Call for Applications: SEforALL STEM Traineeship Program 2026 for early-career women
Closing Date: 12 June 2026
Call for Applications: SEforALL STEM Traineeship Program 2026 for early-career women
Sustainable Energy for All is officially recruiting for its 6-month STEM Traineeship Programme in Abuja, Nigeria, funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland!
Designed for early-career women, this programme provides hands-on experience across the clean energy ecosystem, climate finance and project data management.
Job Highlight
The STEM Trainee will work at the critical intersection of sustainable energy, private equity, and national policy. Trainees will gain hands-on experience in the financial sector. By combining high-level project involvement with targeted professional development, this programme is designed to build the technical expertise and soft skills necessary to catalyze a successful career in the global energy sector.
About the Project Office
Sustainable Energy for All has a global mandate to accelerate progress on the energy transition in emerging and developing countries. Hosted by UNOPS, SE4ALL works at the intersection of energy, climate and development, partnering with governments and organizations worldwide to end energy poverty, double energy efficiency, significantly expand renewable energy and combat climate change.
SE4ALL is a vision in a world where everyone, everywhere, can lead a dignified life on a healthy planet, powered by sustainable energy. SE4ALL promotes this vision by pushing for higher ambitions, stronger policies, greater finance flows, increased localization and green jobs, and faster results toward an energy transition that leaves no one behind.
Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All initiative in 2011. Since then, its CEO has served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy.
Job Specific Context
The just and equitable energy transition cannot be achieved and sustained without ensuring gender equality. The global energy access gap is gendered, and women and girls disproportionately bear the burden of the every-day consequences of energy poverty. At the same time, women are under-represented in the energy sector, from entry- and mid-level positions to boardrooms. As a result, women are less likely to have a voice in the policy and decision-making that affects them. SEforALL’s Gender & Youth (G&Y) programme centres women and youth in the just and equitable energy transition by supporting their entry into and career progression within the sector, as well as empowering the next generation of women and youth leaders.
SEforALL is recruiting recent women graduates for a traineeship programme in Nigeria. The traineeship will provide hands-on technical training with a focus on clean energy and unlocking financing for SDG 7. STEM Trainees will work closely with Government officials and project partners in the implementation of activities.
The six-months STEM Traineeship programme will be comprised of two programmatic elements, whereby the first element will involve virtual trainings on professional development, including soft skills, and relevant technical topics, while the second element will involve activity-based technical trainings, providing hands-on practical experience through the provision of support to project partners on the various activities.
SEforALL has conducted similar traineeships in Ghana, Kenya, Panama, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. More information on the Trainee program and past cohorts are available on the SEforALL website.
Role Purpose
Under the supervision of the Programme Manager, Gender & Youth, the STEM Trainees will support SEforALL’s key energy access initiatives in Nigeria. The role focuses on technical project assistance, data analysis for energy planning, and supporting the operationalization of renewable energy financing mechanisms.
Functions / Key Results Expected
The STEM Trainee will be a part of a Nigerian cohort, with the traineeship focused on the following areas:
Technical Support and Operations:
- Provide technical support for the implementation of gender- and youth-responsive energy activities;
- Assist the project team in coordinating activities, meetings, and resources necessary for the successful execution of energy-focused initiatives; and
- Participate in energy audits, site visits & needs assessments for in-country workstreams.
Financial Platform Support and Trainings:
- Support the implementation of the Sustainable Energy Finance Developers Platform by refining and validating project data entries;
- Support the project team in developing training curricula and knowledge-sharing materials for developers, financial institutions, and policymakers;
- Assist in the development of financial models by analyzing cost structures and learning the impact of different capital types (e.g., grants, debt, equity) on project bankability; and
- Support the team in tracking financing commitments and emerging funding mechanisms within the clean energy ecosystem.
Monitoring:
- Support project partners in data collection exercises and market research on climate finance trends; and
- Support with data analysis, platform performance tracking, monitoring of user experience and feedback and regular project reporting.
Engagement in Climate Finance, Policy & Advocacy:
- Contribute to initiatives promoting sustainable energy finance and tracking financing commitments in the clean energy ecosystem;
- Gain insights into viability gaps and the role of various financial instruments in driving sustainable energy projects; and
- Participate in advocacy efforts to raise awareness for sustainable energy finance policies and support in stakeholder engagement initiatives.
Communications & Social Media:
- Use social media channels to promote project visibility, sustainability practices, and advocacy efforts;
- Create and publish engaging digital content, including posts, videos, and graphics, to share across social media channels (e.g. Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn).
Trainees will also be expected to participate in daily activities and authorised site visits in addition to attending supplementary training programmes arranged by SEforALL.
Training components and learning elements to include, but not limited to:
- Undertake soft skills training sessions to support professional development of STEM Trainees:
- Career development (including resume development, interviewing, networking, and mentorship); and
- Communications and social media training.
- Undertake technical training sessions to enhance technical understanding of the energy sector with a focus on project operations and climate finance, including:
- Knowledge of energy implementation, gender & youth-responsive energy activities, and site assessment methodologies;
- Appropriate use of financial modeling tools, viability analysis, and data platforms;
- Familiarity with monitoring tools and framework (market research, performance tracking, and reporting); and
- Introduction to climate finance mechanisms and capital structures for energy activities.
Skills
Academic Writing, Analytical Skills, Communication, Energy, Energy Policy, Google Docs, Problem Solving, Report Writing, Stakeholder Engagement
Education Requirements
Required:
- Applicants should be enrolled in a university programme such as Bachelor, Masters or Ph.D. (or the equivalent) or have graduated from such studies within three (3) years prior to their application, in a STEM field (i.e., sciences, renewable energy, engineering, data science, geographic information systems, or related areas).
Experience Requirements
Required:
- Applicants are not required to have prior work experience
Desired:
- Prior experience in energy, engineering, finance, communications or related fields would be an advantage.
Language Requirements
| Language | Proficiency Level | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| English | Fluent | Required |
| French | Intermediate | Desirable |
| Spanish | Intermediate | Desirable |
| Arabic | Intermediate | Desirable |
| Chinese, Mandarin | Intermediate | Desirable |
| Russian | Intermediate | Desirable |
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