Internship: Food and Power Initiative, Nature Hub, BPPS

Job Description

Job Identification: 31135
Posting Date: 01/08/2026, 01:18 AM
Apply Before: 01/22/2026, 12:59 PM
Job Schedule: Full time
Locations: Panama City, Panama
Agency: UNDP
Grade: IN
Vacancy Type: Internship Programme
Practice Area: Nature, Climate and Energy
Bureau: Bureau for Policy and Programme Support
Contract Duration: 6 months
Vacancy Timeline: 2 Weeks

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a “leave no one behind” approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDPs policy work carried out at HQ, Regional, and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policies and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provide technical advice to Country Offices, advocate for UNDP corporate messages, represent UNDP at multi-stakeholder forums including public-private, government, and civil society dialogues, and engage in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

UNDP’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs, and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

BPPS works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy, and waste-related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UNs largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy, and waste. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses:

• Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests;
• Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems;
• Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS;
• Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation;
• Sustainable Energy;
• Extractive Industries;
• Chemicals and Waste Management;
• Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy; and SCP approaches.

This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, South-South learning, and digital transformation.

UNDP has developed its new Strategy for Food Systems to focus its vision and enhance its support to transform Food Systems. Food Systems is fundamental to the sustainable development of the 170 countries UNDP supports. Food Systems are often the largest contributor to their economies; food and nutrition are fundamental for citizen health; and Food Systems has a key role to play in achieving the SDGs. Yet, Food Systems are in crisis and need to be radically transformed to become sustainable. UNDP, building on its experience, has for the first time consolidated its FACS support and vision into this Strategy. The challenges and need for change related to Food Systems have been highlighted by a suite of reports by many research and international organizations and think tanks. The production practices and consumption patterns of food and agricultural commodities are taking these systems on an unsustainable trajectory with multiple impacts on human development, the environment, and economies; from ecosystem degradation, conflicts over land and natural resources, reduced capacity and resilience to climate and other shocks, persistent poverty, food insecurity and related people displacement and migration, to malnutrition including overweight and obesity. There is a clear need to work in a systemic and integrated manner to transform the Food Systems towards sustainability.

UNDP’s Vision for Food Systems 2030 is, through partnerships, to transform food and agricultural commodity systems into resilient; equitable; healthy, inclusive; environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable systems. Working on Food Systems will contribute to not only recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, by creating sustainable and resilient livelihoods for many along the Food Systems supply chains, but also to preventing further zoonoses from emerging in the future. This will require a change in the current paradigm of agricultural production focusing on maximizing productivity to a new paradigm based on diversified agroecological systems that work simultaneously on achieving economic, environmental, social, and health outcomes, with smallholders as a key part of the solution in their role as the engine of economic development. A Food Systems practice has been established within UNDP’s Nature, Climate, and Energy team, which is tasked to support UNDP Country Offices with Food Systems-related challenges in a way that is aligned with UNDP’s Food Systems strategy.

As part of its work on systems change, the Food Systems practice has developed the Food and Power Initiative (FPI), a collaborative global programme which aims to support countries and stakeholders to better understand, navigate and address the power dynamics of food systems transformation.

The scoping phase - Phase 1 - of FPI started in 2024 with an initial analysis of the power asymmetries in the food system. Following 12 months of consultations and co-design with global experts and practitioners, UNDP convened a 3-day dialogue on the topic of “Food systems and power: towards collective action for systemic change” at Wilton Park, UK. This convening was a milestone in the development of the initiative, and brought together 50 experts from government, civil society, academia and UN agencies. The event affirmed that there is appetite for a global initiative addressing and exploring these issues.

FPI is now mobilizing resources to launch Phase 2 of the initiative. Phase 2 will operate at 3 levels:

• At the initiative level, the FPI Secretariat, hosted by UNDP, will focus on developing partnerships, a shared vision, and establishing the infrastructure to service the initiative.
• At the global level, the emphasis is on participation at global events, the development of a community of practice focused on power in food systems, establishing thematic working groups, including on research and to finalize a power mapping assessment tool for use at country level.
• The country level focus is primarily identifying 3 suitable pilot countries for testing the power mapping methodology, before implementing the testing.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in preparation and organization of calls, webinars, virtual workshops to support partner and donor outreach;
• Maintain knowledge management tools and virtual collaborative tools for FPI working groups, including supporting the servicing of the Community of Practice;
• Maintain internal filing system, including database management of FPI Partners (e.g. SharePoint, Google docs, Microsoft teams, etc.);
• Assist in preparation of presentations, slide decks, briefing notes, and meeting minutes.
• Support stakeholder mapping including of donors, strategic partners, grassroots networks and related events and opportunities.
• Assist in research, including possible donors and fundraising opportunities and on any other key issues;
• Draft, support designing, and updating communications content and support on social media promotion and website updates.
• Other related tasks.

Competencies

• Achieve Results - LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively - LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is a pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously - LEVEL 1: Open-minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility - LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination - LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in the face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner - LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion - LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Required Skills and Experience Education:

• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelors level or equivalent) such as sustainable development, environment, agriculture, political economy, economics, international development, social/political sciences, or related fields; or
• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher) such as sustainable development, environment, agriculture, political economy, economics, international development, social/political sciences, or related fields
• Have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b)) and, if selected, must start the internship within one year of graduation.

Experience:

• Experience in data collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation.
• Experience in communications, writing and editing.
• Experience working with sustainable development, climate, food systems, or social change-related organizations is a plus.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required.

Internship Conditions

Applicants should become familiar with the internship conditions prior to signing an internship agreement. For information visit www.undp.org/internships/

Institutional Arrangements

The intern will report to the Senior Food Systems Advisor.

Financial aspects, expenses and medical benefits

• UNDP will not pay for the internship but may provide a stipend in monthly in accordance with the provisions of the UNDP Internship policy;
• UNDP accepts no responsibility for the medical insurance for the intern or for any costs arising from accidents and/or illness during the internship period. Interns, whether engaged in-person or remotely, are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP and must provide self certification of good health prior to starting the internship.
• UNDP will not reimburse the medical insurance of the intern. Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.
• UNDP is not responsible for any claims by an intern or third party in the case of loss or damage to property or death or personal injury as a result of actions or omissions on the part of the intern during the internship period.

Working conditions:

• When completing an in-person internship in a UNDP Office, interns must be provided with the workspace and equipment necessary to accomplish the activities related to the internship.
• When completing a remote internship, interns will be responsible for providing their own equipment, internet and communication access and workspace.

Subsequent Employment

There is no expectation of employment with UNDP following an internship. Interns cannot apply for, or be appointed to, any position during the period of their internship.

Important note:

• Interns are considered as gratis personnel. They are not staff members.
• Interns may not be sought or accepted as substitutes for staff to be recruited against authorized posts.
• Interns may not represent UNDP in any official capacity.

Disclaimer Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

DEADLINE: January 22, 2026