Org. Setting and Reporting

The position is located in the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology (OSET). Building on the work of the High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation and consultations of multi-stakeholder roundtable groups, the United Nations Secretary-General issued a Roadmap for Digital Cooperation (A/74/821) which addresses how the international community can better harness the opportunities presented by digital technologies while addressing their challenges. The Secretary-General’s report “Our Common Agenda” issued in September 2021 prioritizes the digital space and the need to “protect the online space and strengthen its governance”. It also proposes a Global Digital Compact to be developed through a multistakeholder track.

OSET leads the implementation of the Secretary-General’s vision on digital cooperation by working closely with various UN entities and multi-stakeholder groups, facilitating dialogue to accelerate global digital cooperation, seizing on the opportunities that are presented by technology – while mitigating the risks – so that progress towards achieving the Goals by 2030 can be made collectively, as well as carrying out other related duties and responsibilities assigned by the Secretary-General, including follow up actions from the report “Our Common Agenda”.

The internship is unpaid and can be either part-time or full-time depending on your status. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a professional staff and focus on one of the three tracks set out under Responsibilities.

Responsibilities

OSET offers internship opportunities in three broad areas:

TRACK 1: POLICY ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT
• Help monitor, identify and analyze geographic, political and thematic global trends
• Support research, analysis and formulation of policy options in key focus areas
• Support the preparation of analytical reports, papers and other outputs

TRACK 2: ANALYTICS
• Support in preparing data, data models, surveys, and analysis
• Develop dashboards and visualizations for senior managers and provide user support
• Support data mining, optimization, metrics development, and text analysis

TRACK 3: COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN
• Design core identity products that illustrate corporate vision, mission, and values
• Design and prepare content/copy for briefings, presentations, fact sheets, and snapshots
• Support the development of websites, including layout, content, look and feel

Please indicate the track you are interested in in your Motivation Statement.

Competencies

Communication
• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively
• Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others, and responds appropriately
• Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication
• Tailor’s language, tone, style, and format to match the audience
• Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed

Planning and Organizing
• Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies
• Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required
• Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work
• Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning
• Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary

Technological Awareness
• Actively seeks to apply emerging technology across tasks
• Keeps abreast of available technology
• Understands applicability and opportunities of technology for the organization

Education

Applicants to the United Nations Internship Programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

1) Be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent or higher such as Master’s degree or equivalent, Ph.D. or post-graduate degree).

2) Be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent).

In each track, interested candidates can pursue broad range of studies as indicated below:

TRACK 1: POLICY ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT
International Relations, Political Affairs, Law, Geography, Economics, Public or Business Administration, Management, Computer Science, Technology Governance, Data Governance, Internet Governance, Behavioural Science

TRACK 2: ANALYTICS
Analytics, Statistics, Mathematics, Engineering, Data Visualization or Information Design

TRACK 3: COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN
Relevant coursework in Design, Web Development, Strategic Design and Management, Marketing, Information Design, Public Relations, Media Studies, Journalism, or Data Visualization

Work Experience

No working experience is required to apply for the United Nations Internship Programme. Your training, education, advance course work or skills should benefit the United Nations during your internship.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position(s) advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

Potential candidates will be contacted by the hiring manager directly for further consideration.

Special Notice

The internship is for minimum of two (2) months, with a possibility of extension up to six (6) months.

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. For internships in the United States of America, interns who are not United States citizens, permanent residents or not currently in the United States on a non-immigrant visa status will be required to obtain a G-4 visa. If already in the United States of America on another non-immigrant visa status other than G-4, interns will be responsible for ensuring that they have a valid visa, and if required, employment authorization, allowing them to undertake the internship.

A completed online application is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. All past work experiences, IT skills, languages, and three references, must be included in the application.

The Motivation Statement must include:

– Name of university and title of degree you are currently pursuing
– Graduation date (when you expect to graduate from the programme)
– A listing of IT skills and programmes that you are proficient in.
– An explanation why you are the best candidate for an internship with the Office.
– Period of availability: Fall (September-December); Winter/Spring (January-April) or Summer (May-August)
– The track you are interested in.

All interested candidates must:
• Be computer literate in standard software applications;
• Have a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter;
• Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Due to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.