UNDP
Careers
Welcome and thank you for your continued interest in UNDP’s Graduate Programme.
The selection of the first cohort is being finalised (November/December 2021).
Please bookmark this page for updates on the Programme
and on the launch of the second cohort.
Thank you.
UNDP launched in 2021 a new and exciting 2-year Graduate Programme that will equip outstanding young graduates with the skills and experience required to kick-start their career in international development, and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), build better futures and make a positive difference in the world!
- Do you have a relevant Master’s degree with not more than one year of relevant work experience acquired after this degree, or a relevant Bachelor’s degree with between 2 and 3 years of relevant work experience acquired after this degree?
- Do you dream of working in international development with UNDP?
- Are you ready to contribute to sustainable development and the eradication of poverty?
- Are you ready to live and work in another country than your home country for two years?
- Are you a national of a country in which UNDP works to promote the Sustainable Development Goals
- Do you have experience in one or more of the following: sustainable development, gender, youth empowerment, data analysis, project management, monitoring and evaluation, partnerships, innovation and creative design, finance, or procurement.
If you answered yes to all the above questions and you meet the requirements outlined in the section below, we encourage you to apply to the UNDP Graduate Programme.
In particular, we are encouraging women and/or individuals from minority groups, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities to apply. Graduates who are the first generation in their family to attend university are also strongly encouraged to apply.
What do we offer?
Assignment
The Graduate Programme offers a unique opportunity to contribute to UNDP’s mandate. It is a 2-year assignment with one or more of our country, regional or headquarter offices. Assignments are in areas related to the Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on two streams:
- Programme and Policy: In this stream you will contribute to UNDP’s programmes and project activities..
- Corporate Operations: In this stream you will contribute to management services that support effective implementation of UNDP programmes, or work in the area of organisational policies, processes, and oversight.
Successful applicants will be assigned to one or more locations around the world, including: Bangladesh (Dhaka); Denmark (Copenhagen), Laos (Vientiane), Maldives (Male), Mongolia (Ulaan Baator), Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby), Samoa (Apia), Thailand (Bangkok), Timor-Leste (Dili), Turkey (Istanbul), United States (New York).
Personal Growth
We offer participants a customised learning journey. This provides an opportunity to enhance your knowledge, stretch your capabilities and give you real-world experience alongside some of the brightest minds in the development world.
As a pathway into the world of development, the programme offers talented graduates excellent exposure to multilateral cooperation and sustainable development, while providing a valuable entry point into UNDP and the wider UN system.
Benefits
- A one-year international professional entry-level contract (renewable for a second year on demonstrating good performance).
- A competitive salary.
- Ticket for travel between your location and the duty station.
- Paid annual leave.
- Paid sick leave.
- Health and disability insurance.
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Who are we looking for?
We are looking for candidates who are available to join UNDP from October 2021 onwards and who meet the following requirements:
Education
Master’s degree in a relevant field (with not more than 1 year of relevant work experience acquired after this degree).
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (with a minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience and not more than 3 years acquired after this degree).
One of your degrees (Master's or Bachelor's degree) should be from one of the countries where UNDP works to promote the Sustainable Development Goals.
We encourage applications from a wide range of relevant degree courses:
- To be eligible for the programme and policy stream, you will likely have graduated in one or more of the following areas: political science, public administration, international relations, development studies, economics, statistics, data management, environmental science or a related field.
- For the corporate operations stream, you will likely have graduated in one or more of the following areas: business or public administration, finance, law, procurement or supply chain management, economics, data management, or a related field.
Experience
We are looking for engaged young individuals who match UNDP’s values:
- Integrity
- Accountability
- Transparency
- Professionalism
- Mutual Respect
- Results Orientation (Through Principled Performance)
You may also have worked to make an impact at community, provincial or national level (including in civil society, government, NGOs, IGOs or individually).
Language ability
You must be able to demonstrate that you are able to work effectively in English in a professional context.
For some positions, a working knowledge of French, Arabic or Spanish may be a strong asset.
Please note that for this 2021 cohort, the application and selection process will be conducted in English. You are required to complete your application in English.
Other
You must be a national of one of the countries where UNDP works to support the Sustainable Development Goals. Nationals from the countries listed below are particularly encouraged to apply:
Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chad, Central African Republic, Comoros, Cook Islands, Congo (Rep. of), Djibouti, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Lao (PDR), Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Micronesia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Palau, Samoa, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen.
Competencies and skills
When joining UNDP you are:
- Lending your time and skills toward building a more prosperous, fair and inclusive world for people in need around the world.
- Choosing a community of collaboration and mutual care, of people working together with a shared sense of purpose.
- Joining a mission that demands and encourages innovative thinking and provides space for creative input.
- Joining a community that aims to elevate and empower every employee to grow not only professionally but also personally.
For these reasons, you must demonstrate drive to effect positive change, strong innovative thinking, learning agility, resilience, and ability to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds.
You will be assessed on the following competencies and skills during the selection process.
Selection process
If you are interested in joining the UNDP Graduate Programme and you meet these personal and professional requirements, we look forward to receiving your application. Please click on the button below.
If your application meets the requirements set out in this vacancy announcement and is judged to be among the best, you will be invited to take online tests aimed at assessing the above competencies. The tests can be taken using a computer or a mobile device.
If you are successful in the assessment, you will be invited to the final selection stage which consists of a virtual assessment centre. Details of the assessments will be provided to those who are invited to take part.
The deadline for receipt of applications is 4 July 2021 (Midnight New York, USA).
We value diversity and engagement
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture; individuals from minority groups, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.
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.
All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.