Digital Media Intern / Rome Centre for Climate and Energy

Position details

• Grade: IN
• Vacancy type: Internship Programme
• Bureau: Bureau for Policy and Programme Support
• Contract duration: 6 months
• Education and experience: Bachelor's Degree
• Required languages: English
• Desired languages: Italian
• Application deadline: 2026-09-17T03:59:00+00:00

UNDP is the United Nations’ lead agency on international development. We support countries and communities as they work to eradicate poverty, implement the Paris Agreement on climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We advocate for transformative change, and we connect countries to the resources they need to help people build a better life.

Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition

The central purpose of the Rome Centre is to ensure the effective implementation and further development of the strategic partnership between UNDP and the government of Italy across the objectives of sustainable development and in doing so advancing the broader partnership between UNDP and G7 and G20 countries.

The Rome Centre focuses on the critical policy areas of youth engagement in climate action, energy for development and climate finance. These objectives are pursued through the effective implementation of three initial main programmes: the Technical Assistance and Investment Support Facility, the Italy-UNDP Energy Partnership and Youth4Climate.

• The Technical Assistance and Investment Support Facility aims to mobilise finance for climate, energy and environment. Specifically, the Facility aims to originate projects that contribute to the decarbonization efforts of developing economies and to their transition to climate-resilient economies, and it aims to catalyse international financial resources toward these initiatives. Matching impactful projects with investors and capital providers goes hand in hand with the engagement with financial institutions – both institutional and private – at Italian and global level. 
• The Energy for Growth initiative aims to promote access to sustainable energy in developing countries, contributing to SDG7. The goal of the partnership is to assist partner countries in unlocking finance to scale up the diffusion of clean energy solutions, increase access to energy and boost the energy transition. Overall, the initiative aims to foster the mobilization of public and private capital toward projects aligned with the international policy agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. It does so by connecting UNDP's capacity and connections in emerging economies and developing countries with the public-private ecosystem of Italy and other G7-G20countries, in the crucial sector of energy.
• Youth4Climate promotes youth engagement in climate action, contributing to SDG13. Youth4Climate supports the implementation of youth-led and youth-inclusive solutions to environmental and climate challenges, both financially and through capacity development. It also gives young people around the world who are committed to fighting climate change a platform to engage with policymakers and global leaders. 
• The Rome Centre also has a broader mandate to engage with the Italian ecosystem as a whole, which involves close collaboration with key actors in the public and private sector, with the aim to effectively mobilize financial resources for development objectives. To guarantee the effective implementation of the Rome Centre’s workplan, and indeed to ensure the strategic and long term impact of both its programmes, the Centre will develop broader strategic partnerships and reinforce the overall collaboration with Italy and other meaningful partners.
• The Rome Centre functions as the UNDP Office in Italy. As a result, it plays a key role in the strategic engagement of public stakeholders in advancing Italy’s international cooperation priorities within broader multilateral frameworks, including the G7 and G20, as well as supporting the development objectives of National Strategies such as the Mattei Plan for Africa. For instance, it supports initiatives such as: Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the G7 Adaptation Accelerator Hub, the Digital Flagship for Africa, the AI Hub for Sustainable Development, as well as crises and recovery programmes. Through these efforts, the Centre acts as a hub to channel Italian priorities into global and regional programmes, while mobilizing finance and partnerships that scale SDG-aligned impact in developing and crisis-affected countries.

Delivering on its programmes, the Rome Centre will provide support to the international cooperation efforts of Italy and it will support UNDP’s global policy initiatives. Recognizing that change will be disruptive, UNDP will work to ensure that such transitions are just, and that their impact on vulnerable people is understood and duly mitigated.

Under the guidance of the Communications Lead, the intern will support Rome Centre's communications work across the following areas.

