Partnerships Intern

The Partnerships and Liaison Group (PLG) is a global functional entity within UNOPS, responsible for driving the strategic development and growth of both new and existing partnerships. Working in close collaboration with UNOPS groups, regional and country offices, PLG engages with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to advance the goals outlined in the UNOPS Strategic Plan. PLG comprises a network of liaison offices strategically located in Brussels, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo, Rome, and Washington D.C., each responsible for managing relationships with designated key global partners. These offices also provide partner-specific advice and support to UNOPS offices at the operational level. A cross-cutting Partnerships Development Team, based in Copenhagen, provides strategic guidance, conducts partner intelligence and analysis, and develops tools and resources to enhance the outreach and positioning efforts of partnership colleagues worldwide.

This internship experience will provide an opportunity to gain hands-on understanding of how UN agencies contribute to sustainable development through partnerships, as well as an excellent chance to collaborate with development partners such as the Japanese government and JICA, which are key donors for UNOPS.

The Partnerships and Liaison Group (PLG) supports UNOPS efforts to build closer ties with partners across the full spectrum of UNOPS activities. 

Tokyo Liaison Office (TLO) aims to develop strategic partnerships with organisations based in Japan. We work with the relevant ministries of the Government of Japan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the private sector. The office further assists UNOPS operational teams to manage the portfolio funded by Japanese donors.

Under the guidance of the Head of Office, the Intern will be responsible for:

Partnership building

• Organize and attend meetings with various partners in Japan, including the government counterparts, private sector and other UN agencies, and draft minutes of meetings.

• Conduct research to explore potential partnerships with new stakeholders in Japan and make recommendations to the Head of Office.

Research and analysis

• Conduct research and summarize information on topics such as country data, partner profiles and strategies, UNOPS projects and market trends.

• Review, edit and translate documents assigned by the Head of Office.

Advocacy and public outreach

• Maintain and update the Tokyo Liaison Office (TLO) website, X (former Twitter) account and intranet and serve as a communications focal point in the TLO. 

• Liaise with UNOPS Communications Group to analyze TLO’s X posts and make recommendations to the Head of Office.

Coordination support

• Liaise with UNOPS country offices across the world to monitor Japan-funded projects and ensure timely implementation, reporting and closure. 

• Support procurement and payment processes for office maintenance.

• Support missions and event organization, including logistics, preparation of briefing materials and post-event summaries.

• Assist the internal and external reports and publications.

• Manage visibility items such as booklets, fact sheets and envelopes.

Required:

• The applicant should be enrolled in a university programme such as Bachelor, Masters or Ph.D. (or the equivalent) or have graduated from such studies within three (3) years prior to the applications date of the internship.

Desired:

• Area of study should preferably be in development studies, public policy and administration, international relations, economics, business, communications, engineering, or other related areas.

Desired:

• While no prior work experience is required, some experience with, Microsoft Office programs, particularly with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint and Google Workspace would be an asset.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. 
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.