Administrative Support Internship

UN‑Habitat Internship: SDG Cities and Multilevel Governance, Nairobi, Kenya – an entry‑level opportunity to join the UN-Habitat’s dynamic team driving sustainable urban transformation. You will provide essential administrative support for the SDG Localization and Local Governments unit, overseeing filing systems, document preparation, meeting coordination, and tracking of project data across flagship initiatives such as the SDG Cities Global Initiative. Ideal for recent graduates or final‑year students in Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance or International Relations, the role builds practical UN experience while contributing to efforts that aim to improve the lives of one billion people across 50 countries.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. UN-Habitat is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system.

UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty.  During the second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly in June 2023, Member States endorsed the Resolution on Localizing the SDGs mandating UN-Habitat to strengthen the capacities of local and national governments on SDG data, planning and reporting as well as on multilevel governance for SDG localization.

UN-Habitat’s 2026-2029 Strategic Plan also identifies Participatory Multilevel Governance and SDG Localization as one of the five Means of Implementation to deliver on the corporate strategic focus on adequate housing, land, and basic services for all, and the transformation of informal settlements and slums.

The position is located in UN-Habitat’s SDG Localization and Local Governments Team within the Global Solutions Division (GSD). The Global Solutions Division is responsible for providing programmatic direction for UN-Habitat and is responsible and accountable for the programmatic delivery of the Strategic Plan. The Division leads the tools and methodology production and the integration of the various substantive competencies towards the effective delivery of the Strategic Plan and the mandate of UN-Habitat. It provides substantive training and supports capacity development of Member States and partners. The Global Solutions Division hosts the Local 2030 Coalition’s Secretariat and coordinates UN-Habitat’s work on SDG Localization through the SDG Localization and Local Governments Team.

UN-Habitat’s SDG Localization and Local Governments Team work under the umbrella of the Local2030 Coalition and coordinates UN-Habitat’s corporate offering and global portfolio on SDG Localization, including the SDG Cities Global Initiative (Flagship 5). The SDG Cities Initiative supports cities in creating integrated solutions that drive progress across multiple SDGs, ensuring cohesive and scalable urban development addressing challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. It does so by leveraging the potential of data for evidence-based decision-making, fostering cities’ access to finance, while building their overall institutional capacities.

Building on the Agency’s operational capacities and technical leadership, the SDG Localization and Local Governments Team coordinates UN-Habitat’s delivery across three levels: 1) advancing city-level transformation through SDG Cities; 2) supporting national governments to develop National SDG Localization  Frameworks, through the Partnership Platform on Localizing the SDGs; 3) advancing the global dialogue on SDG Localization through the SDG Cities Global Community and direct engagement within the main UN fora. UN-Habitat’s vision on SDG Localization aims to impact the lives of 1 billion people by promoting transformative change in 50 countries and 1000 cities.

The intern will be placed in the SDG Cities and Multilevel Governance Team (Local2030 / UN-Habitat). The intern will report to the overall team coordinator, their supervisor, and collaborate with the administrative focal points and relevant project managers.

The team provides technical, administrative, and coordination support across SDG localization initiatives including the Partnership Platform, Smart SDG Cities, IOC, Finland-UN-Habitat partnership, and country-level projects.

Responsibilities

• Support the organization and maintenance of filing systems (digital and physical), ensuring documents are properly catalogued, archived, and easily retrievable.
• Assist with document preparation, formatting, consolidation, and quality-checking (reports, memos, correspondence).
• Assist to Follow up on liquidation of Umoja commitments and assist with other finance-related administrative processes.
• Draft, format, and prepare routine correspondence related to administrative and financial matters.
• Support meeting organization (note-taking, scheduling, agenda preparation, participant coordination).
• Maintain tracking sheets and logs for project documentation, procurement, travel, and other administrative workflows.
• Support data entry, consolidation, and verification across project documentation.
• Collaborate with project managers to ensure administrative tasks are completed within deadlines.
• Perform any other administrative duties as requested by the team.

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: Undergraduate (final year) or Graduate (Master/PhD) in one of: Business Administration, Public Administration, Management, Finance/Accounting, International Relations, or any related fields with strong administrative coursework.

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.

Proficiency in computer software applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is required.

Please describe a time when you organized documents or managed an administrative process (e.g., filing system, database, meeting notes). What approach did you take and what tools did you use?

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 UN language is desirable.

Additional Information
Do you have any previous UN internship experience? If yes, please indicate the UN entity and the specific 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.