UNOPS

The Asia Pacific Regional Office, based in Bangkok, Thailand, provides strategic leadership and oversight for UNOPS operations across 17 countries, ensuring high performance, operational excellence, and alignment with organizational goals. Operations currently span Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. Across these countries, we work closely with key stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and maximize impact through five main operating units: Afghanistan (AFCO), Myanmar (MMCO), South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO), East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), and the Asia Regional Health Cluster (ARHC). Through these entities, we provide agile, client-focused service delivery across diverse sectors - including infrastructure, health, procurement, and project management - supporting the implementation of sustainable development solutions across the region.

The South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) supports UNOPS operations across six countries: Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAMCO delivers a broad range of services and technical expertise in climate change, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), infrastructure, procurement, human resource management, and fund management. Each country office is staffed with local technical experts and maintains strong partnerships with national governments, ensuring context-specific solutions and effective project implementation.

South Asia is at a critical juncture in its energy evolution. While the region’s economies are growing rapidly, energy systems remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, leading to rising emissions and high vulnerability to climate-induced disasters. To address these challenges, UNOPS SAMCO and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) have launched the South Asia Energy Transition Collaborative Platform (SA-ETCP). The platform is currently in its "Design and Inception Phase" (2026). During this period, the ETCP is not yet conducting on-the-ground interventions; instead, it is focused on building a "Regional Knowledge Hub." This hub is a web-based repository designed to harmonize fragmented data, map stakeholder initiatives (such as those by the World Bank and ADB), and provide a "one-stop-shop" for energy transition diagnostics across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Intern will join a lean, entrepreneurial Secretariat and serve as the support focal point for curating this repository. The role is unique in that it sits at the intersection of digital knowledge management, regional climate diplomacy, and resource mobilization.

The primary purpose of this internship is to support the structural development and content curation of the SA-ETCP Digital Knowledge Hub. As the platform has no active project funding yet, the Intern’s mission is to support move the ETCP from a conceptual strategy to a visible, data-driven reality. The Intern will act as a Knowledge Broker, supporting the identifying and synthesising the most relevant policy and technical data to prove the platform's value to the region. Furthermore, the Intern will support resource mobilization by transforming curated knowledge into "investor-ready" content (such as donor pitch decks and country factsheets). By organizing the repository into stakeholder-specific portals (for policymakers, financiers, and the private sector), the Intern ensures that the hub serves as an active tool for regional coordination, donor alignment, and the eventual mobilization of climate finance for South Asia.

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Sustainable Development, Energy Policy, Economics, International Relations, or Information Management.

• 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:

• Familiarity with the energy landscape of South Asia, including knowledge of national NDCs, renewable energy targets, or cross-border electricity trade challenges.
• Experience in conducting comprehensive desk research, synthesizing complex technical documents, and translating data into concise summaries or policy briefs.
• Experience in organizing and maintaining digital libraries, databases, or document repositories with a high degree of attention to detail and data integrity.
• Experience with Google Workspace (Drive, Docs, Sheets) and familiarity with content management principles for web-based portals or shared workspaces.
• Previous experience (through internships, volunteer work, or university projects) in stakeholder mapping, donor research, or supporting resource mobilization efforts.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• 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. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• 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.