Internship - Visual Design Contributors (Polio Programme), Islamabad, Pakistan (2 Months)

Internship Programme & Policy Medical & Health

Overview

Support the development of impactful visual content for the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme.

You have:

• Enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or Ph.D. degree programme or have graduated within the past two years from fields like Communication, Fine Arts (design), Visual Arts and design.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Have excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
• Must have proof of medical insurance covering their time at the duty station.
• Have NO immediate relatives working in any UNICEF office; and have no other relatives in the line of authority that the intern will report to.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is desirable.
• Knowledge of Urdu language is desirable.

Contract

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

UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, Polio drops!

To meet the demands of this evolving communications landscape, the programme seeks to engage interns as Visual Design Contributors to support the development of impactful, culturally relevant, and accessible visual content. The intern modality provides a unique opportunity to bring in fresh, creative energy while offering early-career professionals a hands-on learning experience in a real-time health emergency response setting. These contributors will not only strengthen the capacity of the communications team but will also learn how design intersects with public health, social behaviour change, and humanitarian coordination in one of the world’s most complex emergency health programmes.

How can you make a difference?

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is a multi-agency public health initiative coordinated by the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), under the Government of Pakistan. As the programme continues to address the circulation of polio across the country, the NEOC plays a central role in coordinating provincial and national campaigns, ensuring alignment across technical, operational, and communication strategies.

Under the leadership of the Creative Lead, the communications team produces a wide array of materials to inform and engage the public, support frontline workers, and elevate the voices of communities. The Visual Design Contributors will become part of this high-functioning team, directly supporting national campaigns by creating design products for print, digital, and community outreach. Their work will contribute to health promotion, social mobilization, and risk communication efforts, all within the framework of an L3-designated public health emergency.

The Intern will be responsible for the following:

Intern for Visual Design Contributors will be immersed in the communications team and offered an opportunity to grow their professional skills while contributing meaningfully to the programme’s outreach. Their responsibilities will provide exposure to real-world workflows, creative feedback processes, and multi-stakeholder coordination, particularly in the context of emergency response communications. Under the supervision of the Graphic Design Lead and in collaboration with the digital and outreach teams, the interns will:

• Support the creation of a broad range of design outputs, including digital and print materials such as posters, social media visuals, event backdrops, infographics, and public awareness products.
• Participate in the adaptation of national-level designs into culturally sensitive, locally relevant formats to support outreach in diverse provinces and districts.
• Gain experience in developing visual storytelling products for public health campaigns, including illustrations, animations, branded items, and promotional collateral.
• Assist in preparing print-ready assets and maintaining organized design systems and templates.
• Join brainstorming and planning sessions where they can contribute fresh perspectives and learn from experienced communication professionals.
• Receive feedback and coaching on their designs to strengthen their visual communication and project management skills.
• Learn how visual design can support behavioural change goals, foster trust in public institutions, and help drive progress in complex humanitarian settings.

By contributing to this work, the interns will gain practical experience in emergency communications and build a design portfolio rooted in real impact and public service.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

• Enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or Ph.D. degree programme or have graduated within the past two years from one of the following fields: Communication, Fine Arts (design), Visual Arts and design.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Have excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
• Must have proof of medical insurance covering their time at the duty station.
• Have NO immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office; and have no other relatives in the line of authority that the intern will report to; and are not disqualified under the UNICEF Child Safeguarding Personnel Standards (DHR/STANDARDS/2019/001), or as amended.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.
• knowledge of Urdu language is desirable.

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about children’s rights and making a lasting difference on children’s lives, one of the global leading entities on children’s rights would like to hear from you.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

The 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

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

Three (03) interns required to join the Polio Programme Section based in UNICEF Islamabad.

Duration of the internship is 2 months

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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.

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

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 10 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: unicef.org