Intern - Urban Research, Data and Policy

Work Location

In-person, Montreal, Canada

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 Montreal Office fosters linkages among research, policy, and action to advance sustainable urban development globally. The office will activate a network of key partners to accelerate the quality and scale of urban sustainability solutions to implement the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan, with a focus on housing, land use and basic service provision and their linkage to climate and biodiversity action to enhance urban resilience and promote equity and justice. The office will establish a hub to advance the development and synthesis of science, data, innovation, and solutions on urban sustainability. In addition, the Montreal Office will establish close working relations with Canadian and North American subnational governments, grassroots organizations, practitioners, the private sector and other relevant constituency groups.

The focus of this internship position at the Montreal Office is to provide support in research, data collection and analysis under the general supervision of the Programme Management Officer, Human Settlements. The intern will carry out duties and responsibilities within the below framework.

Responsibilities

• Programmatic: Providing support and assisting in quantitative and qualitative research activities and projects, including identification of metrics, data collection from official and non-official sources, and analysis with a focus on relevant sectors for sustainable urbanization, such as housing, land use and mobility among others. Contributing to integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches for project design, data collection and analysis, and evaluation. Preparing presentations on the collected and analyzed data.
• Knowledge management: Contributing to the formulation of evidence-based policy advice related to sustainable urbanization, with a view to the above sectors, in the Canadian context and globally. Supporting diffusion through partnerships and network of a wide-ranging group of urban stakeholders. Supporting UN-Habitat’s preparations in global events. Development and maintenance of databases.
• Other: Supporting tasks relevant to candidate and the Team, as jointly determined.

Qualifications/special skills

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 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: Currently pursuing or holding a degree in Urban Studies, International Development, Urban Planning, Political and International Affairs, Environmental Sciences or Management, Geography, Econometrics, Economics, or similar relevant topic is required (Master’s degree or PhD candidate preferable).

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 are required to have previous academic or professional experience in quantitative research, including a basic understanding of statistical methods. This may include work completed as part of your current academic program (e.g., a research project or thesis). Do you meet this requirement? If yes, please describe your relevant experience and include specific examples.

Applicants are required to have previous academic or professional experience in the urban development sector. Relevant areas include housing, mobility, urban design, urban governance, or similar topics. This experience can also come from academic projects conducted during your studies. Do you meet this requirement? If yes, please provide specific examples of your experience.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Additional Information

Do you have any previous UN internship experience? If yes, please indicate the UN entity and the specific dates.

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.