Digital, AI and Innovation Internship: Global Call

** BACKGROUND
* * Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations.

People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the development arm of the United Nations. Present in 170 countries with over 17,000 people, UNDP works on the world’s biggest problems: extreme poverty, climate change, good governance, renewable energy, crisis prevention, and women’s empowerment, among others.

Global development is increasingly shaped by interconnected crises, rapid technological change, and growing uncertainty. At the same time, digital technologies and artificial intelligence are transforming economies, governance systems, and public services, creating new opportunities to accelerate sustainable development when applied in inclusive and responsible ways.

As the development arm of the United Nations, UNDP serves as the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development and acts as the integrator for collective action to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Working in over 170 countries and territories, UNDP’s policy and programme work spans global, regional, and national levels, linking deep local knowledge with cutting‑edge global expertise in support of the UNDP Strategic Plan 2026–2029.

Within this institutional framework, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) leads the development of corporate policies, technical guidance, and operational frameworks to advance UNDP’s mandate.

The Strategic Plan and the organization’s Digital Strategy recognize digitalization, data, and innovation as key accelerators for achieving development outcomes. These frameworks position digital and AI as foundational enablers for stronger institutions, evidence‑based decision‑making, and more effective service delivery.

Within this institutional context, the Digital, AI and Innovation (DAI) Hub serves as UNDP’s central platform for advancing systems transformation, inclusive digitalization, and innovation across its development work. The Hub brings together expertise in systems transformation, digital public infrastructure, data and artificial intelligence, bottom‑up innovation, capacity development, and digital product design. Through an integrated approach, the Hub supports countries and UNDP teams to design integrated, scalable solutions that respond to both immediate development needs and long‑term structural challenges.

By combining global expertise with field‑based insight and strong partnerships, the DAI Hub contributes to UNDP’s mandate to deliver more agile, inclusive, and future‑ready development solutions.

Please note that the start date for the internship is flexible, and needs‑based. We will be receiving applications on a rolling basis until September 30th, 2026
, and successful applicants can expect to hear back any time between April and the end of 2026.

Please read the instructions carefully to complete your application – applications are to be submitted both via the UNDP Vacancy Link AND the Airtable link:

We are looking for motivated interns who can support our work in any of the following areas listed below:

• Conduct research and draft analytical content on systems transformation, innovation, and emerging policy approaches.
• Contribute to horizon scanning and synthesis of global and regional trends relevant to policy innovation and system change.
• Contribute to the design, documentation, and refinement of innovative policy and…