Intern – Political Affairs/Electoral Analyst

Work Location

Flexible (Hybrid, all remote, or in-person)

Expected duration

3-6 months. Desired start date is 1 April 2024, or sooner.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duration of the internship is for three (3) months with a possibility of extension to six (6) months. This internship is UNPAID in person and full-time (35 hours per week), on the United Nations premise working arrangement from (New York, USA). This internship is designed to be full-time and in-person but can be adjusted based on the needs of the successful candidate to part-time (20 hours per week) and/or remote. The intern will be assigned to the Electoral Assistance Division (EAD), in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), at the United Nations Headquarters. EAD supports the United Nations system-wide Focal Point for Electoral Assistance, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, in this role. EAD exercises key functions to ensure coordination, coherence and consistency with a broad array of UN entities working to provide United Nations electoral assistance in the field. The Division reviews Member States requests for electoral assistance; develops and disseminates UN electoral policy and maintains UN electoral institutional memory; develops and maintains a roster of international electoral experts; provides support to UN electoral components in peacekeeping and special political missions and electoral projects in UN Country Team settings; and maintains strategic partnerships with relevant regional and other intergovernmental organizations. The hybrid or remote setting of the internship may be considered based on request by the successful candidate. Applicants must state in their Cover Note why they are interested in an internship in the Electoral Assistance Division. Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background; the nature of specific projects, and the internship duration. Duties may include, but are not limited to: • Assist in drafting and preparing official documents and correspondence – background papers, talking points, briefing materials, speeches; • Attend and take notes during trainings, conferences and meetings; • Assist with preparations and logistics for trainings, conferences and meetings; • Assist with inter-active presentations; • Conduct research; • Conduct media analysis; • Research and compile statistics on various topics; • Assist with EAD institutional memory database; • Gather, analyse and update country specific information; • Support creation of dashboards and reports; • Perform ad-hoc data analysis and present results in a clear manner; • Perform other related duties as required; Qualified women that meet the requirements of this internship are particularly encouraged to apply and will be given full consideration in accordance with the United Nations efforts to increase women participation and achieve gender parity in its workforce.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: (a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); (b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent). Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage. Applicants should have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams. Ability to draft news articles and/or social media posts in desirable. Ability to design surveys and polls is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional UN language is an asset. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Applicants who have previously served six months, in total, as an intern in one or more UN Common Systems cannot be engaged as an intern. Applicants who are children, siblings, and sons or daughters-in-law (including stepchildren, half-siblings, or stepsiblings) of an active staff member in a UN Common System cannot be engaged as an intern. In your Motivational Statement, please indicate when you would like to start your internship. Please note that the start and end dates are flexible. A complete online application is required. The Motivational Statement must also include: • Title of degree you are currently pursuing. • Graduation Date (When will you be graduating/have graduated from the programme?) • Explain why you are the best candidate for this specific internship • Explain your interest in the United Nations Internship Programme In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work experiences, IT skills, and three references.

Intern Specific text

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.