Intern (Global Environmental Facility)

​​Requisition ID: 7740
Grade: Intern
Category: Internship
Employment Type: NonStaff-Regular
Country: Austria
Duty Station: Vienna
Entry Date: As soon as possible
Internship Duration: 3-6 months
Application Deadline: 17-Jul-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 overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all relevant organizational entities within UNIDO, the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO), headed by a Managing Director, is responsible for UNIDO's relations with Member States and all external partners, including through the policymaking organs. It plays a central role for interaction and collaboration with traditional and non-traditional donors; oversees the regional bureaus as well as the network of established field offices, liaison offices and Investment and Technology Promotion Offices.

The Directorate is responsible for the Liaison Offices in Brussels (GLO/BRO), Geneva (GLO/GVO) and New York (GLO/NYO) as well as following Divisions: Policymaking Organs (GLO/PMO), Funding Partner Relations (GLO/FPR), Investment and Technology Promotion Offices and Institutional Partnerships (GLO/ITP), and Regional Bureaus and Field Coordination (GLO/RFO). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions as well as with organizational entities in all Directorates across the Organization.

Division of Funding Partner Relations (GLO/FPR) establishes and maintains strategic and policy-level relations with funding partners. In this capacity, the Division also supports UNIDO's mobilization of voluntary contributions for TC activities through effective portfolio-level integrated programming and coordination with funding partners. Furthermore, the Division coordinates institutional assessments of UNIDO's fiduciary functions in close cooperation with SPP/SSC as well as project and programme-specific verifications in cooperation with COR/FIN and other organizational entities. It further acts as the focal point for UNIDO's funding partners, including the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Adaptation Fund (AF) and those under the purview of IET/IFI and IET/PPP, concerning aspects of voluntary contributions for TC activities.

The internship is located under the Global Environmental Facility (GLO/FPR/GEF) unit, which coordinates the negotiation and drafting of GEF/GCF/AF funding agreements, including framework agreements, as well as their amendments, assuring the Organization's ability to access funding partner financing. With regard to technical cooperation activities, GLO/FPR/GEF obtains internal clearances as required, and manages the conclusion of funding agreements, as well as their safekeeping. Finally, the division coordinates institutional assessments of the Organization's fiduciary functions in close cooperation with the Strategic Planning and UN Engagement Division (SPP/SPU), as well as project and programme-specific verifications in cooperation with the Financial Services (COR/FIN) and other relevant organizational units.

Interns work under the supervision of a staff member, in the division or office that they are assigned to.

GENERIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Intern shall work under the direct supervision of an officer designated by the Senior External Relations Officer and shall be engaged as follows:

1. Exposed to the regular core functions of the GLO/FPR/GEF and as such shall have the opportunity to observe the day-to-day operations and engage in on-the-job training in specific actions delegated by the Supervisor.

b. Engaged in a specific self-contained assignment described below:

- Share knowledge and support the team in identifying a practical UNIDO-GEF/GCF/AF portfolio tracking database solution for a GLO/FPR/GEF by exploring the application of IT-driven automated solutions, in consultation with UNIDO Information Technology and Digitalization Services (COR/DIT/DIG).

- Support in coordination, collection and verification of data for the UNIDO-GEF Annual Monitoring and Reporting (AMR) exercise by pre-screening the UNIDO-GEF Project Implementation Reports (PIRs), amongst others.

- Support in maintaining up-to-date project-related data on UNIDO-GEF/GCF/AF Portfolio.

1. Other Special emerging Projects that may enhance the learning experience of the Intern.

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: International relations, development/international economics, environmental studies, amongst others.

Languages: Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish) is an asset.

Other skills: IT-driven skillset with emphasis on digitalization and AI-driven solutions would be highly valuable.

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 shall receive a stipend from UNIDO, or from their sponsor, to cover the costs of basic subsistence at the location of the internship.
• Interns are responsible for living expenses, accommodation, visas, and related costs.
• UNIDO does not charge any fees at any stage of the internship application or recruitment process.

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 Competences:

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 GLO/FPR/GEF. Furthermore, intern is expected to deepen their knowledge in the fields of new product/services and process design.

Gain experience project design/management.

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