Visual Communications and Graphic Design Intern

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

 

Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policies and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provide technical advice to Country Offices, advocate for UNDP corporate messages, represent UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private, government and civil society dialogues, and engage in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

UNDP’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

BPPS’ Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance unit, work with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste-related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste. This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

UNDP’s Strategic Plan has embedded our collective UN-Energy’s ambitious target to contribute to delivering energy access to 500 million more people by 2025 in partnership with others and accelerate a just energy transition with a new type of development policy in mind. UNDP supports countries to realize a just energy transition where the benefits of the transition are distributed evenly across people and society, and the potential negative impacts of the transition are minimized for the poorest and most vulnerable communities. UNDP’s focus is to make the transition more just by assessing the distributional social-economic impacts of energy transition (and access) policies, how to avoid exacerbating existing inequalities and minimize the impact on poor and vulnerable sections of the population that are disproportionately affected.

UNDP through its Sustainable Energy Hub (SEH) is designed to respond to these challenges and to harness networks, experience, and innovation. UNDP will focus on three pillars to guide its “Sustainable Energy for Development” pathway:

1. Close the gap in energy access so that marginalized people and communities gain access to sustainable, clean, energy and the dignity and opportunities it brings.
2. Accelerate the energy transition through system changes that support a green recovery and improve efficiency by bringing together the best ideas from the worlds of government, business, finance, digital, and most importantly from people, communities, and civil societies.
3. Increase energy resilience in crisis and fragile contexts to communities affected by conflict and crises to help them meet basic needs in the short term and build back better in the long term.

The Sustainable Energy Hub is a platform to bring together and catalyze UNDP’s work on energy for development. The Hub is a network of partners that work alongside countries to transform energy systems through an integrated agenda focused on the policy, technology and financial shifts that shape sustainable economic development. It helps countries build a net-zero society that puts people first and is driven by a just, sustainable energy transition that leaves no one behind.

The Sustainable Energy Hub focuses on five integrated lines of service, each of them offering viable entry points for additional partners to engage in these efforts. One of these lines of service is ‘Data Analytics and Digital and Exponential Technologies’. This workstream aims to orient our programming to be more innovative through new digital and innovative tools that can enhance project planning, preparation and results tracking, as well as implement the digital principles in the UNDP Digital Strategy 2022-2025 to catalyze inclusion and safeguards in a systemic approach to digital, data, and innovation in the context of sustainable energy.

 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Director of the Sustainable Energy Hub, the Specialist will be responsible for the following activities:

• Create graphics (e.g. infographics, illustrations, videos, animated GIFs, social media cards, fast facts, flyers, posters, etc) and other visual material for the Sustainable Energy Hub social media channels intending to influence and/or develop positive public perceptions of the corporate brand;
• Collaborate on the development and execution of online content and campaigns delivered across various social media channels such as LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram;
• Proposing and updating designs for website and promotional products;
• Design visually engaging digital products including graphics and illustrations for single-page applications, feature stories, policy briefs, and Sustainable Energy Hub knowledge products;
• Support in the ideation and conceptualization of campaigns and promotion material;
• Develop graphic design for websites, AI interface, and internal communication platforms;
• Enhance the visual design of all Sustainable Energy Hub  visual identity assets including icons, logos, and graphic elements for knowledge product design work;
• Improve existing templates for all Sustainable Energy Hub presentations, documents, and policy briefs;
• Support Visual Design Studio with work on Sustainable Energy Academy;
• Test and introduce new visual methods and ideas to advance Sustainable Energy Hub digital communications;
• Participate and contribute to SEH communications task force meetings;
• Provide general communications support on an as-needed basis.

 

Competencies

Corporate: 

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, in a simple, concise, and persuasive manner.
• Ability to summarize a large amount of information and translate it into a visually compelling product for a public audience.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task.
• Must be able to work in a multicultural environment and be aware of political sensitivities.
• Keen attention to detail.
• Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillful grasping of their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.

Professionalism

• Ability to work and build partnerships with multiple stakeholders and partners across a wide range of disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability in strategic thinking.
• Strong organizational abilities.
• Able to work independently and remotely with minimal supervision.
• Remains calm, in control, and good-humored, even under pressure.
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback.
• Has interest in delivering innovative, and impactful design to support UNDP’s vision work on sustainable energy.

Teamwork

• Ability to work well in a team and effective communication skills with staff at all levels.

 

Required Skills and Experience

Education 

Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: 

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) in fields  in the fields of Social Media, Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Graphic Design, Journalism or related;
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent) in fields such as Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, Graphic Design, Journalism or related disciplines;
• Have graduated with a university degree (as defined above), and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Experience: 

• Good working knowledge of social media community management and experience in content creation.
• Relevant and independent work experience in video editing, graphic design, and managing media events and/or social media campaigns.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software, Adobe Creative Cloud Apps, Canva, Trello, Hootsuite, Mailchimp, web content management systems, Premiere, Figma, and other online collaborative tools. Able to learn and manage new tools such as lumen5, canvas, and AI-based video/design tools.
• Solid knowledge of designing for print and digital media
• Be social media savvy
• Have experience in producing compelling social media content
• Strong sense of aesthetics and design.
• Ability to search for images that associate with content in a compelling way.

Language requirements 

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English language are required;
• Knowledge of French and/or Spanish is considered an asset.

 

Institutional Arrangements

The intern will report to the Director of the UNDP Sustainable Energy Hub.

 

Interns’ Expenses 
Interns may be given a stipend under conditions prescribed in the section on stipends, below.  Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, passports, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of: 

a.      The nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or 

b.     The intern. 

 

Stipend 
Where an intern is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship program, a stipend intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, will be paid by UNDP.  The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly. Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, government or third party, UNDP will, subject to the rules of such institution, government or third party, pay the intern the difference, if any, between the external financial support provided and the applicable UNDP stipend.  No other payments of any kind will be made to an intern by the office in connection with an internship agreement. Interns will accrue leave at the rate of 1.5 days per month. Any accrued leave days not used by the end of the internship will be forfeited. Any unjustified absences during the internship period exceeding a total of nine days, will be deducted from the monthly stipend. 

 

Insurance 
Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP. UNDP will not reimburse the medical insurance of the intern. Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.  Applicants for internships must show proof of valid medical insurance for the duty station in which they will intern.  For applicants who are neither nationals or residents of the duty station, the insurance must include adequate coverage in the event of an injury or illness during the internship duration which:  

·       Requires transportation to the home country or country of residence for further treatment;  

·       Results in death and requires preparation and return of the remains to the home country, or country of residence.  

 

Subsequent Employment 
There is no expectation of employment with UNDP following an internship.  Interns cannot apply for, or be appointed to, any position during the period of their internship. 

 

Third-party claims 
UNDP is not responsible for any claims by any parties where the loss of or damage to their property, death or personal injury was caused by the actions or omission of action by the interns during their internship.

 

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