Intern - Covenant of Mayors in Sub Saharan Africa ( CoM SSA)

The Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) represents the regional chapter of the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM), the world’s largest alliance of over 13,000 cities
and sub-national governments committed to ambitious climate action. Through CoM
SSA, local authorities across Sub-Saharan Africa make voluntary political commitments to implement climate and energy strategies aligned with long-term goals for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and equitable access to sustainable energy. To date, over 380 cities in the region have joined the initiative.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) supports CoM SSA through its current implementation phase (Phase IV), which aims to significantly scale the initiative’s impact by enhancing access to finance for climate-resilient urban infrastructure. GIZ
works in close collaboration with selected CoM SSA cities to strengthen climate-resilient urban planning and to provide targeted technical assistance for infrastructure project preparation. This includes advisory services for financing, private-sector engagement, and the integration of inclusive, participatory planning approaches, particularly in energy transition, urban resilience, and adaptation to climate change.

Programme Structure

CoM SSA is co-funded by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Spanish Agency for International Development (AECID) and is co-implemented by GIZ, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Expertise France (EF), and the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID). BMZ's contribution is commissioned through the GIZ Multi-Donor Platform
Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Investments in Cities (CIVIC), including the CoM SSA and the C40 Cities Finance Facility (CFF). The CIVIC platform supports cities in advancing inclusive, climate-smart infrastructure by fostering international partnerships and leveraging public and private investment for resilient urban development.

GIZ implements CoM SSA Phase IV in collaboration with national and local stakeholders in four focus countries—Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria. The GIZ CIVIC–CoM SSA team operates from Brussels, Berlin, Bonn, and in-country offices across the focal countries, ensuring close coordination between local implementation and global policy dialogue.

In pursuit of the attainment of project goals, the CoM SSA project is recruiting an intern to
provide crucial support to the entire CoM SSA team (Country team and international colleagues) to ensure the smooth operation and implementation of project activities, focusing on organization, communication, and data handling.

The intern will work under the direct supervision of the National Project Advisors with the
support of the head of project based in Brussels, Belgium.

General Responsibilities

The Technical Intern is responsible for supporting the project team in:

• Research & Data Collection: Co[AO1] conduct desktop research on urban smart energy projects such as rooftop solar and energy efficiency, support basic data collection for project assessments, and identify relevant funding opportunities for these initiatives.

• Documentation & Administration: Drafting and formatting routine correspondence, emails, and official letters. Organize and maintain both digital and physical project documents and communications.

• Meeting & Event Support: Scheduling and coordinating internal and external meetings, preparing agendas, and taking meeting minutes. Providing logistical support for workshops, including material preparation and participant registration.

The Technical Intern will perform the following specific tasks:

• Policy Review: Help review documents related to the assignments supported through the initiative such as the solid waste management policy, Data policy in relation to our activities (Mombasa Flood Early Warning System intervention) and others.

• Access To Finance: Assist in identifying potential financing opportunities for urban smart energy projects, including grants, climate funds, and PPP-based financing options. Monitor donor portals periodically and alert the team to relevant calls. Support the preparation of simple funding briefs, maintain a basic funding tracker, and assist in drafting sections of TORs or tender documents where required.

• Strategy Implementation: Provide support for the operationalization of the CoM SSA activities in select partnerships.

• Content Creation: in collaboration with the project lead team draft articles or social media posts to highlight project achievements and upcoming events for newsletters and websites.

• Database Management: Assist in maintaining project databases by performing data entry, quality checks, and content uploads.

• Resource Curation: Help identify and categorize relevant research, funding opportunities, and climate tools to be added to the project's knowledge database.

5. General Obligations

• Familiarize with GIZ's planning, implementation, visibility guidelines, and information procedures

• Represent and defend the interests of the project
  

• Perform any other tasks assigned by the supervisor or line manager.
  

Qualifications and specialist knowledge

• Have a minimum of bachelor’s degree in Energy, Environmental studies, Engineering, Geo-informatics, Finance or other related fields[AO2] .

• Must have proficient knowledge on database management systems and application
  development.

• Strong desktop research skills and attention to detail.

• Basic understanding of renewable energy and urban infrastructure is an advantage.

• Strong attention to detail; reliable and self-starting personality

• Very good time management and flexibility in working

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written); Full
  professional proficiency in English

• A great professional attitude and ability to work in a diverse and multicultural team/environment

• Fair experience on knowledge management, writing and publication will be an
  added advantage.

Submission of Application:

Duty Station: Nairobi

Duration of Assignment: Six (6) months

Vacancy Reference Number: GIZ/ETCC/03/04/2026

Equal Employment Opportunity

At GIZ Kenya, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We actively seek individuals with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills to build a stronger, more impactful global team.

We provide an environment of respect and psychological safety, ensuring equal employment opportunities for all. Discrimination based on race, color, ancestry, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, disability, marital status, or any other protected status is not tolerated in any of our workplaces.

Ethics

GIZ is committed to the safety, dignity, and well-being of all individuals we interact with, including staff, partners, community members, and program participants. We uphold the highest standards in preventing sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. Child abuse or any form of misconduct by or toward team members is strictly prohibited.

All staff are expected to behave professionally, respect local laws and customs, and complete mandatory ethics e-learning courses upon hire.

Data Confidentiality

In accordance with GIZ’s data protection policy, all candidate applications are stored in our database for six (6) months and deleted thereafter.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.