Project Management and Operations Intern, Food Systems, Planet Hub, BPPS (Home-based)

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organisation for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP's policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the 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 the Strategic Plan.
UNDP’s 2026–2029 Strategic Plan reaffirms our continued commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by accelerating structural transformations that advance poverty eradication, reduce inequalities, strengthen resilience, and drive sustainable, climate-aligned development.
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's staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private dialogues, government, and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.
As part of GPN in BPPS, UNDP's Healthy Planet Hub promotes and scales up an integrated approach to deliver UNDP’s environment portfolio across nature, climate, energy, and chemicals and waste, supporting countries in advancing implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and related multilateral environmental agreements. It coordinates UNDP’s flagship offers—Nature Pledge, Climate Promise, and Energy Moonshot, and Cooling, Circularity and Pollution Prevention initiatives—to meet strong country demand across more than 140 countries. The Hub enables joined-up policy, programming, and financing solutions that accelerate low-emission, nature-positive, and pollution-free development, while strengthening resilience and advancing sustainable, inclusive growth in line with the Strategic Plan.
Food Systems are fundamental to the sustainable development of the 170 countries UNDP supports. Food Systems are often the largest contributor to their economies; food and nutrition are fundamental for citizen health; and Food Systems have a key role to play in achieving the SDGs. Yet, Food Systems are in crisis and need to be radically transformed to become sustainable. UNDP, building on its experience, has for the first time consolidated its Food Systems support and vision into this Strategy. The challenges and need for change related to Food Systems have been highlighted by a suite of reports by many research and international organizations and think tanks. The production practices and consumption patterns of food and agricultural commodities are taking these systems on an unsustainable trajectory with multiple impacts on human development, the environment, and economies; from ecosystem degradation, conflicts over land and natural resources, reduced capacity and resilience to climate and other shocks, persistent poverty, food insecurity and related people displacement and migration, to malnutrition including overweight and obesity. There is a clear need to work in a systemic and integrated manner to transform the Food Systems towards sustainability.

UNDP´s Vision for Food Systems 2030 is, through partnerships, to transform food and agricultural commodity systems into resilient; equitable; healthy, inclusive; environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable systems. Working on Food Systems will contribute to not only recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, by creating sustainable and resilient livelihoods for many along the Food Systems supply chains, but also to preventing further zoonoses from emerging in the future. This will require a change in the current paradigm of agricultural production focusing on maximizing productivity to a new paradigm based on diversified agroecological systems that work simultaneously on achieving economic, environmental, social, and health outcomes, with smallholders as a key part of the solution in their role as the engine of economic development. A Food Systems practice has been established within UNDP´s Nature, Climate, and Energy team, which is tasked to support UNDP Country Offices with Food Systems-
UNDP Nature Hub is the arrowhead of UNDP’s commitment to a “Nature Pledge” that aims to put nature at the heart of sustainable development. UNDP’s Nature Pledge for 2030 focuses on three systemic shift areas: value shift, economic and finance shift and policy and practice shift; that are necessary to trigger accelerated and scaled action for achievement of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

As part of the Planet Hub, the Food Systems team contribute to the Nature Pledge through the transformation of food and agricultural commodity systems into resilient, equitable, inclusive, environmentally, socially and economically sustainable systems. With a global portfolio invested in projects related to Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems and spread over 137 countries, UNDP seeks to promote a new paradigm for food and agricultural commodity systems that is based on diversified, resilient, agroecological systems and value chains which work simultaneously on achieving economic, environmental, social and health outcomes, with smallholders central to the transformation as the engine of economic development.

The Food Systems Team is seeking to recruit a Project Management and Operations Intern who will provide support in the development, coordination and implementation of project management, administrative and operational activities across ongoing initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Project Management Analyst and in collaboration with the Food Systems Operations Team the incumbent performs the following tasks:

1. Support the Project Management Teams:

• Assist in preparing and reviewing presentations, briefing notes, reports, and other supporting material – Including proofreading, format, redaction, addressed comments and SharePoint final version update
• Support with in-depth research activities and consolidation of reports, background research and analysis to support the different programmes including staying up to date on topics related to Food Systems
• Support internal communication needs and ensure flow of information and dissemination of material amongst project team and partners as needed.
• Assist in data collection and arrangement of Teams and project-related documents
• Any other relevant tasks as needed related to the Operations and Management Team.

2. Support the Operations Team:

Human Resources:

• Support TORS clearance, gathering and consolidation of recruitment documentation.
• Support with longlisting & shortlisting setup, scheduling interviews and consolidating notes from panelists.
• Assist with Food Systems Internships onboarding and offboarding.
• Support with HR Mandatory requirements team compliance, including mandatory & core courses, PMDs, etc. by periodically reviewing dashboards and compliance lists and notifying team members and supervisors when action is needed.
• Support learning activities on Food Systems and other related topics for the team, promoting and disseminating learning tools, course and opportunities available in the different learning platforms such as SharePoint, LinkedIn, etc.

Procurement:

• Support in consolidating documents for Procurement processes.
• Provide support with GPN Roster vetting by reviewing proposed CVs of candidates, confirming they meet GPN requirements such as education and experience, and follow-ups via emails both with Roster colleagues and candidates to complete registrations.

Travel & Event Management:

• Support the coordination and organization of virtual events and face-to-face workshops as needed.
• Support on travel arrangements – follow up with Travel Claim deadlines as well as Travel Plans.

Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pay attention to details, deliver quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is a pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open-minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in the face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Candidates must meet one of the following criteria:

a) Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent) such as Project Management, Administration, Operations, Human Resources, Supply Chain management, environmental management, agriculture, sustainable development, economics, global development, social or political sciences, international relations or any other related fields; or
b) Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) such as Project Management, Administration, Operations, Human Resources, Supply Chain management, environmental management, agriculture, sustainable development, economics, global development, social or political sciences, international relations or any other related fields.
c) Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one year of graduation.

Experience:

- Domain of MS Office package and Zoom settings.
- Excellent communication, writing and editing skills.
- Experience in data collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation are an advantage.
- Experience in programme management support, operations and coordination is an advantage.
- Experience in the preparation of (virtual) events and workshops is an asset.

Language Requirements:

- Fluency in English is required.
- Fluent in Spanish is an advantage

Internship Conditions

Applicants should become familiar with the internship conditions prior to signing an internship agreement. For information visit www.undp.org/internships/

Institutional Arrangements
The intern will report to Project Management Analyst.

Financial aspects, expenses, and medical benefits

• UNDP will not pay for the internship but may provide a monthly stipend in accordance with the provisions of the UNDP Internship policy.
• UNDP accepts no responsibility for the medical insurance for the intern or for any costs arising from accidents and/or illness during the internship period. Interns, whether engaged in-person or remotely, are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP and must provide self certification of good health prior to starting the internship. 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.
• UNDP is not responsible for any claims by an intern or third party in the case of loss or damage to property or death or personal injury because of actions or omissions on the part of the intern during the internship period.

Working conditions:

• When completing an in-person internship in a UNDP Office, interns must be provided with the workspace and equipment necessary to accomplish the activities related to the internship.
• When completing a remote internship, interns will be responsible for providing their own equipment, internet and communication access, and workspace.

Subsequent Employment
There is no expectation of employment with UNDP following an internship.

Important note:

• Interns are considered as gratis personnel. They are not staff members.
• Interns may not be sought or accepted as substitutes for staff to be recruited against authorized posts.
• Interns may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.