UNOPS

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) brings together diverse expertise to help partners deliver impact worldwide. With hubs in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, and expert teams operating globally, GPO leads multi-regional initiatives that advance sustainable development, climate action, and peacebuilding - including in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

By leveraging our collective expertise and global networks, GPO supports UNOPS’ strategic priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals across more than 130 countries. We work closely with major global partners - including governments, international financial institutions, and UN agencies - to deliver a wide range of services, such as project management, fund management, hosting services, and HR support.

Our thematic focus spans climate action and energy, health, peace and security, sustainable development, and humanitarian action, supporting high-impact initiatives across critical global priorities.

Not Required - part of GPO/NYPO

To achieve its goals, UN Global Pulse is seeking a Project Management Intern (Social and Behavioural Science) based in UN Global Pulse Finland. This role sits within a new, multidisciplinary team being shaped in response to learning from UN Global Pulse’s portfolio work, engagement with UN80 priorities, and contributions to the UN 2.0 agenda, alongside selected activities of the UN Global Pulse Accelerator Programme and broader ecosystem engagement across the UN system. These learnings highlight a growing demand for applied social and behavioral approaches that help UN entities design, implement, and scale strategies, policies, services, and innovations at scale that are grounded in how people and institutions operate in practice.

Under the direct supervision of the Innovation Methods Senior Analyst, the Project Management Intern (Social and Behavioural Science) will gain hands-on experience in multidisciplinary collaboration, supporting the integration of applied social and behavioral insights into the following tasks:

• Identify opportunities to embed applied social and behavioral perspectives in innovations at scale, as required by the portfolio team.

• Support iterative learning by documenting and researching practical approaches tested across projects, workshops, or learning sessions.

• Support the design of the curriculum and/or other learning activities for the UN Global Pulse Accelerator Programme, as required by the Accelerator programme team.

• Map and synthesize applied social and behavioral, participatory, and foresight methods used across UN Global Pulse.

Required:

• Applicants must be enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree or be pursuing an advanced university degree, such as a Masters or a Ph.D., or be a recent graduate from such studies (within the last 3 years). 

• To be eligible for this particular internship, the candidate should have studied or be studying towards a university degree preferably in: social sciences, applied behavioral sciences, international relations, development studies, service design, futures and foresight, or another related discipline.

Desired:

• Demonstrated interest in applied social and/or behavioral sciences in the context of innovation is an asset.

• Ability to synthesize and translate insights into practical application, including contributions to learning activities, reflections, or documentation, is an asset.

• Strong coordination and project management skills are an asset.

• Demonstrated interest in participatory approaches and futures-informed work is desired.

• Experience in decolonial approaches in international development, innovation, and applied social or behavioral work is desirable.

• Previous work experience on international development and/or humanitarian issues is desirable.

• Experience in communications content production is desirable.

• 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.