Intern for Sustainable Investment and Responsible Business

​​Requisition ID: 8015
Grade: Intern
Category: Internship
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Country: Austria
Duty Station: Vienna
Entry Date: 01-Oct-2026
Internship Duration: 6 months
Application Deadline: 03-Sep-2026, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement

UNIDO welcomes applications from qualified persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation will be provided to applicants and employees with disabilities to support full participation in the recruitment process and in the performance of their duties.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty and hunger reduction, inclusive and fair globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019 as well as the Riyadh Declaration adopted at the twenty-first session of UNIDO General Conference in 2025, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Member States. The relevance of this mission as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of inclusive and sustainable industrial development, however, applies to all SDGs.

The medium-term programme framework (MTPF) 2026 - 2029 is UNIDO’s core strategic document and it is in line with UNIDO’s Vision 2050. It sets a renewed vision to support Member States and shape their industries for development. The priorities include fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, renewable and clean energy, sustainable energy access and climate action. Cross-cutting priorities focus on industrial and economic policy advice, skills development, fostering digitalization and artificial intelligence, gender equality and the empowerment of women, supporting youth, promoting cleaner production and circular economy, and leveraging private sector investment and development finance.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards-related activities; and (iv) convening and fostering partnerships for knowledge and technology transfer, investment mobilization, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Sub-regional Offices and Country Offices.

Under the supervision of the Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), and in close coordination with other organizational entities, the Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST) develops and implements an innovative service package in response to UNIDO's mandate for fair and responsible local industrial production and trade, with a particular focus on building the required skills and capacities, and foster a conducive business operating environment to ensure that such production and trade are inclusive, promoting – among others – the just adoption of sustainability standards and mandatory due diligence legislation as well as the development of human capital through vocational training and industrial skills development.

In collaboration with relevant organizational entities, the Division will conceptualize and negotiate services and raise funds from Member States, development partners, IFIs, and the private sector to 61 coordinate their effective implementation and devise ways in which their implementation can be brought to scale. This will include cross-cutting and sector-specific initiatives for sustainable supply/value chain and skills development in industrial sectors where UNIDO has, over the years, accumulated expertise. It will do so through close engagement with Member States, private sector associations, industrial enterprises, international quality, standards and trade-related governing bodies, other UN agencies, development partners, NGOs and consumer associations, ensuring solid and operational partnerships.

The Sustainable Investments and Responsible Business Unit (IET/PST/SIB) fosters the uptake of responsible business conduct in Member States across local, regional and global value and supply chains. To this end, it induces responsible investments into sustainable value chains working with multinational corporation networks and other platforms to advance socially-minded, youth and gender-responsive as well as responsible business conduct. The Unit supports Member States in enhancing their enabling institutional and policy frameworks and the ability to comply with international standards at the country and regional level to monitor the contribution of value chains to economic, social and environmental sustainability standards. To this end, it facilitates cooperation between firms, institutions and policy actors to advance required reforms and raise required investments. The Unit also supports the transition of public and private procurement to become greener and more socially balanced and to leverage positive market signals to facilitate supplier linkages, supplier development and transformative supply chain investments and investment-ready supply chains.

PROGRAMME CONTEXT
The EU-funded Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme, a Sub-Saharan African initiative aims at sustainably increasing intra-African and EU-Africa trade. In addition to a continental component, the programme comprises five regional components in the ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC, ECCAS and EAC regions, building on existing or previous regional programmes (WACOMP in West Africa, MARKUP in East Africa, PIQAC in Central Africa, RECAMP and SIPS in Southern Africa). The overall objective (impact) of the ATCMA Programme is to increase sustainable intra-African and EU-Africa trade through the pursuance of specific objectives (outcomes) of (i) enhanced market access for selected value chains and (ii) enhanced export competitiveness for SMEs in selected value chains.
The programme is thematically structured into five components leading to 5 outputs as follows:
In relation to Specific Objective 1:
Output 1.1: Market access barriers identified and reduced
Output 1.2: Strengthened quality compliance and standards
Output 1.3: Value-chain revision mechanism facilitated
In relation to Specific Objective 2:
Output 2.1: Enhanced value addition and diversification
Output 2.2: Enhanced SME capacities and opportunities for business and export
While UNIDO is in charge of implementing output 1.2 and 2.1., the International Trade Centre (ITC) is responsible for the implementation of output 1.1, 1.3 and 2.2.

