Giga Communication Internship, Office of Innovation, Remote, 4 months (Sep – Dec)

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, innovate

UNICEF has a 70-year history of innovating for children. We believe that new approaches, partnerships and technologies that support realizing children’s rights are critical to improving their lives.

UNICEF and ITU have launched “Giga”, a new initiative to connect every school to the internet, and every young person to information, opportunity and choice. It also serves as a platform to create the infrastructure necessary to provide digital connectivity to an entire country, for every community, and for every citizen.

Providing connectivity to the world remains a challenge. According to the ITU, nearly 3.7 billion people remain unconnected from the internet, and by extension, unconnected to digital products and services that could dramatically improve their lives. Approximately 29% of 18-24-year-olds, most of them in Sub-Saharan Africa, do not have digital access (~360m people) and thereby lack access to the same information, opportunity and choice as their more-connected peers. Unless things change, a big part of this rapidly growing group of young people is in danger of being left behind, excluded from the modern digital world. 

Closing the digital divide requires global cooperation, leadership, and innovation in finance and technology. Giga leverages data, innovative finance and new technologies to bring the power of meaningful connectivity to fast-track young people’s access to educational resources and opportunities.

How can you make a difference?

We are seeking a strong self-motivated communications professional who wants to work with a dynamic team in a global context and tell a story of global change. In particular, the selected candidate will be responsible for developing communications assets (with a focus on writing, story development and packaging) and key stories emerging from the country implementation of Giga to amplify Giga’s ambitious goal of connecting every school, and every community to the Internet. Our team takes large ideas and makes them a reality; being able to communicate complex and abstract ideas using visual, verbal and written language is crucial.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Research, outline, and prepare engaging content—working closely with Giga’s Communications Lead
• Develop storylines for videos and outreach materials to capture learnings & lessons and to make the case for investment in school connectivity
• Select appropriate medium for message / audience and optimize content across platforms, including Twitter, Linkedin and Giga’s website.
• Prepare overview materials and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information succinctly yet effectively
• Prepare drafts of talking points and background for UNICEF speakers at public events (including during the UN General Assembly).

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

• Be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or Ph.D. degree programme in Communication, Journalism, Public Relations, Information or Telecommunications Technology or other relevant fields or have graduated within the past two years.
• A strong track record of developing quality written content, social media materials and multimedia assets
• Experience in video or podcast production, and excited about the challenge of grabbing listeners’ attention and translating complicated ideas into engaging stories
• An understanding of the role technology plays in the development and humanitarian sectors, as well as the UN system
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
• Have excellent academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records.
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, brother, sister) working in any UNICEF office; and have no other relatives in the line of authority that the intern will report to.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Conditions

• Individuals must have proof of medical insurance covering the time and location of their internship.
• This internship expects a full-time commitment.
• Individuals are expected to provide their own laptop.
• Selected candidates will receive a monthly stipend (unless already in receipt of any support for the internship from a third party).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

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