Intern - Financial and Operational Support

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a global development network established in 1965, with a mission to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities through sustainable development. UNDP operates in approximately 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people to address development challenges. The organization emphasizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, valuing the multiplicity of nations and cultures in which it operates. UNDP is committed to ensuring that all personnel are empowered to contribute to its mission, and it actively encourages applications from individuals belonging to marginalized or excluded populations. UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, and discrimination, ensuring that all selected candidates undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Job Overview:
The internship-position" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">internship position is within the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA), which focuses on advancing the UNDP’s Strategic Plan in the Sub-Saharan African region. The RBA is dedicated to eliminating poverty and reducing inequalities, providing strategic oversight and support to 46 country offices. The Management Support Team (MST) within RBA is responsible for financial stewardship, performance monitoring, workflow coordination, and operational analytics. The intern will support MST by engaging in financial reviews, operational analytics, performance dashboards, and internal management processes. This internship provides hands-on exposure to financial and operational functions within a global development organization, allowing the intern to report to the Operations Advisor and collaborate with the operations team, regional advisors, and other stakeholders to facilitate data-driven decision-making processes. The internship lasts for a maximum of 6 months, is full-time, and while it is unpaid, a stipend is provided to assist with basic expenses.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The intern will support MST in various areas, including: Financial & Business Support, where they will assist in analysis" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">financial analysis, budget monitoring, and expenditure tracking, review financial reports, conduct variance and trend analysis on RBA financial metrics, and help prepare financial performance presentations. In the Data & Analytics area, the intern will collect, clean, and analyze programmatic and operational data, support the development of dashboards and performance tracking tools, assist in automating reporting workflows, and create clear data visualizations to aid decision-making. For Operational & Administrative Support, the intern will maintain unit action trackers, assist with planning and coordination of meetings, and draft briefs and documentation. Additionally, they will support Knowledge & Process Support by documenting processes and preparing standard operating procedures (SOPs). Other duties may be assigned by the supervisor as needed.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must be currently enrolled in or have recently graduated (within the last year) from a Master's or Bachelor's program in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, Data Science, Statistics, or a related field. Strong proficiency in MS Excel, including pivot tables and functions, is required. Experience or coursework with data analysis and visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, Python, or R is advantageous. Excellent written and spoken English is mandatory, and proficiency in French is a plus. No professional experience is required, but relevant academic or project experience is preferred.

Educational Background:
The position requires candidates to be currently enrolled in or have recently graduated from a relevant academic program, specifically in fields such as Finance, Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, Data Science, or Statistics. This educational background is essential to ensure that the intern possesses the necessary theoretical knowledge and skills to effectively contribute to the financial and operational support functions of the UNDP.

Experience:
While no professional experience is required for this internship, candidates should ideally have relevant academic or project experience that demonstrates their ability to engage with financial analysis, data analytics, and operational support. This could include coursework, projects, or internships that have provided exposure to similar tasks and responsibilities.

Languages:
The mandatory language for this position is English, with excellent written and spoken skills required. Proficiency in French is considered an advantage, as it may enhance communication and collaboration within the diverse environment of UNDP.

Additional Notes:
The internship is unpaid, but a modest monthly stipend is provided to help cover basic daily expenses such as meals and transportation. Interns are responsible for all other expenses related to the internship, including obtaining necessary visas and arranging travel. The internship is full-time and lasts for a maximum of 6 months. Interns are not considered staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity. Additionally, interns are not eligible to apply for or be appointed to any post in UNDP during the internship period. Proof of enrollment in a health insurance plan is required, and interns must provide various application documents, including a CV, cover letter, academic credentials, and a medical certificate.