Communications Internship

The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the Director-General of UNON is the representative of the Secretary-General in Kenya. UNON supports programme implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Resident Coordination System (RCS) globally, as well as other UN offices in Kenya, by providing administrative, security, conference and information services (www.unon.org).

This internship position is located in the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), Human Resources Management Service (HRMS).

The Communications internship is for 6 months.

The internship is UNPAID and full-time.  Interns work five days per week (35 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned.  Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual’s background, the intern’s assigned office as well as the internship period.

Responsibilities:

The Communications Intern will join the Human Resources team and will be responsible for the following duties:

• Support the HRMS team in developing and implementing internal communication initiatives to reach and engage staff across the organization.
• Draft and edit internal communication materials, including announcements, newsletters, intranet articles, briefing notes, and event summaries.
• Support the management and regular update of HRMS intranet pages, ensuring information is clear, engaging, and current.
• Assist in documenting HR activities and initiatives through photography, stories, and event coverage.
• Contribute to the development and execution of communication campaigns on HR-related topics such as learning, wellbeing, diversity, and inclusion.
• Monitor staff feedback and engagement on HR communication channels to help improve reach and impact.
• Liaise with relevant internal stakeholders to coordinate content planning, approval, and dissemination.
• Track and monitor the implementation of communication plans and timelines to ensure timely delivery.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Expected Outcomes:

• Delivery of clear, timely, and engaging HR communication materials.
• Increased staff awareness and engagement with HR programmes, services, and initiatives.
• Strengthened consistency and visibility of HRMS messaging across platforms.
• Effective collaboration and coordination with internal partners.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:

a. Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher),
b. Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent),
c. Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent.

Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite).

Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.

Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Preferred areas of study: Graduate or postgraduate studies in Communication, Public Relations, Journalism, Media Studies, or related field is required. Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.

Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PH.D. Programme.

Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is desirable.

Additional Information

Do you have previous UN Internship experience?  Provide details of the entity and exact contract dates.

Intern Specific text

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Deadline : Nov 10, 2025