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 East Asia and Pacific Multi-Country Office (EAPMCO), headquartered in Bangkok, supports UNOPS operations across 24 countries in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and the Pacific. Established in January 2023, EAPMCO provides strategic direction, operational support, and quality assurance to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of projects across its portfolio. EAPMCO implements initiatives in priority areas such as energy transition, climate change, and sustainable development, drawing on UNOPS' core expertise in human resources, procurement, infrastructure, fund management, and programme management.

The Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP), a programme of UNOPS, brings together governments and philanthropies to work with partner countries in the region. We support the transition towards modern energy systems that can simultaneously ensure economic growth, energy security, and environmental sustainability. Enabling the transition toward greener energy systems will greatly contribute to the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement objectives. 

ETP focuses on Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam, which are the countries in the region with the highest energy demand, a substantial pipeline for fossil fuel-based projects, and a significant and cost-effective potential for renewable energy and energy efficiency. ETP provides high-level technical advisory support, holistic support to Governments on financing and technical needs, capacity and skill development, and facilitation of dialogues in all related areas.

At UNOPS, interns join our teams as equal members and are offered a good mix of support work and independent assignments with substantial responsibility. 

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Programme Manager and Regional Coordinators, the intern’s role is to support activities aimed at increasing project management capacity.

Required:

• A minimum first-level university degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in International Affairs, Social Sciences, Human Resources, Business Administration, Project management, Engineering Background, or other relevant field is required. 

• Must be enrolled in a university programme such as Bachelor’s or Master's or Ph.D. (or the equivalent) or have graduated from such studies within three (3) years prior to the application date of the internship.

Required:

• Familiarity with core concepts related to international development, energy, climate change, infrastructure, or public policy, gained through academic coursework, research, or internships.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience drafting short briefs or presentations as a part of academic coursework, research, or internships.

• Proven ability to conduct desk-based research and analysis, synthesize information from multiple sources, and present findings clearly and concisely gained through academic coursework, research, or internships.

• Strong computer literacy in Google Suite applications or equivalent MS Office standard programs, in particular proficiency in MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, is required.

Desired:

• Some professional experience in the field of international development, project management, administration, engineering or other relevant fields is desirable.

• Experience in research, analysis, and report writing related to energy transition or the broader climate change topics in Southeast Asia is highly desirable.

• Demonstrated ability to support programme or project coordination, including organizing information, tracking tasks, and supporting delivery against timelines.

• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural, international environment, including collaborating with colleagues and partners across different time zones and institutional contexts.

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities in a fast-paced work environment, with minimal supervision.

• 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.