Infrastructure and Project Management (IPM) Intern

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Senior Infrastructure and Project Management Analyst, the successful candidate will be responsible for supporting a variety of tasks and work packages as a part of her/his internship period. We are seeking qualified applicants who may have a background in project management, infrastructure, sustainability, climate change, resilience, and inclusion; and who are extremely structured, organized and detail-oriented, as well as have the ability to communicate complex ideas well.  The main support areas will be in (but not limited to) research, technical knowledge as well as communication and administration tasks.

At the end of this internship, the successful candidate will have gained in:

• Experience through exposure to UNOPS project management and infrastructure corporate standards and activities;

• Experience in linking Infrastructure and Project Management impacts to corporate strategies as well as practical applications to achieve high level goals.

• Experience dealing with a wide range of practitioners experienced in inclusive, resilient and sustainable infrastructure across UNOPS, other development partners, donors, government and wider civil society, as well as private sector and academia;

• Understanding of the key role Infrastructure in sustainable, resilient and inclusive development through linkages in Humanitarian, Development and Peace keeping sectors;

• Exposure to international personnel in the Head Office and through interaction with field offices.

• Exposure to research and knowledge product development within UNOPS IPMG related to Infrastructure, Sustainable Construction, Project Management and Climate Change, from a sustainability, inclusion and resilience perspective. 

• Exposure to an international and diverse team of professionals, and working within an intercultural background. 

The internship is expected to start in June 2023 and last for 6 months (extendable to 12 months upon satisfactory performance and subject to budget availability).

The successful candidate may be required to work on the following:

Research coordination support

• Support data collection and analysis for SI research activities;

• Conduct literature reviews for SI team initiatives;

• Support research on strategic infrastructure and project management areas for cooperation with key partners that support UNOPS initiatives. These areas would include the environmental, social and economic impact of infrastructure, with specific focus on areas such as sustainable buildings and construction, climate adaptation and mitigation and building paths towards achieving the international agendas, SDGs, and the Paris Agreement;

• Prepare materials and post-event summaries for a variety of workshops, missions and discussions with both internal and external partners; and

• Liaise with key academic partners on areas of research.

Technical Support

• Support a variety of tasks as outlined and assigned in the annual work plan for the SI team;

• Maintain, update, and support all relevant documentation for SI initiatives;

• Providing analysis and reporting as required for SI team by ensuring compliance with all policies, guidelines, and instructions set out by IPMG and the organization;

• Assist with monitoring and reporting of SI team performance.

Administrative and Communication Support

• Support in advocating and communicating SI initiatives to different stakeholders;

• Support all training/event initiatives within SI/IPMG as required, this includes but not limited to training/events set up, administrative support, and logistics;

• Support monitoring of the SI task list; and

• Day to day tasks as assigned.

Education

• Completion of secondary school or equivalent is required. 

• The candidate must be currently enrolled in, or have recently completed (within three years prior to the application date of the internship) a Bachelor/Master’s/Ph.D. Degree in a relevant area, preferably in Engineering, Architecture, or Planning. Also International Development and, International Relations would be preferred, if in combination with some experience in the areas of engineering, architecture and planning.

Language Skills

• Fluency in English is required;

• Knowledge of French and/or Spanish would be considered an asset.

Internship-related experiences

While no prior work experience is required  the following experience is highly desirable:

• Knowledge of Google suite (Google Drive, Google Docs, Spreadsheets, Google slides)

• The ideal candidate would have experience in one of several of the following areas. Please highlight which one/ones within your application and ideally cover letter:

  • Academic research;

  • Infrastructure development and management;

  • Sustainable construction, circular economy.

  • Climate adaptation and mitigation

  • Development activities in both Humanitarian and Development settings;

  • Data analysis;

  • Website and intranet development;

  • Database development;

  • Client/donor research; and

  • Business acquisition/development.