Data Intern, Multiple positions

UNOPS hosts Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Secretariat/Programme in Vienna, Austria. Working with leaders in government, the private sector and civil society to drive further, faster action toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate warming to below 2° Celsius.  Achieving these goals will require a radical rethink of the way we produce, distribute, and consume energy. SEforALL is at the heart of this foundational shift to ensure no one is left behind. Drawing on data and evidence, we identify a critical path to success in achieving SDG7. 

Launched in 2011 by the Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. SEforALL maintains close links with the UN, including through a relationship agreement, partnerships with UN agencies and with SEforALL's CEO acting as the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. These roles include advising the UN Secretary General and his staff on issues relating to sustainable energy and the implementation of SDG7 and supporting the coordination of sustainable energy issues in the United Nations system.

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.

a. Data Curation and Management 

• Support research activities for the development and maintenance of project indicators and data management tools.

• Assist with the curation and integration of diverse primary and secondary data sources into a database or data platform, under the guidance of the team.

• Support data gathering through surveys, remote metering data, and stakeholder inputs.

• Conduct desk research on SDG7-related topics such as energy finance, electricity access, clean cooking, sustainable cooling, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

• Maintain and update data collection tools (e.g., survey forms) and help validate incoming data to support annual monitoring, reporting, and market analyses.

• Contribute to exploring  best practices for managing structured data platforms in collaboration with the Intelligence Unit. 

b. Data Processing, Analysis and Visualization

• Assist with data processing tasks, including cleaning, foundational preprocessing, structuring, and organizing datasets for economic and technical analysis (e.g., cost-benefit, value-for-money, techno-economic studies) as guided by the team.

• Support simple statistical analysis to help identify trends and patterns in the data. 

• Assist in the preparation of clear and engaging data visualizations contributing to project dashboards and presentations.

• Support the documentation of data workflows, methodologies, and analytical procedures to enable knowledge transfer.

c. Evidence and Knowledge Products

• Use research tools, including AI tools where relevant, to prepare short intelligence briefs on relevant topics.

• Compile technical guidance materials and contribute to internal knowledge sharing.

• Assist in drafting analytical summaries and evidence-based insights for technical and progress reports.

• Integrate analysis and data visualization into  reports, presentations and other communications materials. 

d.  Documentation and Knowledge Management

• Support the documentation of data workflows and analytical procedures, under guidance, to facilitate knowledge transfer.

• Assist in compiling technical guidance materials and contribute to internal knowledge sharing.

• Assist in preparing stakeholder maps and background briefs on relevant institutions, projects, or activities.

Learning Objectives

This internship provides hands-on experience and growth opportunities in the following areas:

• Development of basic data processing and analysis skills through hands-on support in cleaning, integrating, and preparing data for analysis and reporting.

• Exposure to structured data management concepts platforms, with opportunities to assist in organizing and maintaining datasets and surveys.

• Familiarization with documentation and knowledge management practices, contributing to the preparation of clear, replicable data processes and supporting learning activities.

• Applied data analysis techniques, including assisting with the preparation of dashboards, visualizations, and simple statistical summaries to support programmatic insights.

• Building evidence-based engagement strategies to support effective advocacy and capacity building. 

• Strengthening of communication and coordination skills through collaboration with SEforALL teams and external partners in a multi-stakeholder environment.

• Understanding of multilateral and member-state driven processes, including setting expectations, conducting due diligence and responding to unexpected changes.

• Exposure to a diverse range of stakeholders through the activities with emerging and developed economies with a range of priorities and modes of engagement.

• Currently enrolled in or recently completed (within the last three years) a Bachelor's degree, Master’s degree or PhD preferably in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Economics, Public Policy, or another relevant field.

• Applicants are not required to have prior work experience, however prior experience in managing, cleaning, and analyzing structured datasets, preferably in an applied development or energy-related context is considered an asset.
• Prior exposure to data processing, statistical analysis, and data visualization (e.g. Excel, Python, R, Power BI, SQL, or similar tools) is an asset.
• Experience working with development organizations, government agencies, or research institutions on clean energy or energy access projects is desirable.
• Experience communicating with various stakeholders such as government, businesses, civil society groups and international organizations on matters related to sustainable energy is desirable.

• Fluency in English 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.