As a Flagship Catalytic Blended Financing platform of the UN, UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031. 

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, UNOs, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector.  By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders.  UNCDF’s work is focused on three priority areas, including: 

• SME Finance 
• Sub-National Finance 
• Digital Finance 

UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by an Executive Board comprised of UN Member States. 

UNCDF’s new structure includes a Strategic Funds Unit (SFU) to augment its capacity to deploy grants, loans, and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. The SFU is dedicated to developing and overseeing trust funds, in partnership with UN agencies and other partners, that deploy blended finance approaches to leverage investment and sustainable revenue streams to mobilize capital at scale, expand pipelines of investable solutions, and strengthen alignment with global climate, biodiversity, and SDG commitments. The SFU integrated secretariat services, include: 

• Provision of technical and administrative support to Strategic Funds Steering Committees ;
• Management of day-to-day operations of funds;​ 
• Development the funds’ resource mobilization strategies and engages with contributing partners;​ 
• Provision logistical and operational support to the respective funds’ steering committees; ​ 
• Ensure the monitoring of the operational risks and Funds performance; ​ 
• Support the development of high-quality proposals  and facilitate collaboration and communication between partner UN agency and other partners to ensure programmes are implemented effectively; ​ 
• Management of calls for proposals and appraisal processes;​ 
• Consolidation of annual and final narrative reports; 
• Liaising with the administrative agent on fund administration issues, including issues related to project/fund extensions and project/fund closure.​ 

Under the guidance and supervision of the Executive Analyst, the intern will support the work of the Directorate team across the following areas: 

Stakeholder & Policy Mapping: 

• Identify key actors, institutional roles, and enabling conditions across shipping, insurance, conservation, and climate finance sectors in pilot and target geographies;
• A map of key stakeholders in each priority geography, including shipping operators, regulators, insurers, port authorities, and local communities;
• An identification and assessment of candidate pilot geographies based on ship traffic density, whale habitat overlap, regulatory readiness, and stakeholder presence and
• Conduct interviews via telephone and video-conference facilities with a wide range of stakeholders in the pilot country (yet to be identified), as well as all relevant implementing partners, including Blue Green Futures and One Ocean Finance.

Financial Instrument Assessment: 

• An assessment of the feasibility of blended finance tools, avoidance incentives, insurance-linked mechanisms, and biodiversity or carbon crediting approaches by region and by stakeholder;
• A map of potential capital partners, including public, philanthropic, and private actors and
• Drafted term sheets or financial flow diagrams illustrating how funds would be mobilized, governed, and disbursed.

Technology Landscape Assessment:

• Evaluate existing and emerging technologies for whale-safe shipping and biodiversity crediting, including detection systems, routing protocols, and MRV platforms, to inform deployment strategies;
• An assessment of technology readiness, cost, scalability, and integration requirements;
• Development of deployment pathways that align technology capabilities with local regulatory and operational constraints and
• Identification of data and MRV requirements necessary to integrate with financial mechanisms.

Behavioural Adoption Strategy:

• Apply behavioural science approaches to understand decision-making dynamics among shipping operators, insurers, and regulators, and design incentive structures and communication tools to accelerate uptake of whale-safe practices and
• Create a communication and engagement strategy to roadmap deployment of the Ocean Guardian Protocol.

Equity & Inclusion Analysis: 

• Assess benefit-sharing mechanisms for coastal communities, Indigenous groups, and small island states, proposing governance models that ensure transparent fund flows and inclusive participation and
• Ensure equity across resource mobilization design.

Strategic Roadmap Development: 

• Synthesize findings into a comprehensive roadmap for scaling the initiative first within a pilot region then globally, aligned with the Ocean Guardian Protocol and Ocean Resilience Vehicle (ORV) framework;
• Identify sequencing, near-term actions, and decision points required to advance pilot launch and
• Prepare a presentation and report suitable for internal UNCDF decision-making and external partner engagement.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
• Strong planning and organizational skills 
• Proactive problem-solving skills and a results-oriented drive to meet deadlines
• Ability to translate complex and abstract ideas into clear visual concepts
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and international environment.
   

Eligibility:

Applicants to the UNCDF internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher);
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent);
• Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation;
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Desirable Criteria:

• Strong ability to develop high-quality PowerPoint presentations, Excel analyses, and written products that translate complex concepts into accessible language is highly desired.
• Knowledge of and/or familiarity with sustainable finance, environmental management, and/or sustainability is highly desired
• Prior experience or internship exposure in a UN entity, multilateral organization, development finance institution, consulting firm, or banking / financial services environment is an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required
• Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage, specifically French and/or Arabic.

Main Internship Conditions

• Interns must provide proof of enrolment in health insurance plan
• UNCDF accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship
• Interns may be given a stipend according to the Internship Policy: the stipend is to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNCDF in any official capacity.