Early Warning & Preparedness Intern (Home-based)

UNDP plays an important and unique role in supporting high-risk countries to achieve their development goals by reducing loss to life and assets, and by strengthening long-term resilience. UNDP works with governments at international, national, and local levels to ensure that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a nationally-led and owned agenda, as well as integrated into national development planning. UNDP’s work focuses on resilience building and ensuring development remains risk-informed and sustainable. The Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery for Building Resilience Team (DRT) leads UNDP’s global practice in this field and provides policy advice and programmatic support to UNDP Regional Hubs and Country Offices in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of disaster risk reduction and recovery programmes.

About the role

This position supports UNDP’s work on disaster risk reduction with a focus on risk intelligence, application of digital and AI technologies for DRR, early warning, preparedness, and anticipation as one of the key strategic work streams of DRT. The intern will support the team with research, knowledge management, and communications tasks.

Responsibilities

• Support the research, design, and development of DRT's Risk Intelligence Service Line, including digital and AI-enabled applications for disaster risk reduction.
• Conduct research and analysis on emerging trends, methodologies, tools, and best practices related to risk intelligence in support of disaster risk reduction (DRR), with particular attention to advances in artificial intelligence, geospatial technologies, digital public infrastructure, and data ecosystems.
• Support the continuous development and refinement of UNDP's internal and external Risk Intelligence Service Line offer by identifying innovative approaches, documenting lessons learned, and strengthening the articulation of service packages, value propositions, and implementation modalities.
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products, concept notes, guidance materials, case studies, policy briefs, and communication products showcasing UNDP's work on risk intelligence.
• Undertake mapping and analysis of digital and AI-powered applications relevant to risk intelligence and DRR, including machine learning, predictive analytics, digital twins, remote sensing, geospatial intelligence, risk modelling, early warning systems, and data visualization platforms, and identify opportunities for their application within UNDP programming.
• Support the identification, documentation, and dissemination of country-level good practices and innovative solutions from UNDP Country Offices, Regional Hubs, and partners to strengthen evidence-based risk governance and decision-making.
• Assist in the development of strategic partnerships with technical institutions, research organizations, technology providers, UN entities, and academia to advance innovation and knowledge exchange in risk intelligence and digital transformation for resilience.
• Contribute to the development of presentations, briefing notes, donor materials, service line packages, project proposals, and other strategic documents to support resource mobilization, partnership development, and the promotion of UNDP's risk intelligence offer globally.
• Support the continuous development of UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway:
  • Undertake research and categorization of resources to support the expansion and tailoring of the UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway as a corporate learning package.
  • Support the development and maintenance of the online repository of the UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway on the UNDP Intranet homepage and on selected open-source websites.
  • Support the development of a self-paced course based on the UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway under the UNDP Crisis Academy.
  • Undertake research and categorization of resources to support the development of new thematic modules for the UNDP Preparedness Toolkit, which is an online repository linked to the UNDP Preparedness Learning Pathway.
  • Support the organization of webinars for the UNDP Preparedness Learning Pathway, including development of tailored webinar plans, facilitation guidance for resource persons, support the facilitation of webinars (development of MURAL boards, facilitation of group discussions, setting up Zoom options, etc.), and develop webinar reports.
  • Support the organization of the serious game methodology under the UNDP’s Preparedness Learning Pathway.
  • Support the development of social media kits for all workshops and webinars, based on existing guidance and samples.
• Support with development of presentations, talking points, and briefing notes related to UNDP’s global early warning portfolio in the context of UNDP’s engagement in the global early warning agenda, including global/regional events, webinars, and multi-partner meetings.
• Support the DRT with any other portfolio-related tasks that include research, analysis, and communication:
  • Support the DRT with research and analysis on other topics of interest including urban resilience, gender equality and women’s leadership in DRR, and financing for DRR.
  • Develop funding and project proposals on the topics outlined above.
  • Develop briefs, talking points, slide decks, etc. as required.

Requirements

• Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a Master’s programme, or higher) in the area of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, disaster management, or humanitarian affairs;
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in one of the above areas of study;
• Have recently graduated with a university degree as defined above, and, if selected, must start the internship within one year of graduation; or
• Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this programme.

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English;
• Knowledge of conversational AI applications (e.g., Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini), collaborative applications (i.e., MURAL, Zoom, MS Teams, Google Forms), and design applications (i.e., Canva; Gamma);
• Great attention to detail and proven experience in proofreading;
• Strong organization skills;
• Sound computer skills and experience using web-based applications, social media, and data management systems;
• Ability to take initiative;
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multicultural environment.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills; ability to write clearly and concisely;
• Good command of information and communication technology.

Languages

Fluency in English, both oral and written, is required. Knowledge of another UN official language would be an asset.

Pay

Where an intern is not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation, or scholarship programme, a stipend intended to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship will be paid by the receiving office. The monthly stipend amount will be determined in accordance with applicable UNDP internship policies and duty-station rates. Part-time internship arrangements will be prorated accordingly.

Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, government, or third party, UNDP will, subject to the applicable rules, pay the difference, if any, between the external financial support provided and the applicable UNDP stipend.

No other payments of any kind will be made to an intern by the office in connection with the internship agreement. Interns will accrue combined sick and annual leave at the applicable monthly rate, prorated for part-time arrangements where relevant. Any accrued leave not used by the end of the internship will be forfeited.