Sustainable Finance Research intern - HOME-BASED

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. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
  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.  

As the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnerships and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 

As outlined in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2026-2029, UNDP’s work is guided by four strategic objectives that together define our contribution to human development: expanding prosperity for all, strengthening effective governance, safeguarding a healthy planet and building crisis resilience. These objectives are enabled by three accelerators that drive transformative impact across our portfolio: digital and AI innovation, gender equality and sustainable finance. Through this integrated approach, UNDP supports countries to deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives and to advance sustainable development at scale.  

UNDP, through its Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH), supports partners in promoting financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  As an accelerator of the UNDP Strategic Plan, sustainable finance strengthens countries’ ability to mobilize, align and deploy finance at scale for national priorities. UNDP supports international and country level policy reform as a catalyst for system-wide change, stronger policy environments, better-functioning markets and more coherent financing strategies for sustainable development. SFH work is delivered through three interconnected portfolios: 1) Public Finance for the SDGs; 2) Private Finance for the SDGs; and 3) Global & Country Financing Policy Frameworks.

You can visit the Sustainable Finance Hub website (https://sdgfinance.undp.org/) for more information
 

Duties and Responsibilities

The intern will work under direct supervision of the Sustainable Finance Specialist and in close collaboration with other SFH team members. They will primarily support program design and implementation related to advancing understanding on the relevance of development reforms for credit risks and sovereign debt sustainability, including how reforms are evidenced, articulated, and perceived by markets.

The intern will assist in delivering the following duties and responsibilities:

• Research and Analysis: Conduct targeted research on the methodologies used by sovereign credit rating agencies (S&P, Moody's, Fitch) to assess ESG factors, and analyze the link between SDG-aligned investments, fiscal strength, and sovereign creditworthiness. Monitor research on stress test credit risks models and climate scenario modelling as relevant for the project. 
• Tool Development Support: Support the conceptualization and development of a visualization tool mapping the impact of SDG-aligned reforms on sovereign credit scores by gathering and analyzing country-level data on fiscal inputs (government spending on reforms), development outcomes (measurable SDG impact), and macro-financial metrics (risk assessment).
• Case Study and Knowledge Product Contribution: Draft literature reviews, contribute to the writing of research papers, and develop case studies showcasing how specific SDG-aligned investments can strengthen a country's fiscal fundamentals.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building Support: Assist in preparing background notes, presentations, and summaries related to the project. Contribute to the creation of training materials for capacity-building workshops.
• Fundraising Support: Assist in identifying potential funding opportunities, compiling donor intelligence, and drafting inputs for concept notes, grant proposals, and donor