Intern – Climate Finance

Work Location

UNRWA HQ-Amman

Expected duration

Five months

Duties and Responsibilities

Organisational Setting and Reporting UNRWA extends humanitarian, human development and protection assistance to registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The Agency provides direct, government-like services in these fields, including education, health care, relief and social services, protection, infrastructure and camp improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, in 2025 serving over 3.25 million Palestine refugees and other eligible persons. UNRWA does this through over 25,000 staff and 1,100 installations.

The scale and nature of the Agency’s work means that UNRWA has both a key role to play in addressing environmental sustainability in Palestine refugee communities and an obligation to minimise the negative environmental impact of its own operations. Reflecting this, the Agency’s Environmental Sustainability Policy (2022) sets out prioritised, time-bound actions to mainstream environmental sustainability across UNRWA operations until 2030. With additional funding needed to deliver many of these actions, the Agency is exploring more systematic engagement with climate finance opportunities.

Working under the supervision of the Senior Programme Officer, the selected intern(s) will support UNRWA in seeking accreditation with global climate financing mechanisms and funds. This is an exciting opportunity to: (i) build experience within a United Nations agency; (ii) support UNRWA in making its operations environmentally sustainable; and (iii) gain valuable first hand experience in the process of accessing climate financing.

The selected intern(s) will be based in the Department of Planning at UNRWA Headquarters in Amman, Jordan. This vacancy is offered with an immediate start and is expected to continue until 31 December 2026.

Responsibilities Working under supervision of the Senior Programme Officer in the Department of Planning, the intern(s) will:

• Identify the accreditation requirements for global climate financing mechanisms and funds.
• Conduct scoping studies to determine the level of UNRWA compliance with accreditation requirements.
• Work with Agency Headquarters departments and divisions to address gaps in compliance with the accreditation requirements.
• Compile, organise and quality assure supporting documentation for submission as part of the accreditation process(es) and coordinate with UNRWA Headquarters departments and divisions to ensure submission deadlines are met.
• Draft briefing notes and updates for Department of Planning management on the status of accreditation applications.
• Contribute to other environmental sustainability initiatives as directed by the assignment supervisor. Competencies:
• Very good command of Microsoft 365 applications, especially Word, Excel, Sharepoint and PowerPoint.
• Excellent time management, attention to detail, organisational skills and communication, including the ability to draft clearly and precisely in English.

Qualifications/special skills

• Recent graduate with a master's degree, or currently enrolled in a graduate programme, in sustainability management, natural resource management, business/public administration, international relations or a related subject that demonstrates interest and knowledge in environmental sustainability.

Languages

Fluency in English is required, both orally and in writing.

Additional Information

Interns are not financially remunerated by UNRWA. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions.

A completed online application (comprised a covering letter and Personal History Profile) is required. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

The covering letter must include:

• Information on your degree programme (what are you currently studying? Include mention of any relevant course work).
• Your graduation date (when will you graduate or when did you graduate from the programme?).
• A short explanation as to why you are interested in becoming an intern with UNRWA and why you are the best candidate for this specific internship opportunity. In your online Personal History Profile, be sure to include all past work and academic experiences as well as three references. Only those applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted.

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.