Visual Communications Intern (graphic design and branding)

UNDP • New York, NY

6h

About The Position

General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operations the
United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly
which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations. The UN
Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least
developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing
existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and
guarantees. UNCDFs vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of
capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most
pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries
and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable
prosperity.

As a Flagship Catalytic Blended Financing platform of the UN, UNCDF utilizes its
unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to
crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where
the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s
unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for
the least developed countries, 2022–2031.

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid
development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to
Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and
financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing
bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of
investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in
partnership with private sector, UNOs, International and Local Finance
Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and
Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new
markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources.

UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its
different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order
to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private
sector.  By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also
recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to
position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders.  UNCDF’s work
is focused on three priority areas, including:
SME Finance
Sub-National Finance
Digital Finance

UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division
(IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and
Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff
and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi
(Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of
locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive
Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution
2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the
Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by an Executive Board comprised of
UN Member States.

UNCDF’s new structure includes a Strategic Funds Unit (SFU) to augment its
capacity to deploy grants, loans, and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the
scaling of development impact.  The SFU is dedicated to developing and
oversseeing trust funds, in partnership with UN agencies and other partners, that
deploy blended finance approaches to leverage investment and sustainable revenue
streams to mobilize capital at scale, expand pipelines of investable solutions,
and strengthen alignment with global climate, biodiversity, and SDG
commitments. The SFU integrated secretariat services, include:

Provision of technical and administrative support to Strategic Funds Steering
Committees ;
Management of day-to-day operations of funds;
Development the funds’ resource mobilization strategies  and engages with
contributing partners;
Provision logistical and operational support to the respective funds’
steering committees;
Ensure the monitoring of the operational risks and Funds performance;
Support the development of high-quality proposals  and
facilitate collaboration and communication between partner UN agency and
other partners to ensure programmes are implemented effectively;
Management of  calls for proposals and appraisal processes;
Consolidation of annual and final narrative reports;
Liaising with the administrative agent on fund administration issues,
including issues related to project/fund extensions and project/fund
closure.

Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong planning and organizational skills
• Proactive problem-solving skills and a results-oriented drive to meet deadlines.
• Ability to translate complex and abstract ideas into clear visual concepts
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and international environment.
• Field of Study required: Graphic Design, Arts, Communications, Fine Arts, Multimedia, Journalism, Content production, Data Visualization, or any other related field.
• Applicants to the UNCDF internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements: Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher); Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent); Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation; Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage, specifically French and/or Arabic.
• Interns must provide proof of enrolment in health insurance plan
• UNCDF accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship
• Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNCDF in any official capacity.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Adobe After Effects or other animation tools for motion graphics is highly desirable
• Intermediate proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Canva, and PowerPoint is highly desirable
• A solid understanding of typography, color theory, composition, and layout design is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Assist in maintaining, updating, and creating PowerPoint decks for senior management
• Support in translating complex technical finance concepts and data into clear and impactful visual narratives, with a particular focus on high-quality PowerPoint presentations
• Assist in creating high-quality visual materials for web and print (social media graphics, flyers, posters, brochures, etc.) to communicate the organization’s message and support donor relations
• Support the development of user-friendly designs for websites, newsletter templates, and other campaigns
• With direction from the lead designer, assist in producing compelling and creative visuals both static and animated for social media with a particular focus on LinkedIn, Instagram and Youtube
• Assist country and region-specific events by supporting creation of materials, including banners, signage, and promotional content to ensure successful event execution
• Maintain, catalog, and organize a structured library of multimedia assets for team access
• Assist in refining, and updating design templates to ensure global accessibility,  usability, and visual consistency across different initiatives. This involves supporting regional offices with the correct use of standardized templates and branding guidelines.
• Support the lead designer in ensuring brand compliance for all branded material produced by colleagues working for country-based projects and regional communications colleagues
• Assist in managing multiple design projects simultaneously, helping to prioritize tasks and ensure deadlines are met efficiently
• Collaborate on producing infographics and support video editor with multimedia design to enhance digital engagement.
• Assist in collecting and documenting communication case studies and stories
• Provide support to the communication team in executing activities, and handling administrative tasks as needed.

Benefits

• Interns may be given a stipend according to the Internship Policy: the stipend is to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern