Visual Communications Intern (Graphic Design and Branding)

Job Description

Job Description Background

General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to 2bring into operations the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations.2 The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDF’s vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity.

As a Flagship Catalytic Blended Financing platform of the UN, UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDFs unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022 62031.

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, UNOs, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources.

UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector. By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders. UNCDFs work is focused on three priority areas, including:

• SME Finance
• Sub-National Finance
• Digital Finance

UNCDFs organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by an Executive Board comprised of UN Member States.

UNCDFs new structure includes a Strategic Funds Unit (SFU) to augment its capacity to deploy grants, loans, and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. The SFU is dedicated to developing and overseeing trust funds, in partnership with UN agencies and other partners, that deploy blended finance approaches to leverage investment and sustainable revenue streams to mobilize capital at scale, expand pipelines of investable solutions, and strengthen alignment with global climate, biodiversity, and SDG commitments. The SFU integrated secretariat services include:

• Provision of technical and administrative support to Strategic Funds Steering Committees;
• Management of day-to-day operations of funds;
• Development of the funds resource mobilization strategies and engages with contributing partners;
• Provision logistical and operational support to the respective funds steering committees;
• Ensure the monitoring of the operational risks and Funds performance;
• Support the development of high-quality proposals and facilitate collaboration and communication between partner UN agency and other partners to ensure programmes are implemented effectively;
• Management of calls for proposals and appraisal processes;
• Consolidation of annual and final narrative reports;
• Liaising with the administrative agent on fund administration issues, including issues related to project/fund extensions and project/fund closure.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of the Communications Analyst (Graphic Design), the intern will provide support as follows:

• Assist in maintaining, updating, and creating PowerPoint decks for senior management;
• Support in translating complex technical finance concepts and data into clear and impactful visual narratives, with a particular focus on high-quality PowerPoint presentations;
• Assist in creating high-quality visual materials for web and print (social media graphics, flyers, posters, brochures, etc.) to communicate the organizations message and support donor relations;
• Support the development of user-friendly designs for websites, newsletter templates, and other campaigns;
• With direction from the lead designer, assist in producing compelling and creative visuals both static and animated for social media with a particular focus on LinkedIn, Instagram and Youtube;
• Assist country and region-specific events by supporting creation of materials, including banners, signage, and promotional content to ensure successful event execution;
• Maintain, catalog, and organize a structured library of multimedia assets for team access;
• Assist in refining, and updating design templates to ensure global accessibility, usability, and visual consistency across different initiatives. This involves supporting regional offices with the correct use of standardized templates and branding guidelines.
• Support the lead designer in ensuring brand compliance for all branded material produced by colleagues working for country-based projects and regional communications colleagues;
• Assist in managing multiple design projects simultaneously, helping to prioritize tasks and ensure deadlines are met efficiently;
• Collaborate on producing infographics and support video editor with multimedia design to enhance digital engagement.
• Assist in collecting and documenting communication case studies and stories;
• Provide support to the communication team in executing activities, and handling administrative tasks as needed.

Competencies

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong planning and organizational skills
• Proactive problem-solving skills and a results-oriented drive to meet deadlines.
• Ability to translate complex and abstract ideas into clear visual concepts
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and international environment.

Required Skills and Experience

Field of Study required: Graphic Design, Arts, Communications, Fine Arts, Multimedia, Journalism, Content production, Data Visualization, or any other related field.

Eligibility:
Applicants to the UNCDF internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a masters programme, or higher);
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelors degree or equivalent);
• Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation;
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Desirable Criteria:

• Familiarity with Adobe After Effects or other animation tools for motion graphics is highly desirable
• Intermediate proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Canva, and PowerPoint is highly desirable
• A solid understanding of typography, color theory, composition, and layout design is an asset.

Language:
Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage, specifically French and/or Arabic.

Main Internship Conditions

• Interns must provide proof of enrolment in health insurance plan
• UNCDF accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship
• Interns may be given a stipend according to the Internship Policy: the stipend is to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNCDF 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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Scam warning

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Deadline: 7 Mar 2026