SDG Finance Intern

Background

UNDP promotes sustainable development to help build resilient nations and to empower people to build better lives. As the UN’s development network, UNDP has been assisting China in developing sustainable solutions to its own ongoing development challenges, including multi-dimensional poverty as well as energy & environment for more than four decades. We provide development advisory services and implement projects through innovation and applying our international experience and network in three pillars: supporting China’s transformation to a low-carbon economy for a cleaner, healthier environment for all; facilitating China’s shift to using the SDGs as a standard for its inclusive development, economic decisions and investments; and supporting China’s international cooperation and south-south engagement for SDG attainment.

The SDGs calls for unprecedented investments and cooperation across all of society – including governments, communities, civil society and the private sector, and achieving them requires overcoming a critical financing gap. As the world’s second largest economy, China is increasingly recognized as an important player in global sustainable finance market and financial system reforms. Since 2016, China has established a comprehensive policy framework for greening its financial system. Its efforts in redirecting financial resources for environmental objectives are essential to meet the global sustainable development goals.

Building on China’s achievements, UNDP stands to work with partners across the public and private sectors to enhance SDG-alignments in China’s financial system by increasing data availability, boosting transparency, harmonising standards, and facilitating international experience sharing.

For more information please see:

https://www.undp.org/china/sdg-finance

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Head of Strategic Partnership and Policy Team, the intern will undertake the following tasks:

• Support policy research by conducting data analysis, literature review, and drafting briefs and concept notes on frontier topics in sustainable finance in China and globally;
• Support quality assurance and project management of existing research projects in areas of climate/green/transition finance, gender lens finance, ESG integration in finance sectors, Impact measurement and reporting, debt instrument innovation, sustainable fiscal policies, etc. Tasks include translation, report drafting and polishing, event management, budget and procurement management, administration, etc.
• Support project-level and office-wide communication in SDG finance. Tasks include drafting talking points, press release, and social media blogs/tweets, as well as internal coordination across teams.
• Support office-wide activities, including but not limited to employee association initiatives, green commitment activities, and other team-building events.
• Any other emerging tasks as required.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Sound analytical and research skills;
• Excellent reading and writing skills in English and Chinese;
• Basic understanding about SDGs and development issues;
• Basic knowledge about sustainable finance;
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to learn fast in interdisciplinary subjects;
• Ability to manage diverse and complex tasks, with tight deadlines;
• Ability to manage coordination and logistic tasks with minimum supervision.
• Value the equal importance of research and administrative tasks;
• Excellent organizational, inter-personal, communication and administrative skills;
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and Experience

Candidates must meet one of the following educational requirements:

• Enrolled in a Master’s or in a PhD programme;
• In the final year of a Bachelor’s programme;
• Or within one year after graduation from a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD programme;
• Or be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.
• Preferably majoring or having work experience in development studies, public policy, economics or finance, international development, law, or other social sciences.

Other qualifications

• Willing to learn and take instructions from supervisor;
• Exhibit a high standard of integrity and professionalism;
• Resilient, flexible, quick response, good at multi-tasking;
• Respect deadlines, results-oriented, can work under high pressure and fast pace;
• Take pride in working with UNDP, passionate to make a difference;
• Advanced command of English and Chinese.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Please submit your application with below documents in one PDF. For people who apply from UNDP Jobs, please note that the system will not accept the uploading of more than one document so please merge or scan all your documents into one prior to uploading.

a) CV and letter of motivation

b) Copy of school transcript

c) Indicate if you will be financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme, and the financial amount.

*Candidate who didn’t submit required documentation will not be further considered.

INTERNSHIP CONDITIONS

• Interns must provide proof of enrolment in health insurance plan and medical certificate of good health prior to starting the internship. Any cost arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.
• The stipend will be paid monthly. Interns will have 1.5 days of leave per month.
• Interns are responsible for obtaining necessary visas and arranging travel to and from the duty station where the internship will be performed; Cost and arrangement for travel, visas, passports, accommodations and living expenses are the responsibility of the nominating institution, related institution, or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or the intern.
• Interns must not apply for or be appointed to a position that should be encumbered by a staff member during the period of their internship. Interns are expected to fulfil the terms of their internships. Therefore, the internship must not be foreshortened for the purposes of allowing an intern to apply for a position.
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.

Disclaimer

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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