​Wildlife Crime Research Intern

Job Description

Job Opening ID: 270149
Job Network : -
Job Family : Social Affairs
Category and Level : Internship, I-1
Duty Station : VIENNA
Department/Office : United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
Date Posted : Jan 12, 2026
Deadline : Jan 25, 2026

Work Location: Flexible (Vienna preferred)

Expected duration: 6 months, starting in February 2026

Duties and Responsibilities

The internship is located in the Research and Trend Analysis Branch (RAB), Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs (DPA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Vienna, Austria. The position is for a period of 6 months starting in February 2026. The internship is UNPAID and full-time.

The intern will report to Tanya Wyatt (Lead Researcher – Crimes that Affect the Environment).

The intern will contribute to the desk-based research underpinning the next World Wildlife Crime Report that is scheduled for publication at the end of 2026.

As required, the intern will support the team in conducting desk-based research and dissemination of that research. Tasks will include:

• Conducting online literature searches about specific aspects of wildlife trafficking.
• Drafting annotated bibliographies of relevant wildlife crime literature.
• Drafting literature reviews for specific wildlife crime areas.
• Assisting with events as required.
• Checking citations and assisting with the management of the citation management software.
• Supporting dissemination of the research via social media.

Interns work five days per week (40 hours) under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned.

For more information on the work of UNODC, please visit the following website: www.unodc.org

Qualifications/special skills

HS Diploma and applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• (a) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);
• (b) be enrolled in, or have recently completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent).

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.

Applicants should have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams.

Ability to conduct thorough literature reviews is required.

Ability to write accessibly based on cited evidence using Zotero or equivalent is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in spoken and written English is required for the internship. Knowledge of an additional official UN language is an advantage.

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

DEADLINE: January 25, 2026