Islamic Finance and Impact Investing Research Intern

Islamic Finance and Impact Investing Research Intern

Location :

Type of Contract :

Internship

Starting Date :

01-Dec-2023

Application Deadline :

12-Nov-23 (Midnight New York, USA)

Intern

Duration of Initial Contract :

6 months

Languages Required :

Expected Duration of Assignment :

6 months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

UNDP partners with people at all levels of society to help build nations that can withstand crises and to drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in nearly 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives, build resilient nations, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Sustainable Development Goals represent the global consensus for the comprehensive and ambitious 2030 Agenda. The level of ambition and the need for resources to reach the targets necessitate innovations to increase efficiency, and partnerships for effective use of existing resources as well as growing them.

As a major effort to finance SDGs and in order to streamline its financial and investment engagement, UNDP launched the Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH), a finance and innovation platform, that draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of resources for the SDGs and lead the implementation of the new UNDP private sector strategy and other initiatives. The Hub is an integral part of both the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), as well as part of the GPN. The Hub serves as a connector, broker and global coordinator among internal and external actors; curates and manages UNDP’s catalogue of service offers on SDG financing to governments, investors and companies, via the COs, to significantly enhance the scale and impact of UNDP’s work.

Through SFH, UNDP Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (ICPSD) has a mandate to leverage the role of the private sector in development. ICPSD was established in Istanbul, Turkey on the basis of the Partnership Framework Agreement signed between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the UNDP in March 2011. The Center advocates and facilitates the contribution of the private sector to human development and inclusive growth through the following thematic priority areas:

• Private Sector Engagement through South-South Cooperation for the SDGs;

• Role of the Private Sector in Skills Development;

• Private Sector Resilience and Crisis Response.

The Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (ICPSD) offers a selected group of outstanding graduate-level students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to ICPSD's work as a center of excellence for the private sector in development. It is designed to provide support to ICPSD’s applied research and policy advisory services and to complement the interns’ practical experience in various issues related to private sector engagement, skills generation, impact investing and other topics of international development. The Programme operates under the rules and regulations of the UNDP Internship Policy.

UNDP ICPSD leads UNDP’s private sector strategy, mobilizing the private sector to engage in development. ICPSD convenes stakeholders from public and private industry as well as foundations to facilitate knowledge sharing and partnerships, catalyzes private sector actors for developing products and initiatives for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) implementation and provides support to raise capital through innovative financing models such as blended finance.

UNDP ICPSD’s impact investing work stream is based on two pillars: Conventional finance and Islamic finance.

ICPSD and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) established the Global Islamic Finance and Impact Investing Platform (GIFIIP) in 2016 to position Islamic finance and impact investing as leading enablers of SDG implementation around the world. Bringing together the private sector, governments and key stakeholders operating in the Islamic finance and impact investing markets, the platform aims to promote market-based solutions to sustainable development challenges.

Duties and Responsibilities

This intern will be responsible for the following duties:

• Provide research, writing and editing support on issues and knowledge products related to Islamic finance and impact investing;
• Support publishing knowledge stories/best practices on Islamic finance and impact investing;
• Contribute to designing and implementation of initiatives, projects, or programmes;
• Provide administrative support on an as-needed basis;
• Prepare relevant communications materials (speeches, brochures, success stories, social media, materials, etc.);
• Collaborate on the development and execution of online content (images, infographics, videos, blogs, etc.) and campaigns delivered across various social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.
• Other relevant tasks as deemed necessary by the supervisor.
• Excellent research and writing skills, as well as strong analytical aptitude and strong communication skills;
• Ability to manage workload with minimum supervision and collaborate with a wide range of colleagues while meeting the deadlines;
• Excellent interpersonal skills: being able to listen and collaborate with a wide range of players, being able to work independently, being pro-active and taking initiative;
• Be able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Commitment to UNDP's mission, vision, and values;
• Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age differences;
• Highest standards of integrity, discretion, and loyalty.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Applicants must, at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:

a) be enrolled in a second university degree programme (Master Degree);

b) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (Bachelor Degree); or

c) have recently graduated with a university degree in fields such as Islamic economics and finance, economics, finance, business, development, international relations, law, public administration or similar and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

d) be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Experience:

• Experience in academic writing, research, and analysis on sustainable development, and impact investing;
• Knowledge of SDG financing and Islamic finance is an asset;
• Knowledge of the OIC countries is desirable;
• Computer literate in standard software applications;
• Demonstrated keen interest in the work of the UN, and of UNDP in particular, and have a personal commitment to UNDP's Statement of Purpose and to the ideals of the UN Charter;
• Demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs;
• Previous experience on economics and finance research, preferably with a perspective on Islamic finance is an asset;
• Previous experience on project designing and implementation is an asset;
• Social media account management and content development skills are desirable.

Language:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English;
• Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Interns will be given a stipend according to the UNDP Internship Policies, if they are not financially supported by any institution or programme, such as a university, government, foundation or scholarship programme.

The monthly amount of the stipend will be determined for each duty station based on the stipend rates published yearly by the OHR Policy and Compensation Unit. The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly.

Application Procedure

The application should contain:

• Brief Cover Letter (in English) stating interest in and qualifications for the post;
• Current and complete CV in English;

Please group all your documents into one single PDF document as the system only allows to upload maximum one document.

Candidates who are selected must submit the following documents:

• Proof of medical and life/accident insurance valid for the location in which the internship will be carried out. Selected intern must have medical and life insurance.

UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months.

Subsequent Employment

The purpose of the Internship Programme is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but to complement an intern’s studies.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.