1) Content Development

• Draft and edit web stories, social media posts, and newsletters
• Support the preparation of key messages, event blurbs, and visual content for programmes and events
• Help maintain Rome Centre's media asset library, photos, videos, graphics, keeping it organized and easy for others to find
• Support multilingual adaptation of content where relevant

2) Digital Communications and Social Media

• Support day-to-day management of Rome Centre's social media channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and others)
• Track what formats and content are performing well on each platform and feed that back into planning
• Assist with scheduling, drafting, and posting, adapting content to each platform's current native formats rather than reusing the same post everywhere
• Monitor analytics and engagement

3) Event Communications

• Support the preparation of communications packages for events, visuals, hashtags, photo and video briefs
• Assist with live coverage during events, gathering photos, quotes, and key takeaways
• Help turn event material into social and web content afterward

4) Website Support

• Draft, format, and publish content on undp.org using the CMS, following UNDP's brand and editorial guidelines
• Build and update basic pages for campaigns and events
• Upload and tag media, write alt text and captions

5) Research and Ideas

• Support desk research for campaigns and storytelling
• Contribute ideas for creative digital content and formats

Competencies

Corporate

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Professionalism

• Works toward creative solutions by analyzing problems carefully and logically;
• Has a dynamic, positive and adaptive attitude towards work-related challenges;
• Facilitates discussions and meetings effectively and efficiently;
• Resolves conflicts as they arise;
• Sets priorities, produces quality outputs, meets deadlines and manages time efficiently;
• Highly organized, detailed oriented.

Communication

• Writes and presents clearly and convincingly.

Required Skills and Experience

 Education

Applicants 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) in Communications, Media Studies, Graphic Design, Marketing or a related field.
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum bachelor’s level or equivalent) in a related field.
• 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.

Experience

• Strong understanding of digital media. A strong, current sense of how content works across major platforms, LinkedIn, Instagram, X, and short-form video, and comfort adapting the same story into different formats for each
• Proficiency with social media tools and content management systems
• Comfortable with everyday digital tools, scheduling platforms, basic analytics dashboards
• Experience with Canva, CapCut, Adobe Creative Suite or other design tools is an asset
• Interest in climate action, energy transition and sustainable development
• Knowledge of the UN system is an asset
• Applications will only be considered if accompanied by a portfolio of relevant work

PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS WILL ONLY BE CONSIDERED IF ACCOMPANIED BY A PORTFOLIO OF RELEVANT WORK. PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR PORTFOLIO WITH YOUR APPLICATION

Language

• Excellent oral and written communication in English
• Working knowledge of Italian or another UN language is an asset

In case an applicant is successfully selected, s/he will be requested to provide electronic versions of:

• letter from his/her university confirming current enrollment and graduation date;
• letter from his/her university confirming their sponsorship for the internship if they have;
• letter of recommendation from a professor;
• copy of his/her most recent school transcript;
• copy of passport;
• completed UNDP internship application form;
• signed UNDP Internship Agreement;
• Medical Certificate of Good Health;
• Proof of medical insurance.
• Applicants must identify their availability period

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Institutional Arrangements

The intern will report to Communication Analyst.

Interns’ Expenses

Interns may be given a stipend under conditions prescribed in the section on stipends, below. 

Costs and arrangements for travel, visas, passports, accommodation and living expenses are the responsibility of:

(a) The nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students;

(b) The intern.

Stipend

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, such as meals and transportation at the duty station, will be paid by UNDP. 

The stipend will be paid on a monthly basis and part-time internship arrangements are prorated accordingly.

Where an intern is financially supported by an institution, government or third party, UNDP will, subject to the rules of such institution, government or third party, pay the intern 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 an internship agreement.

Interns will accrue leave at the rate of 1.5 days per month. Any accrued leave days not used by the end of the internship will be forfeited. Any unjustified absences during the internship period exceeding a total of nine days, will be deducted from the monthly stipend.

Insurance

Interns are responsible for securing adequate medical insurance for the duration of their internship with UNDP. UNDP will not reimburse the medical insurance of the intern. Any costs arising from accidents and illness incurred during an internship assignment will be the responsibility of the intern.  Applicants for internships must show proof of valid medical insurance for the duty station in which they will intern.  For applicants who are neither nationals or residents of the duty station, the insurance must include adequate coverage in the event of an injury or illness during the internship duration which: 

• Requires transportation to the home country or country of residence for further treatment; 
• Results in death and requires preparation and return of the remains to the home country, or country of residence. 

Subsequent Employment

There is no expectation of employment with UNDP following an internship.  Interns cannot apply for, or be appointed to, any position during the period of their internship.

Third-party claims

UNDP is not responsible for any claims by any parties where the loss of or damage to their property, death or personal injury was caused by the actions or omission of action by the interns during their internship.

Disclaimer
 

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)