UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children—saving lives, defending rights, and helping them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for all, and we never give up.

For every child, Hope

UNICEF’s Programme Group leads the organization’s global efforts to achieve results for the most disadvantaged and excluded children everywhere, in line with the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022–2025. Its work is guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the international commitments related to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Programme Group provides global thought leadership, influences policies and partnerships to advance child rights, and offers technical support to UNICEF’s Regional and Country Offices to maximize the impact of programmes in children’s lives. The division shapes internal policy and practice in priority areas, supports UNICEF’s engagement in key programme partnerships, and collaborates with other divisions on fundraising, advocacy, and strategic influence.

It also plays a vital role in managing technical talent and promoting a management approach that strengthens connections between Headquarters, Regional, and Country Offices. The Director, Programme Group, provides strategic guidance for UNICEF’s programmes and can commit the organization to programme strategies aligned with the Strategic Plan, SDGs, and universal child rights principles.

An internship with UNICEF is the perfect way to kick-start your career in international development and humanitarian work. This opportunity allows you to apply theoretical knowledge from your studies in a practical setting, gain firsthand experience of daily working life, and contribute to meaningful, real-world outcomes for children.

How can you make a difference? 

UNICEF’s work in sports for development is rooted in our mission to ensure every child’s right to play in a safe environment, as articulated in Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Regular physical activity promotes physical, social, and mental well-being, and helps prevent non-communicable diseases. However, access to sports is often constrained by socioeconomic factors, gender, education, and ability.

UNICEF views sports as a powerful tool to enhance physical and mental health, build confidence, foster independence, and promote social inclusion for vulnerable groups. We are committed to increasing participation, enhancing well-being, and ensuring inclusive access to sports opportunities for all children.

A recent scoping review consolidated UNICEF’s sports-related programmes over the past five years, identifying six key recommendations for future action. These emphasize the importance of flexibility, community-level programming, addressing the needs of refugees and displaced children, and leveraging emerging mechanisms such as e-sports.

To advance these priorities and revitalize UNICEF’s support for sports programming, the Programme Group seeks dedicated support to transform these recommendations into actionable strategies.

As an Intern with the Programme Group, you will provide vital research and analytical support, helping translate strategic recommendations into a concrete, executable plan of action. You will focus on ensuring that discussions and initiatives are scalable, sustainable, and effectively targeted, particularly in complex urban environments.

This internship offers an exceptional opportunity to gain insight into UNICEF’s programme design, policy influence, and global coordination work, while contributing directly to initiatives that enable every child to thrive through play and sport.

1. Reviewing the sport for development deliverables:
   1. Review and synthesize key deliverables, outcomes, and progress reports from existing UNICEF Sport for Development (S4D) programmes.
   2. Assess programme results and alignment with the six key recommendations.
2. Developing a plan of action and stakeholder mapping:
   1. Draft a preliminary plan outlining steps, timelines, and resources to implement the recommendations.
   2. Map internal and external stakeholders within the sports ecosystem to identify key partners and champions.
3. Researching how effective sports programmes can be applied in urban settings and scaled:
   1. Analyze how S4D models can be adapted and scaled in urban or disadvantaged contexts.
   2. Explore emerging tools like digital gaming and e-sports for social cohesion and digital literacy.
   3. Research best practices for scaling grassroots initiatives to increase impact while avoiding challenges of large corporate events.
4. Supporting knowledge management and communication
   1. Prepare presentation materials to share findings and recommendations with internal and external audiences.

Expected deliverables

The intern is expected to produce the following professional documentation suitable for PG review and circulation:

1. S4D deliverables synthesis report: A concise, analytical summary of existing S4D programme performance and their contribution to social cohesion.
2. Stakeholder map: A clearly organized map of key internal stakeholders (HQ, Regional, Country Office staff) and external partners (NGOs, Federations, corporate partners) required for implementing emerging S4D strategies.
3. Urban & scaling research brief: A targeted research brief documenting findings on effective S4D application in urban settings and actionable guidance on scaling grassroots-level programming.
4. Communication: A concise presentation summarizing key findings, recommendations, and proposed next steps for internal and external dissemination.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

• Have the following eligibility requirements.
• Be at least 18 years old
• Be enrolled, within the past year, in a graduate degree programme with a preferred major in Sport management, Sport sciences, Kinesiology, Sport psychology, or a related field
• Demonstrated interest or background in sports, ideally with experience in sports-related programs, sports and mental health initiatives, and/or promoting physical activity in children
• Be fluent in English. Proficiency in another UN language is an asset
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office and no other relatives in the line of authority to which the intern will report
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Other requirements:

• Exceptionally strong strategic thinking and research skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Intellectual curiosity
• Excellent organization and time management skills with a keen eye for detail 
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills
• Problem-solving skills, with ability to take ownership of projects and make suggestions on how to improve the role
• Ability to manage and respect multiple deadlines while working independently with different agents on several projects

 The following are considered assets:

• Experience using survey development tools like Kobo, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, Qualtrics
• Proficiency in statistical software (SPSS, STATA, R)

The following supporting documents are required at onboarding stage:

• Letter of verification from the college or university that the intern is currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate school It should also state the expected graduation date.  Recent graduates are allowed until 2 years after degree completion.
• Copy of their most recent official transcript showing excellent academic performance
• Copy of Identification Card (ID)
• One letter of signed recommendation on letterhead or from professional email address
• Certification of health insurance covering the full internship period

Benefits to intern:

• Build skills across a spectrum of responsibilities
• Exposure to and chance to engage with multiple topics and UNICEF’s various programmes
• Opportunity to support UNICEF at a high level that translates into impact on on-the-ground operations
• Experience a multicultural working environment unique to UNICEF

For every Child, you demonstrate... 

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

During the recruitment process, we may 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 interns, including leave entitlement 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 promoting 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.

Remarks:  

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to delivering the best results for children.

UNICEF Interns must have proof of medical insurance covering their time at the duty station.

UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer, without compensation, if a visa or Proof of health insurance coverage is not obtained, or necessary medical/inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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

There is no expectancy of employment at the end of this internship.