The Programme Planning and Budget Division is located under the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts in the Department of Management of the United Nations and is responsible for the preparation of United Nations budgets.
We are seeking highly motivated individuals who wish to gain professional experience in budgetary, financial and administrative matters within an international organization in order to supplement their studies.
This internship programme offers a practical educational experience and provides interns the opportunity to work in a multicultural, intergovernmental organization. Under supervision, interns are assigned projects and tasks that are relevant to their educational background and interests and provided with the opportunity to apply and further develop their theoretical knowledge.
Responsibilities will be in line with the vast scope of work of the Programme Planning and Budget Division. For this particular position it is envisaged that the intern would be required to:
1. Review existing processes and systems and propose alternative solutions that significantly improve user experience;
2. Develop new approaches that contribute to simpler and more intuitive interaction between users and information systems;
3. Provides alternative solutions and options that address design challenges;
4. Present its conclusions and recommendations in a clear and simple manner that can be easily translatable into a usable IT model;
5. Work autonomously and find create solutions for the challenges presented by the processes and workflows provided;
6. Work in a consistent manner to ensure that the approaches are consistent and coherent, regardless of instance in which the user is requested to interact with the system.
The successful candidate, upon completion of the internship, is expected to improve knowledge in the following areas:
1. Presentation, layout and flow of budgetary information;
2. Best practices in terms of user experience and interfaces;
3. Interaction between user and systems in an intuitive manner;
4. Understanding of user needs and develop simple solutions to address those needs;
5. Identify and compare alternative solutions for complex challenges related to presentation, layout, flow and attractiveness of budgetary information presented to users;
6. Communicate and present conclusions and recommendations in a clear, attractive and effective manner that facilitates decision making.
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 - Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience - Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals - Solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others - Places team agenda before personal agenda - Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position - Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
Technological Awareness: Keeps abreast of available technology - Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office- Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks - Shows willingness to learn new technology.
Applicants must meet one of the requirements below:
- Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); - Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor's level or equivalent);
- Have graduated with a university degree and, if selected must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation. And must
- Be computer literate in standard software applications, i.e., MS words, Excel, Power Point, etc.;
- Have demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter of the United Nations; and
- Have demonstrated the 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.
Applicants are not required to have professional work experience for participation in the project. However, applicants are encouraged to list all relevant work experiences in their personal history profile.
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the internship advertised, fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) is an asset
Potential candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration. Written assessment may or not be administered
The duration of the internship is 3 months with the possibility of extension for another period of 3 months.
The internship is UNPAID and full-time and all related costs and arrangements (including VISAS) are the responsibility of the intern.
Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the Programme Planning and Budget Division.
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TO APPLY:
A completed online application (cover note and personal history profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
The cover note must include:
- Title of degree that applicant is currently pursuing;
- Graduation date (when applicant will be graduating from the programme);
- The IT skills and programmes that applicant is proficient in;
- An explanation why the applicant is a suitable candidate for the position;
- An explanation of applicant’s interest in the United Nations Internship Programme;
- The applicant’s availability time frame for the internship.
In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills and three references.
Due to a high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.
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, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
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.
Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.
The screening and 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, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: 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 a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.
Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.
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.