Intern: Project Development

Job Description

Work Location: In-person, Nairobi, Kenya

Expected duration: 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Org. Setting and Reporting

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.

Responsibilities

Project Development

The intern will:

• Support the delivery of ideation, feasibility analysis, and project preparation support to 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 processes 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 creating agendas, presentation materials, taking action notes and providing follow-up engagement, for internal UN-Habitat and external Partner meetings.

Sustainable Finance

The intern will:

• Conduct thematic research on investment structures and risk mitigation instruments.
• Prepare early-stage documentation on financial structuring for projects onboarded into the CIF pipeline on how they align with investor requirements and guarantee eligibility.
• Liaise with current and potential partners in the areas of commercial and private investment and developing 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 and roadmap.
• Assist with developing a database and analysis of relevant donors, investors and financiers who can support the work of UN-Habitat and CIF.

Qualifications/special skills

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

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher),
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent),
• 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: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in international relations, Development Studies, Environmental Social Governance, Economics, or related fields.

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.

A background in sustainable finance, banking, international relations, economics, financing or developing urban development projects, or other social science fields is required.

Excellent understanding of international investment structures and risk mitigation instruments 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 and French is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

DEADLINE: Feb 23, 2026