Procurement Intern

Background

UNDP’s Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) is an advisory hub for the Europe and CIS region, tasked with providing policy and programmatic support to UNDP’s development activities. The IRH works towards increasing the impact of UNDP’s activities by assisting Country Offices in developing country-level initiatives through advisory services and technical support and by implementing regional-level projects in partnership with a wide range of partners. Under the leadership of the Hub Manager, the IRH employs a multi-disciplinary team of specialists, advisors, project managers, operations, and programme support staff.

Duties and Responsibilities

The purpose of this internship is to provide an opportunity for graduate-level students to enhance their educational experience through practical work. The selected candidate will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Assisting with Procurement Processes: Support the procurement team by following established procedures and guidelines.
• Supplier Communication: Liaise with designated suppliers to ensure timely and accurate procurement.
• Documentation and Categorization: Create and maintain organized records for all procurement submissions.
• Digital Record Management: Organize and maintain digital records related to procurement activities.
• Office Support: Contribute to daily office duties and tasks as needed.
• Additional Activities: Provide support for any other procurement-related activities as assigned.

The intern will gain practical experience in procurement and administrative procedures within an international organization.

Competencies

• Team-player
• Good Planning and Coordination Skills: Ability to plan and coordinate tasks effectively.
• Ability to Work Under Pressure: Maintain performance under stress.
• Attention to Critical Details: Ensure accuracy and thoroughness in tasks.
• Ability to Review Data and Identify Discrepancies: Spot and correct errors in data.
• Strong Client Orientation: Focus on meeting the needs of clients.
• Good Communication Skills: Effectively convey information.
• Cultural Sensitivity and Adaptability: Respect and adapt to diverse cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age backgrounds.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education:

Applicants to the UNDP internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

1. be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher); or
2. be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or
3. have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) in a degree programme in a relevant discipline (Procurement, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Business Administration, Social Sciences) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation.

Experience:

• Working experience in procurement and/or finance is an asset but not required.
• Proficient with managing Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, databases and any ERP systems.
• A desire to work with and gain the confidence and respect of people with different language, national, and cultural backgrounds.

Additional Information: 

Financial Issues: Internships within the UN system are unpaid and subject to conditions the applicant must get familiar with before signing his/her internship agreement. The costs associated with the internship must be borne by the nominating institution, related institution or government, which may provide the required financial assistance to its students; or by the student, who will have to obtain financing for subsistence and make his or her own arrangements for travel, accommodation etc.

Selected candidates must submit the following documents:

· Official letter from the University confirming enrolment in a graduate-level degree programme;

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

Conditions: UNDP only accepts interns for a minimum of 6 weeks and a maximum of 6 months; UNDP accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents, illness or death during the internship; Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNDP in any official capacity; Interns are responsible for arranging for their own visa and residence documents, and need to plan for these well in advance;

The purpose of the internship is not to lead to further employment with UNDP but to complement an intern’s studies; therefore, there should be no expectation of employment at the end of an internship; More information is available at: