Internship: Adolescent and HIV, HIV/AIDS Section, PD - NYHQ, Requisition #527766

The intern will provide engage in programmatic, technical, and operational support to UNICEF’s Adolescent and HIV Program and will interface with key business units in the HIV Section and throughout UNICEF’s Programme Division, including Gender, Child Protection, Health, Education, Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP), and other members of UNICEF’s Second Decade Matrix team. The intern will also support UNICEF’s engagements with key elements of the inter-agency structures, in order to advance collective efforts on adolescent health and wellbeing.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

Purpose and Objective:

The global HIV prevention agenda is experiencing renewed momentum, fueled in large part by its successes in advancing the Pediatric HIV elimination agenda, but also by breakthroughs in scientific and programmatic innovation, which indicate the potential for combination prevention (particularly packages comprised of biomedical, social and behavioral interventions) to bend the curve on the global HIV epidemic. 

Key facilities are positioned to convert these opportunities into improved progress in global programming include the UNAIDS and UNFPA-led Global Prevention Coalition (GPC), with its focused prevention pillars; and the UNAIDS and PEPFAR co-led Three Frees Framework (Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free), which builds on the success of the Global Plan for Pediatric HIV elimination.   Taken together, these reinforce the ambitious targets to super-fast-track the end of AIDS in children, adolescents, and women, adopted by Member States during the 2016 UN High-Level Meeting on HIV and AIDS (HLM).

UNICEF co-leads with others, key components of these global groups, including the Stay Free Global Working Group, which it co-leads with the US Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) through its PEPFAR program, and the Adolescent Girls and Young Women prevention pillar of the GPC, which is also co-lead with OGAC.

The intern will provide engage in programmatic, technical, and operational support to UNICEF’s Adolescent and HIV Program and will interface with key business units in the HIV Section and throughout UNICEF’s Programme Division, including Gender, Child Protection, Health, Education, Adolescent Development and Participation (ADAP), and other members of UNICEF’s Second Decade Matrix team.  The intern will also support UNICEF’s engagements with key elements of the inter-agency structures, in order to advance collective efforts on adolescent health and wellbeing.

A key facet of the intern’s day-to-day activities will include contributing to UNICEF’s Knowledge Management and Translation work, a priority area to support programming quality at scale.  This will include planning working group meetings and high-level events; conducting literature reviews and evidence syntheses; supporting the development of key knowledge products; contributing towards planning and executing knowledge dissemination forums and platforms; gathering programmatic, political, research and/or data elements from country and partner organizations, and other engagements as needed. 

Main duties and responsibilities:

Under the supervision of the Senior Specialist – Adolescents and HIV, HIV Section, the intern will

• Contribute to the Section's knowledge management function through participation in the development of a series of analytical reports, advocacy briefs, technical briefs, and short updates on adolescent prevention;
• Assist in the preparation of literature reviews, evidence syntheses, and other analytical work;
• Participate in global dialogues on mounting an effective response to HIV amongst adolescent girls (in generalized epidemics) and adolescent key populations
• Participate in HQ-based technical assistance to field offices;
• Participate in preparation of various internal and external consultations and convenings;
• Attend program-related events at UNICEF Headquarters

Benefits to Intern:

• This internship will complement formal academic training and field experience, by providing further exposure to HIV in Adolescence, within the context of the Joint UN HIV Programme and its Division of Labour on Youth Prevention.
• The internship will provide an opportunity to expand existing technical and/or scientific writing skills, gain hands-on experience organizing high-level consultations, and apply newly acquired technical and research skills to identify pertinent content for literature reviews and tool development. 
• Particularly driven candidates will have opportunities to publish in the peer-reviewed literature.
• The internship will avail insight into the operations of UNICEF, the UN architecture, and how international cooperation achieves its objectives in the HIV sector.

There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship.

Minimum Requirements: (Standard for ALL internship advertisement):

• Letter of verification from the college or university that the intern is currently enrolled in an undergraduate school and has completed at least two years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of an undergraduate degree (if the candidate is 18 years old, this replaces the two-year bachelor’s completion requirement); or, Graduate Degree Program (i.e., Master’s, PhD).  It should also state the expected graduation date.  Recent graduates are allowed until 2 years after degree completion.
• Copy of their most recent official transcript showing excellent academic performance
• Copy of Identification Card (ID)
• One letter of signed recommendation on letterhead or from professional email address

Note: Individuals are responsible for arranging any visa or immigration requirements. UNICEF is not responsible for obtaining any necessary visas.

Qualifications: (Academic, Language, etc):

• Currently enrolled in a graduate (Master’s) or undergraduate (Bachelor’s) degree in the area of public health, medical anthropology, health communications, gender studies, social sciences or a related field, or completed at least two year of full-time studies of the undergraduate degree;
• Excellent academic performance, as demonstrated by academic records;
• Coursework or experience related to HIV programming is a requirement;
• Previous work experience is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of another official UN language (French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic or Chinese), or a local language, is an asset.

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respective, Integrity, Trust and Accountability.

Learning and researching; analyzing, relating and networking, deciding and initiating action, technical expertise, planning and organizing.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.