UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Private Partnerships & Philanthropy Intern

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Duty station
🇩🇰 Copenhagen (HQ), Denmark
Country / area
Denmark
Region
Europe
UN system
Fund/Programme
Title
Private Partnerships & Philanthropy Intern
Organization
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Deadline for Applications
July 27, 2026
Hardship Level
H (no hardship)
Target Start Date
2026-08-03
Conditions
Based in Copenhagen, Denmark
Remote
No
Posted
7/13/2026, 12:00:00 AM
Closes
7/28/2026, 12:00:00 AM

About this role

This internship supports the Private Partnerships & Philanthropy Section within UNHCR’s Division of External Relations in Copenhagen. The intern will assist with coordination, event planning, communications, and knowledge management, with a specific focus on supporting peak engagement periods in December and January. Responsibilities include maintaining event workplans, preparing briefing materials, drafting internal communications, and managing SharePoint content. The role aims to provide practical experience in private sector partnerships and humanitarian engagement while developing skills in project tracking, stakeholder follow-up, and content development. The intern will work under supervision and collaborate with colleagues across the Section and wider network.

Key requirements

  • Current student or recent graduate (within 2 years)
  • Completed 2+ years of undergraduate studies
  • Fluency in English

Nice to have

  • Studies in IR, communications, or business
  • Experience supporting events or coordination
  • Interest in humanitarian issues

Requirements at a glance

Min. experience
No professional experience required; candidates must be current students (having completed at least two years of undergraduate studies) or recent graduates (completed studies within two years of applying).
Required degree
Completion of at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant to UNHCR's work (e.g., international relations, communications, business administration) OR recent graduation from an accredited university.
Languages
English

Deadline for Applications

July 27, 2026

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

H (no hardship)

Family Type (not applicable for home-based)

Family

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Internship

Target Start Date

2026-08-03

Terms of Reference

Organizational Context
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees, forcibly displaced and stateless people. The Private Sector Partnerships Service sits within the Division of External Relations and works to mobilize resources, partnerships, expertise and influence from the private sector in support of UNHCR’s mandate.

The Private Partnerships & Philanthropy Section works across geographies and in collaboration with PSP markets, National Partners and headquarters colleagues to develop and strengthen partnerships with companies, foundations and private philanthropists. The Section supports strategic engagement, coordination, communications, knowledge management and the effective positioning of UNHCR as a trusted partner of choice on forced displacement.

Purpose and Scope of the Internship
The intern will support the Private Partnerships & Philanthropy Headquarters team in Copenhagen with coordination, event planning, communications and knowledge management. A key focus of the assignment will be to provide structured support during a peak period of events and engagement activities in December and January, while also contributing to broader team coordination and internal information-sharing efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities
Event coordination and peak-period support
• Support the planning, coordination and delivery of PPH-related events, meetings and engagement moments, with particular focus on the December–January peak period.
• Maintain event workplans, timelines, trackers, participant lists and task follow-up tools.
• Support preparation of agendas, briefing materials, background notes, talking points and run-of-show documents.
• Assist with scheduling, invitation management, logistical coordination and information flow between internal stakeholders.
• Contribute to post-event follow-up, including consolidation of outcomes, lessons learned, action points and supporting documentation.
Coordination and communications support
• Support coordination across PPH workstreams, including follow-up on agreed actions, preparation of meeting notes and consolidation of inputs from colleagues.
• Assist in drafting and editing internal communications, short updates, announcements and team-facing materials.
• Support the preparation of concise materials for internal audiences, including presentations, briefing notes and summaries.
• Help ensure that messages, materials and updates are clear, consistent and aligned with PPH priorities and UNHCR standards.
• Support the coordination and implementation of communications and visibility activities for key private sector donors across PPH markets and operations, ensuring alignment with UNHCR branding, donor stewardship and fundraising priorities.
Knowledge management and content development
• Support the development, drafting and updating of internal news articles, SharePoint content, knowledge products and team updates.
• Assist with clean-up, organization and maintenance of PPH SharePoint pages, document libraries and knowledge repositories.
• Help structure and archive event-related materials, templates, guidance notes and lessons learned to support continuity across event cycles.
• Support the identification of outdated, duplicated or missing content and propose practical improvements to improve accessibility and usability.
• Contribute to the development of simple templates, checklists and process notes to support more consistent team coordination.

Expected Learning Outcomes
• Gain practical experience in private sector partnerships, philanthropy and humanitarian engagement within a global organization.
• Develop hands-on skills in event coordination, project tracking, stakeholder follow-up and internal communications.
• Build experience in knowledge management, SharePoint organization and development of clear internal content.
• Strengthen drafting, coordination, prioritization and teamwork skills in a fast-paced international environment.

Minimum Qualifications Required
In order to be considered for an internship, candidates must meet UNHCR’s internship eligibility requirements, including being either a current student in an undergraduate or graduate programme from an accredited university or higher education institution, or a recent graduate who completed their studies within two years of applying. Candidates must also have completed at least two years of undergraduate studies in a field relevant or of interest to the work of UNHCR.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills
• Studies in international relations, communications, business administration, political science, public policy, development studies, event management, knowledge management or another relevant field.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks, deadlines and workstreams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Good attention to detail and ability to produce clear, accurate and well-structured written materials.
• Experience supporting events, meetings, communications, content development or coordination processes is desirable.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and SharePoint.
• Interest in humanitarian issues, forced displacement, private sector engagement and partnerships.
• Ability to work collaboratively, take initiative and adapt to a dynamic, multicultural working environment.

Conditions
The internship will be based in Copenhagen, Denmark, with working arrangements to be confirmed in line with applicable UNHCR policies and operational requirements. The intern will work under the supervision of a designated PPH colleague and in close collaboration with colleagues across the Section and wider PSP network. The assignment may require flexibility during peak coordination periods, particularly in December and January.
Internships are governed by UNHCR’s applicable internship policy and administrative instructions.

The selected candidate will be required to complete all standard onboarding and clearance requirements before the start of the internship. Interns cannot represent UNHCR in any official capacity and must maintain confidentiality of unpublished information made known to them during the course of the assignment.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

English

,

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Work Experience

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Remote

No

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