STEM Trainee, Multiple positions

UNOPS hosts Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Secretariat/Programme in Vienna, Austria. Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an independent organization with a global mandate to accelerate progress on the energy transition in emerging and developing countries. We work at the intersection of energy, climate, and development. We collaborate with governments and partners worldwide to end energy poverty, accelerate the deployment of renewable energy solutions, and combat climate change.

Our vision is a world where everyone, everywhere, can lead a dignified life on a healthy planet, powered by sustainable energy. We promote this vision by pushing for higher ambitions, stronger policies, greater finance flows, increased localization and green jobs, and faster results toward an energy transition that leaves no one behind. Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 2011. Since then, our CEO has served as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy.

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.

The just and equitable energy transition cannot be achieved and sustained without ensuring gender equality. The global energy access gap is gendered, and women and girls disproportionately bear the burden of the every-day consequences of energy poverty. At the same time, women are under-represented in the energy sector, from entry- and mid-level positions to boardrooms. As a result, women are less likely to have a voice in the policy and decision-making that affects them. SEforALL’s Gender & Youth (G&Y) programme centres women and youth in the just and equitable energy transition by supporting their entry into and career progression within the sector, as well as empowering the next generation of women and youth leaders. 

SEforALL in collaboration with the World Food Programme is recruiting recent women graduates for a STEM Traineeship programme in Tanzania. The Traineeship programme will provide activity-based technical training with a focus on clean cooking, energy access and carbon finance. STEM Trainees will work closely with Government officials and project partners in the implementation of the “Accelerating a Clean Cooking Transition in Schools in Tanzania” programme.   

This is an affirmative vacancy for candidates identifying as women between the age of 18 and 35 in Tanzania, that is, only applicants identifying as women residing in Tanzania will be considered.

The six-month STEM Traineeship programme will be comprised of two programmatic elements, whereby the first element will involve virtual trainings on professional development, including soft skills, and relevant technical topics, while the second element will involve activity-based technical trainings, providing hands-on practical experience through the provision of support to project partners on the various activities. 

• Applicants should be enrolled in a university programme such as Bachelor, Masters or Ph.D. (or the equivalent) or have graduated from such studies within three (3) years prior to their application, in a STEM field (i.e., sciences, renewable energy, engineering, or related areas).

• Applicants are not required to have prior work experience, however prior experience in energy, engineering, finance, communications or related field would be an advantage

• Fluency in English and Swahili is required

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.