, Geneva, and Copenhagen; or​​​​​​​ 70% of the monthly salary of the General Service (GS) level 3 step 1 in all other the duty stations.

Visa: Interns are responsible for obtaining their visas before travelling. UNICEF will only issue guidance and a letter stating acceptance of an individual as an intern and the conditions governing the Internship. Applicants who are in the USA or Switzerland at the time of application (for the US with a valid OPT/CPT if international student), are personally responsible for arranging any visa or immigration requirements, covering the entire period of their internship. Insurance: UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the intern's service. Therefore, the selected candidate must provide proof of enrolment in a health/accident plan prior to starting his/her work.

Living and Working Conditions:

Due to current COVID19 restrictions (which may change), the intern will initially work from home, working collaboratively with the WASH / Climate Change team by email, WhatsApp, Zoom, etc. Applicants are personally responsible for arranging visa or immigration requirements, covering the entire period of their internship.

The internship is full-time (35 hrs). Working hours are flexible and set-up in mutual discussion with the supervisor considering existing study/work commitments. Interns may take up to 2.5 days per month off work for any reason, including for medical reasons. The stipend will be reduced for any absence beyond this quota.

Preferred duration: maximum of 6 months; (26 weeks). An internship may be terminated by either party, with a notice period of at least two weeks.

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

UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

1. Builds and maintains partnerships
2. Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
3. Drive to achieve results for impact
4. Innovates and embraces change
5. Manages ambiguity and complexity
6. Thinks and acts strategically
7. Works collaboratively with others.

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:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.