Innovation Nodes Intern

The Innovation Node intern will work directly with and under the supervision of the Senior Adviser on Innovation (HQ & Nodes) and focus on conceptual frameworks and case studies of emerging business models for innovation for sustainable development. The purpose of this internship is to be a part of and support an ongoing Innovation Node workstream in this substantive area. The internship will provide an opportunity to apply theories and skills acquired in a business school curriculum.
 

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. 

 

For every child, innovate

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children’s rights are critical to improving their lives. The Office of Innovation (OOI) is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the start-up thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable solutions. OOI cocreates to discover, iterate and scale innovative solutions for every child, everywhere. Innovation Nodes in OOI carry out the work explicitly called for in UNICEF’s Global Innovation Strategy to: Àidentify gaps and opportunities and expose unproven approaches and technologies to be explored. Potential solutions will be co-created or discovered through scanning the horizon for new and existing ideas. Research and development will be undertaken to meet clearly defined requirements and gain an understanding of current and future demand.” Innovation Nodes are collaborative spaces that illuminate, probe, reflect and generate novel ideas and research in new and unknown areas of potential innovation for children. Innovation Nodes engage with and learn from cutting edge research, ideas and networks. These are new types of collaborative arrangements that connect/embed UNICEF in locations with a critical gravity of research, development and deep expertise in key new and emerging technologies, approaches and other critical areas of knowledge. Node collaborations are with pioneering pre-eminent organizations with deep expertise and transdisciplinary capabilities and intentionally empower young researchers. Examples of current work include second- and third-generation renewable energy, precision health, applied biotechnology such as in diagnostics, additive manufacturing, next-generation materials, emerging business models for innovation for sustainable development.

You can be part of the team that works to realize this! 

How can you make a difference? 

The Innovation Node intern will work directly with and under the supervision of the Senior Adviser on Innovation (HQ & Nodes) and focus on conceptual frameworks and case studies of emerging business models for innovation for sustainable development. The purpose of this internship is to be a part of and support an ongoing Innovation Node workstream in this substantive area. The internship will provide an opportunity to apply theories and skills acquired in a business school curriculum.

Main Duties / Responsibilities

Work with supervisor and Node team members to:

• Brainstorm, capture, iterate and develop multi-level conceptual frameworks within which to situate the ongoing Innovation Node work on multiple emerging business models for innovation for sustainable development
• For the government integration business model:
  • Take in content already developed through a Node collaboration o Undertake additional literature review, as necessary, to strengthen and ground the source content
  • Draft a case study focused on the model and using examples to illustrate it.
  • Develop variations of the case study e.g. a full-length case study, brief, case snapshot
• For the social enterprise business model:
  • Take in content already developed through a Node collaboration
  • Undertake additional literature review and other research as necessary, to strengthen and ground the source content
  • Draft a case study focused on the model and using examples to illustrate it.
  • Develop variations of the case study e.g. a full-length case study, brief, case snapshot
• Brainstorm, capture, iterate and develop approximately 3 concept notes on potential Node collaboration opportunities around the effects of applying computational methods to specific activities in research scholarship.
• Participating in work on articulating impact including through brainstorming, researching and developing content.

Expected Deliverables

• A multi-level conceptual framework
• A case study on government integration
• A case study on social enterprise
• Concept notes (estimate 3) on potential Node collaborations

Essential Requirements/Educational Background

• Be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree programme or have graduated within the past two years in Business Administration, Business Science, Economics or Public Administration.
• Experience working in the private sector is an asset
• Experience working in an emerging economy/programme country is an asset
• Previous experience with business case studies is desirable
• Experience working within the Microsoft Suite of tools e.g. SharePoint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams etc. is helpful
• Strong self-organizational skills and time management
• The candidate must have good interpersonal skills and be able to collaborate effectively in a diverse work environment.

The candidate must show commitment to the UNICEF core values of care, respect, integrity, trust, accountability and sustainability. For more information on UNICEF core values, click here. 

Languages

• Excellence in both written and spoken English is required and essential.
• Proficiency in any other UN languages is an asset (French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Chinese

For full details of this internship, please check the ToR: Innovation Nodes Intern_TOR.pdf

Conditions

• Age: Interns must be at least 18 years
• Have good academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office.
• Have no other relatives in the line of authority which the intern will report to.
• Individuals must have proof of medical insurance covering the time and location of their internship.
• Ability to engage in this internship on a full-time basis.
• Individuals are expected to provide their own laptop and access to internet connection.
• Selected candidates will receive a monthly stipend (unless already in receipt of any support for the internship from a third party).
• Individuals must fund their own travel and living expenses.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. 
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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

 

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