Geospatial Risk Analysis Intern, Istanbul, EMOPS
JOB DETAIL
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built, we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child, Support
Purpose and Objective:
The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
The Office of Emergency Programme (EMOPS) provides strategic and coordinated support to Country Offices preparing for and responding to humanitarian crises, in collaboration with Regional Offices, to ensure that they have the right capacities to respond effectively and deliver on its Core Commitments to Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs). EMOPS leads efforts to ensure that UNICEF’s role in complex emergencies and natural disasters is clearly defined, that the organisation is properly equipped to fulfil that role, and that all levels of the organisation are prepared to deliver our mandate.
The Risk Analysis and Preparedness Section in EMOPS (RAPS) main purpose is to support UNICEF in being ready to meet the CCCs in humanitarian emergencies and thus to contribute to UNICEF’s general ability to assess and adapt to a multitude of risks. RAPS’ aim is to help UNICEF be best prepared and impactful in saving and protecting lives, and in reducing countries and populations’ fragilities and children’s vulnerability around the world towards reaching the SDGs.
RAPS serves as the strategic and technical leader in risk analysis and emergency preparedness, spearheading efforts to embed preparedness throughout UNICEF and the program planning cycle. Within this framework, the Geospatial Information System (GIS) unit assumes a critical position, providing specialized expertise in geospatial risk analysis. Geospatial Risk Analysis involves integrating spatial data on hazards, vulnerabilities, and socioeconomic factors, and visualizing and analyzing the geographic relationships to identify high-risk areas, estimate potential impacts of the crisis, track how crises may spread, assess logistical challenges, examine recurring disaster hotspots, locate vulnerable populations, and map existing response capacities. This spatial perspective and ability to think geographically facilitates risked-informed decision-making regarding preparedness investments, resource allocation, and strategic response planning for children in need. To support this work RAPS is seeking an intern.
How can you make a difference?
Main duties and responsibilities:
The intern, under the supervision of the Emergency Specialist (Geospatial Risk Analysis), will be responsible for:
Data Management and Processing
- Clean, process, and document geospatial datasets from domains such as natural hazards, climate, conflict, public health emergencies and UNICEF operations.
- Collaborate with team members to perform quality assurance on data to ensure accuracy and reliability.
- Integrate processed geospatial data into GeoSight.
- Learn the data standards and models used in the GeoSight platform and RAPS emergency mapping templates.
GIS Analysis and Visualization
- Produce maps, dashboards, and visual products to communicate insights on risk analysis and preparedness.
- Assist in developing customizable GIS-based analysis models and workflows.
Knowledge Management
- Document and store maps and associated metadata in a standardized format to facilitate easy discovery and access.
- Assist in developing knowledge products such as use cases, guidelines on the use of Geosight and general geospatial analysis.
Training Support
- Contribute to developing training materials and facilitate related workshops.
- Collect feedback received from training participants to improve quality.
Product Tracker
- Assist with geospatial product trackers to enable monitoring and planning.
- Help ensure trackers have accurate and up-to-date progress
Other Responsibilities
- Collaborate with team members on ongoing initiatives, offering support as required.
Benefits to Intern:
The intern would be able to:
- Gain knowledge about geospatial risk analysis in a humanitarian context
- Build understanding of how geospatial tools and technologies informs emergency preparedness
- Gain hands on experience in using GIS applications (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS) and programming languages (R, Python) for geospatial data management, visualization and risk analysis
- Gain access to various professional networks within UNICEF (Young UNICEF, for example)
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Minimum Requirements: (Standard for ALL internship advertisement):
• Letter of verification from the college or university that the intern is currently enrolled in an undergraduate school and has completed at least two years of full-time studies at a university or equivalent institution towards the completion of an undergraduate degree (if the candidate is 18 years old, this replaces the two-year bachelor’s completion requirement); or, Graduate Degree Program (i.e., Master’s, PhD). It should also state the expected graduation date. Recent graduates are allowed until 2 years after degree completion.
• Copy of their most recent official transcript showing excellent academic performance
• Copy of Identification Card (ID)
• One letter of signed recommendation on letterhead or from professional email address
Qualifications:
- Current enrollment in a graduate program such as Geography, GIS, Urban Planning, Environmental Science, or a related quantitative field. Or a recent graduate (completed degree within the past year) from a bachelor’s program in one of the above fields.
- Basic understanding or experience with geospatial data and tools (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS). The ability to use Power BI or any other Dashboard visualization tool is an asset
- Ability to learn and adapt quickly to different tasks and software within the geospatial domain.
- Verbal and written communication skills to assist in documentation and training support.
- Attentiveness to detail is crucial, especially in data cleaning and management tasks.
- Willingness to collaborate with team members on various ongoing initiatives and projects.
- Passionate about humanitarian relief, climate change, or related domain
- Fluent in English (written and oral); intermediate knowledge of any additional UN languages (French, Arabic, Spanish, Russian) is an asset
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.
Remarks:
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates from all underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.
In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.
