Partnerships Intern

Sri Lanka

UNOPS in Sri Lanka provides technical, operational and administrative support to 5 countries in the South Asia region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, UNOPS work in this region focuses on the construction and operation of high quality sustainable infrastructure and sustainable procurement, project management, timely provision of services and the use of most relevant technologies. Such projects provide social and economic benefits to vulnerable populations across the country and contribute to poverty eradication. This includes construction of schools, hospitals, water networks, urban sewerage and drainage facilities, harbours and anchorages, waste management facilities, climate change mitigation, as well as a range of “soft” support in capacity building, operations and maintenance of public assets, local governance, etc.

The Partnerships Intern will work in the Partnership Development Unit under the supervision of the Partnerships Specialist. S/he will work closely with the Partnership Development Unit to support business development activities including research, business intelligence and proposal development as required. The Intern will liaise with internal colleagues both at HQ and regional level to provide required support to the UNOPS Sri Lanka office. S/he will play an important role in knowledge management and dissemination of key, partner, donor and government development information. S/he will also support the Partnerships Unit in implementing the Communication Strategy in order to increase the visibility of UNOPS in the sub-region by communicating on our results and activities. In addition the intern will function as the UNOPS youth focal point for Sri Lanka and support activities of the UN Youth Mechanism.

1.   Support the Partnership Development activities:

• Assist in the research, collation and analysis of partnership possibilities in Sri Lanka and the Maldives
• Assist in the elaboration and maintenance of partnership documents; including partnership databases
• Assist in compiling and reviewing relevant information for the Client Relationship Management tool;
• Assist in the research, collation, elaboration and maintenance of country strategic profiles and donor profiles
• Assist in the documentation and analysis of, as well as input into, relevant UN framework documents;
• Support in collating and organizing project information, images and other relevant documents required in Partnership Development;
• Support the Partnership Development Unit planning and management.
• Support the Gender Focal Point in implementing the UNOPS Sri Lanka Gender Action Plan
• Effectively perform as, and carry out the duties of, the Youth Focal Point for UNOPS Sri Lanka

• Support the preparation of external and internal communication materials customized for target key audiences such as UNOPS newsletters, donors, UN agencies, governments, foundations, NGOs, civil society and private sector for effective outreach among existing and potential partners.
• Develop content, presentations, briefings, speaking points and other external communication material as required.
• Elaboration and maintenance of partnership documents
• Follow-up with UNOPS Sri Lanka and Maldives projects to ensure that the achievements of these projects are properly captured in the right communication formats for external outreach purpose.
• Support in collating and organizing project information, images and other relevant documents required in Partnership Development.

Training components and participation in missions

UNOPS highly values interns’ contributions and realizes the importance of learning during an internship. The internship programme will include on the job training and exposure to various project management tools, as well as a daily exposure to and involvement in a wide range of topics related to sustainable development. The incumbent may also have opportunities to meet and engage with national government counterparts, other UN colleagues and other development partners. The intern will have access to a large offering of online training on the comprehensive UNOPS intranet and opportunities to communicate with UNOPS HQ, Regional Office, and other country offices.

UNOPS encourages the intern to raise specific wishes regarding learning opportunities before and during the internship.

The duties are Colombo based. Missions outside Colombo are not foreseen but are possible, if such support is required.

• Interns should be enrolled in a university degree programme such as Bachelor, Masters or Ph.D. (or the equivalent), or have graduated from such studies within three years prior to the application date of the internship

• 1 year relevant working experience is desirable
• Experience working on partnership development or communication is an asset

Computer Literacy

• Sound knowledge of Microsoft Office applications including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required
• Knowledge and experience in using graphic design software such as Adobe Photoshop/ Illustrator/ InDesign or similar is an asset

Language

• Fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of a second language related to the South Asian countries is an asset

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.