Location: Home-based (Interns who are already based in one of SEforALL’s official duty stations will have access to office premises)
Grade level: Internship
Programme: Multiple programmes
Duration: 3- 6 months (part-time or full-time)
Note to applicants: We are looking to build a talent pool of young professionals who are interested in an internship opportunity with SEforALL. The actual selection and appointment of candidates for the internship program will be based on a competitive process, and according to SEforALL teams’ needs and plans.
Closing date: 02 January 2024 at 23:59 CET
Background About SEforALL
Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization working with leaders in government, the private sector and civil society to drive further, faster action toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate warming to well below 2° Celsius (and striving for 1.5° Celsius).
Achieving these goals will require a radical rethink of the way we produce, distribute and consume energy. SEforALL is at the heart of this foundational shift to ensure no one is left behind. Drawing on data and evidence, we identify a critical path to success in achieving SDG7.
The 8th UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 20121. Now an independent organization, we maintain close links with the UN, including through a relationship agreement, partnerships with UN agencies and with SEforALL’s CEO acting as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative (SRSG) for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. These roles include advising the UN Secretary General and his staff on issues relating to sustainable energy and the implementation of SDG7 and supporting the coordination of sustainable energy issues in the United Nations system.
The ambitions of SDG7 are extraordinary. Aiming to achieve them in the context of the Paris Agreement on climate change involves transformation at a scale never undertaken before. Swift action must be taken by leaders in governments, private sector companies, institutions, financiers, development banks, unions, communities, entrepreneurs and civil society. As we enter the final decade to achieve SDG7, SEforALL has strategically chosen to strengthen global agenda-setting while expanding its activities to an engagement model that prioritizes data-driven decision-making, partnerships with high-impact countries and implementation on the ground. SEforALL’s current three-year business plan outlines “results offers” that scope out our planned interventions and demonstrate to our funding partners the impact of their support.
Requirements
At the time of application, they should also meet the following requirements:
- Education: candidates must be enrolled in a relevant Master’s or PhD degree programme or have recently graduated with a Master’s degree or PhD.
- Language: candidates must be fluent in written and spoken English. Knowledge of French, Arabic and other UN languages is highly desirable.
- Availability: candidates must be available for a minimum full-time internship of three months, and then can be spread over up to a maximum of eight months.
- Skills: candidates should be capable of working in a multicultural and international team environment and have good communication and IT skills.
- Family relation: candidates should not be a family member of a SEforALL employee who is under any contract (full-time staff contract or consultant contract).
- Most internships require no work experience. However, previous experiences may be an advantage in the selection process.
Areas of Work
Successful candidates will provide support in one or more following areas, depending on candidates’ interests and SeforALL’s needs.
External Programmes
- Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI)
- Cooling for All
- Clean Cooking
- Data & Intelligence Unit
- Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Development
- Energy Transition and Investment Plans
- Energy Transition Office (Nigeria)
- Gender and Youth
- International Engagements
- Mini-Grid Partnership
- Policy and Regulatory Frameworks
- Powering Healthcare
- Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative (REMI)
- Universal Energy Facility
- UN-Energy
- Universal Integrated Energy Planning
Internal Supporting Functions
- Communications
- Executive Office
- Finance and Operation
- Human Resources
- MEL, Data and Research
- Partnerships and Development
For more information on SEforALL programmes and teams, please visit the corresponding pages.
Duties and Responsibilities
Interns will play an active role in planning, delivering, and implementing various SEforALL project activities. Examples of work entrusted to interns include but are not limited to:
- Participating in the preparation and production of documents, reports and working papers.
- Carrying out research and reviews of existing materials.
- Collecting and analysing data.
- Participating in meetings.
- Contributing towards reviews and streamlining and development of guides and processes.
- Work with other teams within SEforALL to support the development of knowledge and implementation work products that utilize the breadth of skills at SEforALL.
It is SEforALL’s intention to expose the intern to as many activities as possible to share knowledge and skills gained within the team.
