Public Information Intern, New York

Work Location

In person / New York, USA

Expected duration

Expected duration is for 4-6 months, with a desired start date of 1 December 2026.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Internship is in the Civil Society and Academic Impact Section within the Outreach Division of the Department of Global Communications, supporting the United Nations Academic Impact initiative. UN Academic Impact is an initiative that engages institutions of higher education with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the realization of United Nations goals and mandates, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability, and conflict resolution. The internship is for a minimum period of four months with an opportunity for extension up to six months. The internship is in-person, unpaid, and full-time (35 hours/ five days a week), and is based on the United Nations premises in New York, USA. The internships is designed to be full-time and in-person but can be adjusted based on the needs of a successful candidate to be part-time (less than 34 hours a week) and/or remote. The internship is available for up to two candidates. Working under the supervision of the Associate Public Information Officers, the intern will contribute to a project on strengthening digital communications of the UN Academic Impact with universities and institutions of higher learning. The project will be carried out in the following stages:

• Research: Conduct research on thematic issues related to the principles and mandate of the UN Academic Impact, including on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education and sustainability and conflict resolution.
• Audience analysis: Analyse and develop the membership and network databases to identify audience characteristics by region and discipline.
• Digital content series: Produce content for the UN Academic Impact website, LinkedIn account and newsletter, including short articles and graphics, for review by staff.
• Event support: Participate in the planning and organization of project-related lectures and events, including researching speakers, preparing invitations, presentations and promotional material – allowing universities and institutions of higher education to best interact and collaborate.
• Assessment: Review the performance of the content series using website and social media analytics, and present findings and recommendations to the team.

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

(a) be enrolled in, or have completed, a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher);

(b) be enrolled in, or have completed, the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in journalism, communication, media studies, filmmaking, international relations or related field.

1. Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience. However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.
2. Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or PH.D. Programme. Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.
3. Applicants should have good knowledge of standard software applications, especially MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Teams.
4. Applicants should have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which include willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.
5. Skills and experience in writing, social media and multimedia production are strongly desired.

An assessment of your writing skills is desirable and may be conducted prior to an interview.

Languages

English and French are working languages of the UN Secretariat. Fluency in English is required for the internship. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are the official languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

Additional Information

The United Nations does not financially remunerate interns. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation, and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. For internships in the United States of America, interns who are not United States citizens, permanent residents, or not currently in the United States on a non-immigrant visa status will be required to obtain a G-4 visa. If already in the United States of America on another non-immigrant visa status other than G-4, interns will be responsible for ensuring that they have a valid visa and, if required, employment authorization, allowing them to undertake the internship. For internships outside the United States, interns who are not citizens of the country, permanent residents, or not currently in the country's non-immigrant visa status will be required to obtain a valid visa and work permit, allowing them to undertake the internship. The United Nations must ensure all applicants for an internship, regardless of citizenship or national origin, are authorized to work in the country where the internship will be undertaken, either remotely, hybrid, or on the UN-premise duty station. Before commencing an internship, the applicant must submit proof of visa and/or work authorization. Applicants who have previously served six months, in total, as an intern in one or more UN Entities in the UN Secretariat cannot be engaged as an intern. Applicants who are children, siblings, and sons or daughters-in-law (including stepchildren, half-siblings, or stepsiblings) of an active staff member in a UN Secretariat cannot be engaged as an intern.

Intern Specific text

Interns are not financially remunerated by the United Nations. Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of interns or their sponsoring institutions. Interns who are not citizens or permanent residents of the country where the internship is undertaken, may be required to obtain the appropriate visa and work/employment authorization. Successful candidates should discuss their specific visa requirements before accepting the internship offer.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.