Strategic Communications Intern

The internship will be working full-time in New York in-person.

3-6 Months, 1 November 2026 or sooner

The duration of the internship is for three (3) months with a possibility of extension to six (6) months. The internship is UNPAID and full-time. It should be noted that full-time internship working hours are 35 hours per week. The internship will be in a working arrangement at the UN Premise, New York, United States with four days in office and one day remote work. A full-time internship is for an initial period of three months. Internships may be extended up to a maximum of six months, depending on the needs of the Branch. Org. Setting and Reporting The Internship is located in the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Branch of the Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office (PBPSO) in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO). The DDR Branch provides planning and operational support to DDR programmes and community violence reduction in the following peacekeeping operations: United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU). The Section also assists Special Political Missions as well as non-mission settings with planning for DDR and associated processes. Peacebuilding and Peace Support Office (PBPSO) was established in late 2025 to strengthen the United Nations’ capacity to prevent conflict and sustain peace by supporting prevention, peacebuilding, and peace support across the full conflict continuum, including early warning, crisis response, peace operations, political missions, mission transitions, and post-mission engagement. (https://www.un.org/peacebuilding/) Under Chief DDR Branch, the Intern for Security Institutions will be responsible for assigned project activities, enabling familiarization with DDR strategic communications and supporting enhanced learning. Activities might include, among others: •Support the development and implementation of the DDR Branch’s strategic communications and outreach activities, helping translate technical and policy work into clear, accessible and engaging content for different audiences. •Draft, edit, proofreading and copy-edit communications and knowledge products, including web stories, articles, newsletters, fact sheets, brochures, reports, publications, presentations, talking points and other written materials. •Support the design and production of publications and other visual communications products, including reports, briefs, infographics, fact sheets, presentations, social media assets and other digital materials, ensuring consistency with relevant UN branding and accessibility standards. •Support the development and maintenance of the DDR Branch’s web presence, including drafting and updating webpage content, identifying opportunities to improve the presentation and accessibility of information, and helping keep online resources current. •Develop content for social media and other digital communications channels, including written and visual content highlighting DDR activities, results, events, partnerships and thematic priorities. •Explore and support the use of innovative communications and digital storytelling tools, including multimedia, interactive and visual formats, to communicate DDR concepts, evidence, results and lessons learned to specialist and non-specialist audiences. •Support the visualization of data, results and evidence, including through infographics, charts, diagrams, maps and other visual products. •Assist with communications around events, conferences, workshops and campaigns, including development of promotional materials, presentations, event-related digital content and post-event communications. •Conduct research and gather content from DDR colleagues, field presences and partners to identify stories, results, good practices and lessons learned that can be communicated to internal and external audiences. •Support the development and organization of communications assets and repositories, including photographs, graphics, templates, publications and other materials, and help ensure consistent visual identity across Branch products. •Monitor relevant communications trends and tools and propose creative approaches to strengthen the Branch’s communications, outreach and audience engagement. •Support coordination with relevant communications colleagues and partners across PBPSO, DPPA-DPO and the wider UN system, including efforts to align DDR communications and visibility with broader PBPSO strategic communications and resource mobilization priorities. •Performing other duties as requested by the supervisor.

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent). Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PH.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage. Applicants should have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams Ability to draft news articles and/or social media posts in desirable. Ability to design surveys and polls is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Applicants who have previously served six months, in total, as an intern in one or more UN Entities in the UN Secretariat cannot be engaged as an intern. Applicants who are children, siblings, and sons or daughters-in-law (including stepchildren, half-siblings, or stepsiblings) of an active staff member in a UN Secretariat cannot be engaged as an intern.

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

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.