Work Location

In-Person. This internship is designed to be full-time and in person but can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate.

Expected duration

Up to six (6) months

Duties and Responsibilities

The Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) is responsible for providing leadership, operational support and oversight of the United Nations security management system (UNSMS) globally. As a global leader in Security Risk Management principles, UNDSS enables the safe and effective delivery of United Nations programmes and activities in the most complex and challenging environments, while maximizing precious resources. To this end, the work of the Department is aligned under a clear mission, to enable United Nations system programme activities through trusted security leadership and solutions. UNDSS is looking for enthusiastic and highly motivated individuals with skills in joining the Operational Resilience Section (ORS). ORS provides specialist support to improve the Department’s overall resilience through a proactive and forward-looking approach aimed at creating and implementing new ideas, methodologies, and solutions to an ever-evolving global security landscape. The focus of this internship opportunity is to assist ORS generate and communicate data-driven analyses and insights in support of decision-making processes. The internship is for a period of three (3) to six (6) months, depending on the needs of the Department. The internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the ORS. This internship is designed to be conducted in person but can be adapted to accommodate remote/hybrid arrangements on an exceptional basis. Responsibilities: The intern will provide support to ORS’s strategic and operational objectives. Duties to be performed may include the following:

• Support the transition to more automated, sustainable and robust data pipelines in the Microsoft Azure cloud environment;
• Assist in the management, setup, and configuration of cloud services operated by UNDSS;
• Assist in automating survey to reporting workflow using cloud-based systems and serverless tools;
• Support the development and customization of web application projects with a focus on data-driven and geospatial functionality;
• Help monitor and troubleshoot unexpected issues in data harvesting systems and scripts (e. g., Azure Functions, MQuery, Python Scripts, Azure Data Factory)
• Perform other related tasks as assigned. Qualifications/special skills To qualify for an internship with the United Nations Internship Programme, the following conditions must be met:
• The Applicants must meet one of the following requirements at the time of application: a) Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or b) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or c) Have graduated with a university degree (as defined above) and, if selected, must commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation. d) Official Written Proof from the University Supporting one of the above possibilities must be attached to the Inspira Application. The field of study must be closely related to the type of internship you are applying for. This includes studies in Computer Science, Information Technology, Data Science, Engineering, Information Management, GIS, Statistics, Mathematics, Business Analytics, Data Analytics, Operations Research, or closely related fields. Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.
• Design, develop, test, and deploy end-to-end automation solutions using the Power Platform (e.g., Robotic Process Automation).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Azure cloud-based tools and services for data pipeline engineering.
• Keen interest in information systems design and integrating scalable and future-proof technologies for business process optimization
• Strong knowledge of one or more programming languages (e.g., Python, R, C#)
• Strong knowledge of one or more database technologies (e.g., SQL, PostgreSQL, NoSQL)
• Knowledge of data harvesting techniques and tools (e.g., scraping, API workflows)
• Experience in system setup, configuration and maintenance (e.g., servers, virtual machines, network configuration, access rights) is desirable.
• Attention to system design and engineering approaches (e.g., use cases, functional structures, diagrams) are desirable.
• Have a demonstrated keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter; and
• 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. A completed online application is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. The Cover Note must include:
• Degree Programme (What are you currently studying)
• Graduation Date (When will you graduate or when did you graduate from the programme)
• Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship
• Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme. In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references. Due to the high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted. Applicants who are children or siblings of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. Additionally, all interns must adhere to the following:
• A person who is the child or sibling of a staff member shall not be eligible to apply for an internship at the United Nations. An applicant who bears a relationship to a staff member or any other family relationship may be engaged as an intern, provided he or she shall not be assigned to the same work unit of the staff member nor placed under the direct or indirect supervision of the staff member. For purposes of this instruction, “child” means (i) the child of a staff member. (ii) the child of the spouse of a staff member (stepchild); and (iii) the spouse of a child of a staff member or a staff member’s spouse (son- or daughter-in-law). “Sibling” includes the child of both or either parent of a staff member and the child.
• Observe of all applicable rules, regulations, instructions, procedures, and directives of the Organization notwithstanding their status as described in section 4 of the UN Internship Programme Administrative Instructions ST/AI/2000/9 & ST/AI/2005/11.
• Provide the receiving departments/offices with a copy of all materials prepared by them during the internship. The UN shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights, and trademarks, regarding material which bears a direct relation to or is made in consequence of, the services provided under the internship. At the request of the UN, the interns shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to the UN in compliance with the requirements of the applicable law.
• Respect the impartiality and independence required of the UN and of the receiving department/office and shall not seek or accept instructions regarding the services performed under the internship agreement from any Government or from any authority external to the UN.
• Unless otherwise authorized by the appropriate official in the receiving department/office, they may not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or any other external source any information which has become known to them by reason of their association with the UN or the receiving department/office, that they know or ought to have known has not been made public. They may not use any such information without the written authorization of the appropriate official, and such information may never be used for personal gain. These obligations…