Project Management Intern (Capacity Building)

Water, Environment and Climate  (WEC)

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna, and with offices based globally is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolio Office. The Portfolio has built strong partnerships and is effectively managing a portfolio of over USD 500 million (over the last 15 years) to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support. WEC effectively operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements,  such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT)

The Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) was created at the time of adoption of the Paris Agreement to help developing countries build transparency frameworks for effective, evidence-based climate policies and actions that can contribute to the global transformation required and help mobilize the financing and support to enable implementation. The Initiative works with over 80 developing countries ranging from large countries, like Nigeria, to small islands, such as Fiji.

ICAT provides countries with tailored support and practical tools and methodologies to build robust transparency frameworks needed for effective climate action in sync with national development priorities.  Through regional hubs and direct country engagement, the projects ICAT supports relate to:

●     Develop NDC tracking frameworks

●     Assess greenhouse gas and/or sustainable development impacts of sectoral policies

●     Build frameworks to analyze projections of greenhouse gas emissions and removals

●     Develop monitoring frameworks for just transitions

●     Develop the M&E adaptation actions

●     Build climate finance transparency frameworks; and/or

●    Aggregate or integrate greenhouse gas impacts of subnational and non-State actions

To support these areas, ICAT offers a suite of practical, open-source tools and methodologies to provide effective support to the transparency efforts of countries around the world.

ICAT is an unincorporated multi-stakeholder partnership steered by the Donor Steering Committee (DSC), confirmed by its donors, Austria; Canada; Germany; Ireland and Italy; and includes the UNFCCC Secretariat as the dedicated UN body with a climate change policy mandate, and UNOPS as an ex-officio member. The Initiative is hosted by UNOPS on behalf of the DSC. Within UNOPS, the ICAT Secretariat manages ICAT’s day-to-day activities, coordinating and guiding the work of the implementing partners.

The duration of this internship is for 6 months, with possibility of extension up to 12 months.

Candidates must be authorized to work in Denmark e.g. have the legal right to live and work in the country either as a citizen of the country or as the holder of a valid residence permit, at the time of submitting the application. Neither UNOPS nor its partners can support residence permit processes for this position. 

The incumbent will have the opportunity to join the ICAT Secretariat meetings, including relevant high-level meetings, and get exposure to key stakeholders involved with climate action and transparency, such as other UN agencies (UNFCCC, UNEP, UNDP, UNSSC), several country and multi-partner donors, international non-governmental organizations and representatives from country beneficiaries. 

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 access to the UNOPS Learning Zone and apply for training in Programme Management, Gender Mainstreaming, Coaching, Competency Based Interviews and mandatory training as per UNOPS policy.  

The Project Management Intern (Capacity Building) provides essential support in planning, coordinating, and executing ICAT's Toolbox and capacity building and training initiatives to support developing countries. The role also assists with background research on transparency and climate action, and supports wider ICAT Secretariat activities and events. Operating under the overall guidance of the Technical Advisor, the Intern collaborates with global partners, subject matter experts, and country focal points to advance evidence-based climate policies in alignment with the Paris Agreement.

1. Capacity Building and Training Support:

• Support the planning and coordination of capacity building activities, particularly training.

• Assist in the logistics and administration tasks for online and in-person training events, including communication with participants. 

• Assist in the review of training content and development of facilitation plans, including liaising with training partners, subject matter experts and service providers.  

• Assist in the organization of presentations and other communication material.

2. Toolbox Support:

• Support the coordination of activities under the ICAT toolbox, including following up with relevant partners and institutions, arranging meetings and taking meeting notes.

• Assist in the maintenance of tools including issue resolution, liaising between country focal points and IT personnel.

• Support the organization and delivery of outreach events and activities such as webinars including assisting in the preparation of outreach and communication material.

3. Research support:

• Assist with background research on topics related to the work of ICAT and the countries it supports. This could include topics related to GHG emissions, climate policies and actions, nationally determined contributions and biennial transparency reports.

• Perform other duties as required based on ICAT Secretariat’s needs.

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 be in climate change, development studies and/or environmental management.

Desired:

• While no prior work experience is required, some experience in or volunteering in any of the following areas or related fields would be an asset:

• Climate change

• Capacity Building

• Research

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• 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. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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.