The intern will specifically contribute to the ATCMA regional components of ECOWAS (Project ID 240104), and specifically support the thematic component on voluntary sustainability standards, sustainability-driven legislation, and sustainable supply chains (under output 1.2).

GENERIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the project manager(s) and relevant technical staff, the intern will provide administrative, research, and coordination support across the following areas:
a. Africa Trade Competitiveness and Market Access (ATCMA) Programme

Contribute to the implementation of the voluntary sustainability standards component of the ATCMA Programme in the EOCWAS regional economic community, including but not limited to:

 Provide general support in gathering, organizing, and reviewing basic project-related information, and in analyzing regulatory and supply chain ecosystems.
 Assist with preparing background materials, summaries, and draft inputs for analysis and reporting.
 Support meetings, workshops, and training activities through administrative and logistical assistance.
 Help maintain organized records, databases, and contact lists related to projects and stakeholders.
 Assist with outreach and communication activities, including maintaining contact databases and preparing simple materials.
 Conduct desk research and background reviews on sustainability, policy, and corporate responsibility topics, under guidance from project staff.
 Assist in summarizing key information and preparing basic briefing and reference materials.
 Help organize and maintain policy documents and internal resources for ongoing programme work.

b. Other special emerging projects and tasks that may enhance the learning experience of the Intern, relating to the mandate of the unit to enhance sustainable investment and responsible business conduct.

The Intern will be required to prepare an end-of-internship report, which will be submitted to and cleared by HRM.

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Enrolled in a second level university degree programme (master's or equivalent) or higher; or begin the internship within one year of completing a second level university degree; or be enrolled in the final academic year of a first degree programme (bachelor's or equivalent); or begin the internship within one year of completing a first level university degree. Only accredited institutions will be considered.
Field of specialization: Trade and Investment Facilitation, Development Economics, International Affairs.
Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese is an asset. Knowledge of another official United Nations language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish) is an advantage.

Other skills: Prior experience in sustainability standards, corporate responsibility, or EU trade and environmental policy is highly desirable.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Internships at UNIDO are full-time and shall be for a period of three to six months. For internships fully sponsored through partner institutions, the maximum duration shall be twelve months, subject to prior HRM agreement. Extensions beyond the initially agreed duration are not permitted.
• Interns receive a monthly stipend based on their duty station.
• Interns are responsible for living expenses, accommodation, visas, and related costs.

CORE VALUES AND BEHAVIORS AND FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCE

Core Values

Excellence – Deliver high-quality results; continuously improve performance

Integrity – Uphold ethical standards; act transparently and responsibly

Inclusion – Promote respect, diversity, and fairness

Humility – Show self-awareness; value others’ contributions

Humanity – Act with compassion; align work with sustainable development

Core Behaviors

Connect & Collaborate - Build trust through communication and teamwork; Share knowledge and embrace diversity

Analyse & Plan - Use data and evidence for decision-making; Plan proactively and prioritize effectively

Deliver Results with Positive Impact - Take ownership and deliver quality outputs; Align work with UNIDO mission and objectives

Learn and Develop - Continuously develop skills; Seek feedback and share knowledge

Adapt and Innovate - Respond flexibly to change; Embrace innovation and new approaches

Functional Competence

Continuously develop and maintain expertise

Stay informed of industry trends and best practices

Apply knowledge to improve results and decision-making

Adopt new tools and technologies

Take ownership of professional development

LEARNING ELEMENTS

Become acquainted with the most up-to-date technical, economic and industrial developments in the relevant field of specialization of the Sustainable Investments and Responsible Business Unit. Furthermore, intern is expected to deepen their knowledge in the fields of data collection and assessing the feasibility and bankability of investment projects.

Gain experience in investment and international economic cooperation.

On the job training: participation in every phase of the working process.

Gain experience in working effectively in a diverse and multi-cultural environment.

UNIDO Interns are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity at all times, both at work and outside. Only candidates who fully and unconditionally commit to these values should consider applying for internships at UNIDO.
All applications must be submitted through the UNIDO Online Recruitment System.
Correspondence will be undertaken only with candidates who are being considered at an advanced phase of the selection process.

Visit the UNIDO employment website for details on how to apply: www.careers.unido.org
Notice to applicants:
UNIDO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. If you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Vacant positions within UNIDO are advertised on the official UNIDO website. Should you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of UNIDO and requesting payment of a fee, please contact: internship@unido.org