Programme Management Internship

Since opening in 2019, the UNOPS Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) in Vienna has served as a hub for operations across 12 countries in South-East Europe, Türkiye, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. AUMCO delivers technical expertise, operational support, and sustainable infrastructure solutions for governments, donors, and international financial institutions. Flagship initiatives include Blueing the Black Sea—a GEF and World Bank partnership to reduce pollution and promote sustainable development—and Türkiye’s post-earthquake recovery programme, enhancing protective services for women and children. In Albania, projects revitalise cultural heritage and advance digital justice, while in Kosovo, new university infrastructure supports higher education. In Georgia, AUMCO facilitates the Eastern Partnership European School and strengthens rule of law and digital health access. Across Central Asia, activities range from health system strengthening in Uzbekistan to hazardous waste management in Tajikistan. AUMCO also supports UNOPS’ global Water, Environment, and Climate portfolio, reinforcing its role as a regional and thematic centre of excellence.

The Programme Management Office (PMO) is crucial for providing AUMCO with the necessary structures, tools, and techniques to ensure effective governance, management, decision-making, and resourcing at the portfolio level. This includes project development, inception, and delivery. The PMO ensures adherence to project management policies, processes, and methods according to organizational standards, acting as the Quality Assurance capacity for both substantive and administrative project elements. This role supports the PMO in enhancing its capacity and contributing to AUMCO's strategic priorities.

The Programme Management Intern will support the activities aimed at increasing project management office capacity, assisting with data collection, analysis, project health checks, meeting coordination, knowledge sharing, and the development of program management dashboards. The intern will contribute to the harmonization of PMO templates and the rollout of tools, supporting documentation management processes and providing routine oversight of project financial data.

1. Duties and Responsibilities

The main functions of the Programme Management Office (PMO) Intern include: 

• Providing support to the Programme Management Office Team with the extraction and collection of data from different sources. Assist in the analysis and structuring of data, and compiling periodic updates to management.
• Support in conducting periodic project health checks of projects against an established success criteria, coordinating the quarterly and monthly assurance of projects, as well as improving the Project Management maturity within the MCO.
• Provide support to PMO in setting up regular and ad-hoc meetings; prepare minutes and summaries of actions to be taken, and track progress on planned issues and follow-up with focal points.
• Assist in coordinating knowledge sharing sessions, as required, in terms of preparing learning materials, presentation slides etc.
• Assist with the compilation and distribution of progress reports, lessons learned and best practice; and periodic newsletters.
• Support in developing program management dashboards, updating and administering of the dashboard. 
• Prepare analysis reports, data visualization and other resources to support the PMO Team and the Head of Programme in monitoring and decision making.
• Support in the harmonization of Programme Management Office templates and rollout of tools. Support in documentation management processes through review of projects’ documentations.
• Supporting the PMO in providing routine oversight and analysis of project financial data within the available dashboards and oneUNOPS tools available.
• Assist in rolling out of the capacity building and training plan on program management.
• Support in the design and roll-out of necessary systems and processes to strengthen programme management.
• Participate in HoP or PMO-led meetings and initiatives with the aim of building experience around  Project Management. Perform support duties by taking meeting minutes during senior management meetings. Meeting preparation.
• Provide administrative support to the Head of Programme when required.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.

2. Learning elements

• The incumbent will have full access to the AUMCO portfolio project files, in particular to files and products developed in the context of the implemented activities at the country level. 
• The incumbent will also have full access to UNOPS intranet, the Project ERP system and the Communities of Practice (COPs) in Project Management, Gender Mainstreaming, Innovation and Research, Sustainable Infrastructure, etc.   
• The incumbent will have the opportunity to join any relevant high-level meetings, and get exposure to key stakeholders such as other UN agencies (UNFCCC, UNEP, UNDP, UNU), several country and multi-partner donors, international non-governmental organizations and representatives from country beneficiary. 

3. Participation in training courses

• The incumbent will have access to the UNOPS Learning Zone and can access training in Programme Management, Gender Mainstreaming, Coaching, and mandatory training as per UNOPS policy. 

Required:

• The applicant should have completed a Minimum First level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) , or be enrolled in a postgraduate program or have graduated from such studies within three (3) years prior to the start date of the intern assignment.

Desired:

• Area of study should preferably relate to International Affairs, Social Sciences, Business Administration, Project Management or Engineering background with some programme management experience is desirable.
• Prior project management certification.

Desired:

• While no prior work experience is required, some experience in programme/project management, administration or related fields would be an asset.

Computer Literacy

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office/Google Suite is essential, in particular for the preparation of PowerPoint/Google Slides presentations and performing basic functions on Excel/Google Sheets. 
• Experience in Google Data Studio is desirable. 

Additional requirements

• Ability to maintain regular updates of activities and achievements. 
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. 

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.