Intern - Project Development

Job Description

Work Location
In-person, Nairobi, Kenya

Expected duration
6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

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.

The Cities Investment Facility (CIF) is a multi-stakeholder, partner-driven initiative of UN-Habitat. The Facility enables the flow of capital into urban development by supporting projects through the process of ideation, design, feasibility, and financial close. It complements existing investment facilities and market-making services by looking at enhancing early-stage design and origination, particularly in low and middle-income countries and secondary cities.

The intern will report to the Programme Manager, Cities Investment Facility.

The intern will:

• Support project sourcing in the following regions: Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean, Arab States, and Asia and the Pacific, working closely with the UN-Habitat Regional Offices.
• Support the delivery of ideation, feasibility analysis, and project preparation for sustainable urban development infrastructure projects in the CIF Project Pipeline.
• Engage with CIF Implementing Partners – global experts delivering project preparation support – to track, monitor, and guide the project preparation process.
• Support and facilitate project assessment, due diligence, and bankability assessment of projects within the CIF Project Pipeline.
• Assist in the identification and incorporation of ESG and SDG-oriented analysis and decision support methodologies within the CIF.
• Assist in the development of a Donor Tracker: a database and analysis of relevant investors and financiers engaged by UN-Habitat, in support of launching a new Feasibility Fund, creating agendas, presentation materials, taking action notes, and providing follow-up engagement for internal UN-Habitat and external Partner meetings.
• Liaise with current and potential partners in commercial and private investment to develop project pipelines.
• Support the development of partnership agreements, including memorandums of understanding, budgets, work plans, marketing collateral, and other relevant materials for CIF relationships with partners as required.
• Contribute to developing and operationalizing CIF’s strategy, roadmap, and business model.
• Assist with developing a database and analysis of relevant donors, investors, and financiers who can support the work of UN-Habitat and CIF.

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 a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s, PhD, or equivalent.

Additional requirements:

• Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite).
• Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.
• Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, including a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Preferred areas of study:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Project Management, Sustainable Finance, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environmental Social Governance, Socially Responsible Investment, Economics, or related fields including Urban Planning.

Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study closely related to the type of internship being applied for is required.

Applicants must be a student in the final year of a 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.
• Do you have a background in sustainable finance, banking, international relations, economics, financing or developing urban development projects, or other social science fields?
• Are you fluent in Microsoft Office (particularly Excel and PowerPoint) and similar software?
• Do you have, or are committed to gaining, a strong understanding of the urban context, infrastructure project development processes, and the de-risking of international development projects?

Deadline: 17 Feb 2025