Community and Ecosystem Engagement Assistant

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in some 170 countries and territories, supporting their own solutions to development challenges and developing national and local capacities that will help them achieve human development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated on three main focus areas: Sustainable development; Democratic governance and peacebuilding; Climate and disaster resilience. UNDP helps countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we promote gender equality and the protection of human rights. UNDP has enhanced its support to countries to work towards the eradication of extreme poverty, enabling us to build back better and work towards innovative solutions to the complex global challenges. We have refined our service offering through six signature solutions to provide a more integrated response to the development challenges that we are all facing in this complex global environment. This includes a mix of policy advice, technical assistance, catalytic financing and innovative programmes tailored to country specific needs to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals through six our signature solutions on - poverty, governance, resilience, environment, energy, gender equality.

UNDP Zambia is a key player in the timbuktoo innovation ecosystem, advancing flagship initiatives that bridge research, entrepreneurship, and policy to accelerate national development priorities.
Under the Timbuktoo Framework, Zambia anchors four strategic pillars:

• The Mukuba UniPod at Copperbelt University – transforming universities into launchpads for youth-led innovation and entrepreneurship, fostering academia–industry collaboration, and creating linkages to regional and global markets.
• The MineTech Hub at the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR) – Africa’s first sector-focused hub for sustainable mining and critical minerals, driving innovation in environmental sustainability, operational efficiency, and green value chains.
• The AI UniPod at the University of Zambia (UNZA) – dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence research, data-driven governance, and digital innovation for inclusive and sustainable development.
• The Timbuktoo EDGE Programme – a cutting-edge initiative focused on building decentralized digital infrastructure to strengthen national compute capacity, enhance data sovereignty, and unlock opportunities for AI, big data, and emerging technology applications across sectors.

Together, these initiatives operationalize Zambia’s Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Policy and the Vision 2030 aspirations by building a robust ecosystem that empowers youth entrepreneurs, promotes technology transfer, and positions Zambia as a regional hub for innovation and digital transformation.

The Timbuktoo MineTech Hub – Administration and Operations Assistant plays a pivotal role in this landscape by providing essential administrative, operational, and logistical support to ensure the efficient functioning of the Hub to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the Timbuktoo Initiatives across Zambia in alignment with UNDP standards, thereby enhancing the sustainability and visibility of these initiatives.

The MineTech Hub Intern – Community and Ecosystem Engagement plays a key role in enhancing the visibility, outreach, and stakeholder engagement of the Hub, startups, universities, Government institutions, corporates, investors, and service providers—to foster collaboration, ensure resource mobilization, and enhance the sustainability and impact of the timbuktoo initiatives across Zambia.

Under the direct supervision of the Timbuktoo Innovation Associate, the Community and Ecosystem Engagement Assistant will:

A. Community Engagement and Events
• Support implementation of the Hub’s annual community engagement plan.
• Assist in organizing events (bootcamps, demo days, fireside chats, policy dialogues).
• Coordinate participant communication, registration, and follow-ups.
• Support creation and maintenance of online communities (WhatsApp, LinkedIn, social media).
• Create a database of MineTech hub event participants.

B. Ecosystem Mapping and Partnerships
• Conduct stakeholder mapping and maintain the ecosystem database.
• Assist in preparing partner briefs, concept notes, and presentations.
• Support communication with startups, corporates, and universities for collaborative activities.

C. Communication and Visibility
• Assist in content creation for social media, newsletters, and blog posts.
• Support photography, videography, and digital documentation of events.
• Track visibility metrics and maintain an event photo and media archive.
• Ensures that the Hub’s impact and activities are effectively communicated, amplifying its presence and influence within Zambia’s innovation landscape and beyond.