Background

The Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (ICPSD) offers a selected group of outstanding graduate-level students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to ICPSD’s work as a center of excellence for the private sector in development. It is designed to provide support to ICPSD’s applied research and policy advisory services and to complement the interns’ practical experience in various issues related to private sector engagement, skills generation, impact investing and other topics of international development. The Programme operates under the rules and regulations of the UNDP Internship Policy.

UNDP ICPSD leads UNDP’s private sector strategy, mobilizing the private sector to engage in development. ICPSD convenes stakeholders from public and private industry as well as foundations to facilitate knowledge sharing and partnerships, catalyzes private sector actors for developing products and initiatives for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) implementation and provides support to raise capital through innovative financing models such as blended finance.

UNDP ICPSD’s impact investing work stream is based on two pillars: Conventional finance and Islamic finance.

ICPSD and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) established the Global Islamic Finance and Impact Investing Platform (GIFIIP) in 2016 to position Islamic finance and impact investing as leading enablers of SDG implementation around the world. Bringing together the private sector, governments and key stakeholders operating in the Islamic finance and impact investing markets, the platform aims to promote market-based solutions to sustainable development challenges.

Duties and Responsibilities

This intern will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provide research, writing and editing support on issues and knowledge products related to Islamic finance and impact investing;
• Support publishing knowledge stories/best practices on Islamic finance and impact investing;
• Contribute to designing and implementation of initiatives, projects, or programmes;
• Provide administrative support on an as-needed basis;
• Prepare relevant communications materials (speeches, brochures, success stories, social media, materials, etc.);
• Collaborate on the development and execution of online content (images, infographics, videos, blogs, etc.) and campaigns delivered across various social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
• Other relevant tasks as deemed necessary by the supervisor.

Competencies

Technical/Functional Competencies

• Excellent research and writing skills, as well as strong analytical aptitude and strong communication skills;
• Ability to manage workload with minimum supervision and collaborate with a wide range of colleagues while meeting the deadlines;
• Excellent interpersonal skills: being able to listen and collaborate with a wide range of players, being able to work independently, being pro-active and taking initiative;
• Be able to work both independently and as part of a team.

Personal Competencies:

• Commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision, and values;
• Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age differences;
• Highest standards of integrity, discretion, and loyalty.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Applicants must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

a) be enrolled in a second university degree programme (Master Degree);or

b) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (Bachelor Degree); or

c) have graduated with a university degree in fields such as Islamic economics and finance, economics, finance, business, development, international relations, law, public administration or similar and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Experience:

• Experience in academic writing, research, and analysis on sustainable development, and impact investing.
• Knowledge of SDG financing and Islamic finance is an asset;
• Knowledge of the OIC countries is desirable;
• Computer literate in standard software applications;
• Demonstrated keen interest in the work of the UN, and of UNDP in particular, and have a personal commitment to UNDP’s Statement of Purpose and to the ideals of the UN Charter;
• Demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs;
• Previous experience on economics and finance research, preferably with a perspective on Islamic finance is an asset;
• Previous experience on project designing and implementation is an asset;
• Social media account management and content development skills are desirable.

Language:

• Strong spoken and written English is required;
• Spoken and written Arabic is an asset.
• Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Financial Issues

Interns will be given a stipend according to the UNDP Internship Policies, if they are not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme.

The monthly amount of the stipend will be determined for each duty station based on the stipend rates published yearly by the OHR Policy and Compensation Unit. The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly.

Application Procedure

The application should contain:

• Brief Cover Letter (in English) stating interest in and qualifications for the post; and
• Current and complete CV in English;

Please group all your documents into one single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.

Candidates who are selected must submit the following documents:

• Official document(s) confirming your education status;
• Proof of medical and life/accident insurance valid for the location in which the internship will be carried out. Selected intern must have medical insurance.

UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months. UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship. Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity. It is important to note that interns are responsible to arrange for their own visa , and need to plan for these well in advance.

Subsequent Employment

The purpose of the Internship Programme 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.
More information is available at: http://www.undp.org/internships/.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.