Internship - Child Data Analysis - Office of Strategy and Evidence - Florence, Italy - up to 6 months on-site

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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture.., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, data analysis for every child, the right to be heard

UNICEF Office of Strategy and Evidence (OSE) - Innocenti is looking for interns for six months - full-time - starting in May 2026 to join the Data and Analytics Section of OSE.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. For every child, hope.

The Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti, was created in February 2026 by merging the Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM) with the Global Office of Research and Foresight. The aim of the new Office is to drive decision making and organizational learning, create and enhance evidence about the situation and trends affecting children, and improve effectiveness and achievement of results of UNICEF and its partners to realize the rights and improve the life of every child. OSE-Innocenti promotes the use of data and monitoring to achieve transformative impact on lives of children.

The Office is responsible for driving, shaping and guiding UNICEF’s evidence-informed analysis, strategic planning, programme monitoring and organizational performance management. As such, it enables the organization to deliver results in a more coherent manner, based on agile and contextualized programming process, and on data, evidence, and analysis, as well as the application of human-rights based and results-based management approaches.

Within the Office of Strategy and Evidence – Innocenti, the Data and Analytics section concentrates on data collection, global estimates, international standard settings, support to national statistical offices, and statistical analysis. The latter utilizes our own data as well as other data sources and is carried out using various techniques, from data visualization to machine learning models. The work entails sectoral (child protection, demographics, education, health, nutrition, etc.) and cross-sectoral analysis.

How can you make a difference? 

• Technical - excellent knowledge and command of Excel, statistical software (e.g., Stata, SPSS, R…), or qualitative data coding software (e.g., Nvivo, Atlas TI…).
• Technical - have completed courses or certifications or data engineering, data visualization, or advanced statistical methods.
• Technical - Experience/ or strong understanding of reporting on qualitative and quantitative analytics. Experience in low/middle-income countries and/or indigenous communities would be an asset.
• Communication - effectively presents thoughts and ideas including complex technical concepts, in a clear, concise, and readily understood manner, both verbally and in writing. Listens to and acknowledges others’ perspectives and views.
• Managing resources – be efficient and effective. The candidate is comfortable with organizing and managing time and information to achieve defined goals and optimum results, working to strict deadlines.
• Flexibility - works effectively on multiple assignments simultaneously and adapts to changing demands and circumstances, initiative and willingness to learn.
• Flexibility - ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:  Child Data Analysis EXT.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you should

• Be enrolled in a graduate degree program (or up to one year post graduation) relevant in: Demographics, Economics, Sociology, Statistics, Psychology, Education, Nutrition, Public Health, Social Sciences, Epidemiology, Data Science, Computer Science, Health Informatics or other related discipline or quantitative field.
• Have strong academic performance as demonstrated by recent university or institution records or, if not available, a reference letter from an academic supervisor.
• Be proficient and have excellent reading, writing and oral communication skills in English. Knowledge of French, or any other UN official language, such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish, will be considered an advantage.
• Have no immediate relatives (e.g. father, mother, son, daughter, sister, brother) working in any UNICEF offices in the world; and have no other relatives in the line of authority that the intern will report to.
• Have comprehensive health insurance coverage for the entire duration of the internship (UNICEF does not arrange health insurance for interns).

Preference will be given to students from indigenous/low-income background and from programme countries.

Duration and Hours:

• Duration: 2 to 6 months, starting in May 2026.
• Working hours: 5 days per week, 8 hours per day from 9 am to 5:30 pm (full time / part time)

Terms of Internship:

• In accordance with UNICEF's guidelines, the internship foresees an all-inclusive monthly stipend of USD $1,700 (Florence-based), unless the University covers this cost.
• Individuals must fund their travel and living expenses. If possible, the internship will be onsite. However, it could be remote or mixed too. Under very special circumstances, travel costs could be supported by up to US $1,000 to cover travel costs.
• Individuals must have proof of medical insurance covering their time at the duty station.
• Individuals are personally responsible for obtaining any required visa, covering the entire period of their internship. If necessary, UNICEF will support the process by providing relevant documents such as the proof of internship.
• Interns may take up to 2.5 days per month off work for any reason, including for medical reasons.
• Individuals may need to travel to perform their contract where the project is implemented and as required for implementation of the activities. Costs of travel, visas, or immunizations to undertake any required fieldwork associated with the Internship contract will be borne by UNICEF. (a) UNICEF will pay and organize for such a travel by paying an amount equivalent to the daily subsistence allowance that would be paid to the staff members undertaking similar travel for official purposes, (b) Individuals will be responsible to request the visa based on his/her nationality with the office support (c) Individual will be responsible to purchase travel insurance for the mission and will be reimbursed by UNICEF.
• There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship. UNICEF is not responsible for obtaining any necessary visas.

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 promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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. 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 is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. 

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.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.