The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is the UN headquarters in Africa and the representative office of the Secretary-General. UNON supports programme implementation of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), 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, conference and information services (www.unon.org).
This internship is located in the Office of the Director of Administration (ODA), Division of Administrative Services (DAS), United Nations Office at Nairobi. The Division of Administrative Services provides location-dependent services to UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes working in, and from, Kenya and location-independent services to UNEP, UN-Habitat and the Resident Coordination System.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of a staff member within the Office of the Director of Administration, the intern will contribute in the following ways:
Administrative support:
- Assist with collecting information and compiling data in Excel for various reporting assignments.
- Support organization of events, meetings and preparation of meeting minutes and summary reports.
- Support with the Unit’s efforts in office and services enhancements.
- Support the organisation, maintenance and accurate filing of relevant documents in unit repositories.
- Assist with the development and maintenance of Warden system communication trees, as well as updates to the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and related handbook documentation, including associated graphical materials.
Graphics Visuals Design and Communications Support:
- Support in collaborating with UNON Service Sections to create visually appealing and impactful graphic content aligned with UN guidelines and branding standards.
- Assist in the creation of digital and print materials, including brochures, infographics, presentations, videos and reports.
- Contribute innovative design ideas that align with the organization’s image and values.
Project Management:
- Support the development of multiple design projects simultaneously, adhering to deadlines and delivering high-quality outputs.
- Assist team members to understand project requirements and contribute to project planning and execution.
Data Analysis, Reporting and Documentation:
- Assist in analysing data for reporting
- Maintain records of design projects, including documentation and reporting on project progress and outcomes.
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.
- 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.
- Preferred areas of study: Undergraduate or Graduate Studies in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Communications, Media Studies, Journalism, Public Information, Digital Media, Multimedia Design or any other related studies.
- Proficiency in graphic design and visual content creation tools (e.g. Canva, Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign) is required.
- Experience developing communication products such as brochures, reports, briefings, newsletters, video clips or visual content using relevant videography software is required.
- Experience through coursework, academic projects or training in communications, media, design or related areas is desirable.
- Experience with administrative assignments is desirable.
- 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.
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.
