Background
The UNDP internship programme offers outstanding graduate-level students the opportunity to gain direct exposure to UNDP’s work, with the objective of deepening their knowledge and understanding of UNDP’s goals, principles, and development activities. It is designed to complement academic studies with hands-on professional experience in a dynamic international environment.
UNDP’s activities are grounded in the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These principles are essential for ensuring the meaningful participation and professional growth of young people and for fostering an inclusive work culture across the organization. In line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its pledge to “leave no one behind,” the internship programme aims to expand access to immersive professional opportunities for individuals who are traditionally underrepresented within the development sector.
UNDP is committed to promoting diversity within its workforce and encouraging applications from candidates of varied backgrounds, ensuring equal opportunity regardless of personal identity or circumstances. All information submitted by applicants is handled with the highest standards of confidentiality.
UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund (GF) makes a vital contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the commitment to leaving no one behind. As the Principal Recipient (PR) for Global Fund grants, UNDP works closely with national partners and the Global Fund to support the effective management, implementation, and oversight of grants, while strengthening health systems and national institutions.
Under the overall guidance of the Global Fund Finance Specialist, the Finance intern supports the provision of financial services ensuring high quality, accuracy, and consistency of work. The finance intern promotes a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.
The Finance intern works in close collaboration with the operations and programme staff in the country office and with UNDP HQs staff to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery.
Duties and Responsibilities
• Ensures efficient, compliant, and timely finance and administrative support, aligned with UNDP’s new ERP (Quantum) and internal control framework, focusing on achievement of the following results:
Finance Support
• Provide accounting and financial support to ensure efficient operations and timely service delivery across projects and programmes.
• Ensure full compliance with UN/UNDP Financial Rules and Regulations, POPP, internal controls, and corporate policies in all financial processes and transactions.
• Support effective financial oversight by reviewing and verifying supporting documents for payments, advances, settlements, and financial reporting for NIM/DIM projects.
• Assist in processing financial transactions in Quantum, ensuring vouchers, invoices, travel claims, entitlements, vendor and other payments are complete, accurate, matched, and compliant before posting.
• Maintain strong internal control standards by ensuring proper documentation, correct chart of account coding, segregation of duties, and timely posting of transactions in Quantum.
• Assist in follow up with UN agencies, government partners, vendors, and service providers on outstanding payments, documentation, financial clarifications, and inter-agency transactions.
• Assist to extract, compile, and analyse financial data from Quantum, corporate dashboards, and other sources for audits, management meetings, programme reviews, and reporting.
• Assist in finance spot checks and reviews internal controls, financial records and reports for accuracy and compliance and prepare verification reports detailing the findings and recommendations.
• Assist in the maintenance and update of the consolidated asset register.
• Perform any other task assigned by the Finance Specialist, Finance Associate and Finance Assistant.
Administrative Support
• Support the organization of meetings, workshops, and events, including scheduling, logistics, venue arrangements, travel coordination, and preparation of materials.
• Assist with travel administration, including drafting Travel Requests (TRs), following up on Travel Expense Reports (TERs), and ensuring documentation complies with UNDP travel policy.
• Maintain proper filing systems—digital and physical—for finance, procurement, HR, and administrative documents, ensuring alignment with information management and audit requirements.
• Provide routine administrative support, including drafting and responding to correspondence, preparing memos, scanning/filing documents, and maintaining office records.
• Assist with office services, such as reception coverage of senior management office when required.
• Provide logistical and administrative backup to Operations or Programme teams during peak workload periods.
Capacity Building & Knowledge Sharing
• Support training and capacity building for programme and operations staff on Quantum processes, financial procedures, digital workflows, and internal control requirements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement by identifying gaps in processes and proposing enhancements to streamline finance and administrative workflows.
Competencies
Achieve Results:
LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline;
Think Innovatively:
LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements;
Learn Continuously
LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback;
Adapt with Agility
LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible;
Act with Determination
LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident;
Engage and Partner
LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships;
Enable Diversity and Inclusion
LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination;
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
• Enrolled student of a degree programme OR completed 4 years of full-time studies at a university in the field of Social Sciences with priority for Finance and Accounting, Finance, Business or Economics and other related disciplines.
Experience:
No experience required.Language:
Fluency in Portuguese and good working knowledge of English is required.Eligibility for internships in UNDP
Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher). Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent). Have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.Interns are not financially remunerated by UNDP.
Interns receive a monthly stipend paid in local currency.
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Scam alert
UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.