Data Privacy and Legal Assistant Intern

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale. 

Based in Geneva, the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR) supports UNOPS offices throughout the region through: management, financial and programmatic oversight of global and country-specific portfolios, clusters and operations centres, including hosting services; fund and management advisory services; project implementation; procuring goods and services; and managing human resources.

ECR ensures that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between business units and projects across the entire region.

 ECR strategy is to:

• Strengthen UNOPS role in operationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals with particular emphasis on health, environment and economic development.
• Position UNOPS in the Balkan sub-region, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
• Strengthen the implementation of ECR global and regional programmes, with revitalized partnerships in infrastructure, procurement and project management.

ECR operates global portfolios from offices in Geneva, Brussels and New York, and country-specific programmes from its operations and project centres located in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries.

Based in the New York, the UNOPS Development Group Cluster supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. For example, within the United Nations Development Programme, the Cluster works with the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support and the Office of South-South Cooperation.

The cluster also supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as a broadening community of other New York-based United Nations organizations in the delivery of project management and implementation services

Global Pulse is an innovation initiative in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General. Our focus is harnessing new digital data to help the public sector understand more expediently how communities are coping with the impacts of global crises. To this end, Global Pulse is developing a 21st Century approach to impact monitoring, building social software for evidence-based decision making, and establishing a network of  “Pulse Labs” to mainstream the use of real-time data analysis into development policy.

Global Pulse operates Pulse Labs in Jakarta and Kampala in partnership with the Governments of Indonesia and Uganda. These labs function as open innovation spaces where policy experts together with UN development practitioners and other partners can experiment with new types of data and emerging technologies and evaluate their potential to enhance both public policy decision-making and community resilience.

Pulse Labs

Pulse Labs are national facilities established to support the public sector by developing analytical and technological capacity for harnessing real-time data to strengthen social protection.  Central to the Pulse Labs mission is the development of sustainable “dual-use” systems that simultaneously provide value directly to vulnerable communities while also generating real-time information to help the public sector understand quickly how populations are being affected, respond with agile, targeted policy interventions, and generate evidence for advocacy at the global level.  

Functional Responsibilities

The Privacy and Legal Intern will closely work with a supervising legal and privacy specialist to support the Pulse Lab missions around the world on issues relating to privacy and data protection. The internship will also provide an excellent opportunity to learn about aspects of contracting and partnering with technology and data companies.

These responsibilities include, but are not limited to support of the following activities:

• Research, analysis and contribution to the international and national policy processes
• Assist with education and capacity building capacity internally and externally, with regard to the importance of privacy and data protection in development and humanitarian contexts, by supporting the organization of events, seminars or other advocacy related engagements
• Support the examination of privacy laws and best practices, writing legal memos, policy papers, drafting policies and guidelines
• Attend meetings, take notes and support brainstorming on the gaps and challenges that exist in privacy, ethics and big data uses for social good with the key UN agencies, regulators and private sector
• Assist with drafting various legal instruments, including partnership agreements with leading technology and data companies.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Desired Competencies

• Strong organization, planning, attention to detail, confidentiality, dependability
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast paced environment and under tight deadlines
• Shows pride in work, persistent when faced with difficult problems or challenges; motivated by professional rather than personal concerns

UNOPS Competencies

• Technological Awareness
• Communications
• Teamwork
• Creativity
• Commitment to Continuous Learning

Education: 

Applicants must be currently enrolled in a law degree, (Juris Doctor, Master in Law or equivalent, Post Doctoral) or have completed it within the last 2 years. Master or Post Doctoral Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for a possibility of working on thematic research projects.

 Experience: 

• Demonstrated current or previous enrollment in data privacy and data protection activities is required (enrollment in classes, courses, trainings, seminars or any previous work experience)
• Strong familiarity with privacy and data protection laws, including leading regulatory frameworks is required
• Excellent research, reporting, writing, and legal administration skills is required
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required
• Familiarity and understanding of the issues related to big data, digital privacy and human rights with an emphasis on existing international frameworks is desirable
• Basic experience in preparing legal documents (contract clauses, legal memoranda etc.) is desirable
• Familiarity with International Law concepts, knowledge of the UN system and mandate is desirable
• Knowledge of data security concepts, protocols or technical experience in the field is desirable
• Any additional technical or legal training or certification in privacy and data protection or big data analytics is desirable

Language: 

Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of any other official language of the UN is an asset.

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.