Application Process
Please note that all candidates MUST complete an online application and provide complete and accurate information. In your online application, please make sure that you include a detailed CV. We also recommend candidates include a cover letter outlining their skills and interests and how they align with the SEforALL Internship Programme.
Selection and Recruitment Process
All applications are screened by SEforALL team leads, and suitable candidates are included in a shortlist that will be shared with the Human Resources team for subsequent recruitment and selection steps. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the HR team to participate in the selection process.
The process typically consists of three main stages:
- Interview and/or Written Test: hiring teams invite candidates to a face to face or virtual interview. This step may include an online written test or exercise.
- Offer letter: The successful candidate/s receive an e-mail with their internship offer letter from the SEforALL Human Resources team.
- Onboarding: HR and the hiring teams manage the onboarding activities for the successful candidate/s.
Core Competencies
- Professionalism and Personal Leadership: Demonstrates/safeguards ethics and integrity. Self-development and initiative-taking. Ability to work in a multi-cultural and international environment based on mutual respect and tolerance. Demonstrates good judgment and discretion when handling sensitive materials and issues. A commitment to the goals of SEforALL and to sustainable development more broadly essential. A good sense of humor. Willingness to “get the job “done with a positive attitude to take on a wide range of tasks. Ability and willingness to adjust working hours to accommodate differences in time zones and manage the work life balance effectively.
- Teamwork: Work with colleagues within SEforALL and with partners in government and organizations. Support colleagues, encourage others to participate in teamwork and share responsibility for decision-making and results. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Support and act in accordance with group decisions, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Share credit for team accomplishments and accept joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Demonstrated ability to work with teams representing a wide variety of staffing levels that also cut across agencies and partners, and work without direct authority to deliver timely and high quality products. Strong team player capabilities.
- Planning and Organization: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments. Adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently and is able to work to deadlines and maintain effectiveness under pressure. Excellent organizational and task management skills, with appropriate attention to details and ability to prioritize work among multiple competing demands, and under tight deadlines. Ability to manage multiple workflows at the same time. Proactive approach to managing workflow, with keen ability to multi-task and respond quickly and flexibly to a wide range of issues, some of which come up in ad hoc and unexpected ways.
- Communication: Excellent communication skills and proven drafting ability; ability to develop relationships, foster collaboration within the team and with other stakeholders, deliver presentations and advocate for viewpoints. Ability to craft messages and communiques, and copy edit work to produce flawless written communications is required.
- Analysis and Creativity: Demonstrated excellent numerical and analytical skills that can be applied to gather data and generate knowledge relevant to decision-making functions. Capability and easiness to work with numbers, calculate, and analyze data as well as the ability to summarize and present key-findings.
Our Values – please refer to our core values as defined here: https://www.seforall.org/who-we-are/staff/our-values.
Stipend: Interns are provided with a stipend calculated as a daily fee. The amount of the intern’s fee is fixed and not negotiable. SEforALL will fund any business-related travel expenses during the internship according to existing travel policies applicable to regular staff. No additional remuneration or other benefits of any kind are paid to interns.
Additional Considerations
- SEforALL offers exciting high-impact assignments, a collegial and creative work environment, and the opportunity for committed professionals to thrive and grow within flat hierarchies and in the pursuit of an inspiring mission.
- Qualified female candidates and candidates from developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
- Only applicants selected for an interview or a written test will be contacted.
- SEforALL does not keep a roster of applicants. If your application is unsuccessful, you are welcome to apply again to subsequent vacancy publications. Please closely monitor our website for further application.
- Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of the internship with SEforALL. SEforALL will not reimburse nor contribute to the intern’s medical insurance.
- The Internship Programme aims to provide young graduates with a meaningful work experience complementing their education. Interns should not expect that an offer for the internship will lead to longer term employment as a regular staff member of SEforALL during or after the internship.
For more information, refer here
