UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture.., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, Education. 

Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the world’s first multilateral fund dedicated to supporting education in emergencies and protracted crises worldwide. Launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, ECW mobilizes resources, promotes political commitment, and fosters coordination among humanitarian and development actors to deliver quality education to children and young people affected by conflict, displacement, and climate-related shocks.

The ECW Secretariat, hosted by UNICEF, offers internship opportunities to qualified students and recent graduates to gain practical experience in international development work related to education in emergencies. This TOR presents two internship opportunities within ECW: (1) Grants Management (GM) under the Finance and Operations section, and (2) Programme Development and Quality Control under the Quality Education section.

1. Internship in Grants Management (GM)

Introduction

Under the supervision of the Chief of Finance and Operations and Programme Funding Manager, the GM team seeks an intern to provide technical and operational support across various grant-making processes. This includes managing grants-related data, coordinating with ECW Secretariat staff, tracking progress and reports, and facilitating internal knowledge management.

Main Duties

• Organise and manage grants-related data in the ECW Grants Database (DB) and provide ECW Secretariat staff with requested data or analyses as needed.
• Organise grant-related documents in the Grants DB repository, including contracts and reports.
• Track and monitor report submissions and requests from grantees, ensuring completeness and approvals by relevant ECW Secretariat staff.
• Work with the ECW Secretariat staff to answer questions and gather important data that will help the grant-making process.
• Review reports on assurance activities, including spot checks, audits, and micro-assessments, summarising findings and recommended actions.
• Facilitate knowledge management by maintaining and enhancing the ECW knowledge management site for internal learning, sourcing information from relevant Secretariat staff.

2. Internship in Programme Development and Quality Control (Quality Education)

Introduction

The Programme Development and Quality Control intern will provide technical, administrative, and coordination support to the ECW Programme Development & Quality Team. The intern will contribute primarily to the management, quality assurance, and monitoring of ECW’s programmes, with a focus on the First Emergency Response (FER) and Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP) investment windows. This role is integral to supporting effective programme design, delivery, and impact assessment, ensuring that ECW’s investments result in quality education outcomes for children and youth affected by crises.

Main Duties

• Support programme management activities, including assisting in the planning, development, and coordination of programme portfolios under the FER and MYRP initiatives.
• Assist in the review, compilation, and quality assurance of programme documentation and reports submitted by implementing partners, ensuring compliance with ECW standards and donor requirements.
• Contribute to monitoring and evaluation efforts by collecting, consolidating, and analyzing data related to programme outputs and outcomes to inform programme performance and quality improvement.
• Support knowledge management initiatives by updating and maintaining programme-related information systems, databases, and shared resources to facilitate internal learning and coherence across programmes.
• Assist in the preparation of programme briefs, presentations, and communication materials to support engagement with stakeholders including donors, partners, and beneficiaries.
• Facilitate coordination and communication within the Programme Development & Quality team to ensure timely information flow and collaborative programme implementation.
• Provide administrative support to programme meetings, workshops, and stakeholder consultations, including the preparation of minutes, action points, and follow-up.
• Support the team with ad hoc activities related to investment window processes, including logistical arrangements, document management, and data entry.
• Assist in tracking progress and deadlines related to programme cycles, funding applications, and reporting obligations to maintain compliance and accountability.

Applicants for both internships should meet the following criteria:

• Enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs or graduated within the last two years.
• Academic background preferably in one or more of the following fields:
• Business administration and international (humanitarian) development
• Accounting and financial management, with emphasis on not-for-profit organizations
• Information management, data science, social statistics
• Other social sciences with quantitative methodology emphasis
• Minimum age of 18 years at application time.
• Proficiency in English (speaking, reading, and writing) at a high standard. Fluency in French (DELF B2 level or above) is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated excellent academic performance.
• No immediate relatives (e.g., father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office; and have no other relatives in the line of authority that the intern will report to.
• Compliance with UNICEF Child Safeguarding Personnel Standards (DHR/STANDARDS/2019/001, or as amended).

Administrative Note

ECW is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified candidates from all national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds—especially from ECW programme countries—to apply.

The internship is supervised remotely and virtually (home based); full-time (35 hours per week) with flexible working hours arranged in agreement with supervisors, considering study commitments. Interns will be associated with the ECW Secretariat’s Finance and Operations section, where the Grants Management team is housed, or with the Quality Education section depending on placement.

Interns may take up to 2.5 days off per month; any absences beyond this will result in a stipend reduction.

The internship duration is preferred to be at least six months, with flexibility between October and November 2025 start dates.

Monthly stipends are provided based on location: USD 1,700 in New York, Geneva, and Copenhagen offices, or 70% of the monthly GS level 3 step 1 salary in other duty stations.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to selected candidates who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.