TRADE COUNCIL Internship
Please note: Danish citizenship or fulfilling the following requirements is required: The applicant has lived in Denmark for a longer period (at least 3-4 years), is admitted at a Danish University or Business School and at the time of applying has residence in Denmark.
Are you interested in international business development and strategy? Are you motivated to take part in building a platform for Danish businesses looking to enter a new market, while working with business development and gaining skills within public affairs? Would you like to work in a vibrant and challenging environment at the largest Danish Embassy in Africa? We are currently recruiting an intern for the period 1st February 2024 to 31st July 2024 to join the Trade Council in Nairobi, Kenya. As an intern, you will get insight into the political and economic centre of East Africa and gain comprehensive professional experience useful to your future career. You will be part of a dedicated team of colleagues ready to guide and involve you in the various tasks of the Danish Embassy, and live in a city known for its vivid mix of African cultures, entrepreneurs, and international agents.
An internship with the Trade Council will entail gaining market insights, building strategic public affairs services and engaging Danish businesses in scaling their business in Kenya. This is done by leveraging synergies between Denmark’s bilateral country program with Kenya and Danish strongholds, and identifying opportunities for Danish solutions to contribute to Kenya’s goals. You will be part of the Business Team, which provides consultancy services to Danish companies in collaboration with three Sector Counsellors working within food and agriculture, maritime and environment. You will get insight into business development, Danish development assistance, doing business in emerging markets and economic diplomacy in Kenya.
Trade Council: Business Development and Public Affairs Consultancy Services
The Trade Council is responsible for building trade relations between Denmark and Kenya incl. exports, sourcing, foreign direct investment, and strategic partnerships with Kenyan business partners. The overall mandate for the Trade Council is to engage in economic diplomacy, leveraging Danish commercial strongholds to pave the way for Danish goods, knowledge and values. The team assists Danish small and medium sized companies and larger corporations wishing to expand existing activities in Kenya or seeking to enter the Kenyan market. Business development activities include market and sector analysis, identification and due diligence of potential partners, meetings with key customers and relevant stakeholders, as well as arranging delegation visits and events with multi-stakeholder participation. The team also provides strategic public affairs advisory by engaging Kenyan government institutions and public sector stakeholders to develop positioning of Danish companies and their engagements in Kenya.
The work will include
- Project management of a concrete business development project with delivery at the end the internship
- Participating in and coordinating meetings with Danish and Kenyan companies, as well as with Kenyan ministries and authorities.
- Conducting research and contributing to market and sector analysis, partner searches, and developing sector material related to the economic and business framework conditions relevant to Danish companies.
- Assisting in preparing and conducting visits by Danish trade delegations, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Danish authorities and other events.
- Contributing to the communication strategy of the Embassy (website and social media), and assisting in coordinating communication across Trade Council teams in the region.
- General administrative tasks and general assistance with ongoing assignments for Danish companies.
Qualifications
- A Bachelor degree and admission at master level at a Danish University or Business School in a relevant field, studying for instance business, economics, political science or communication.
- Genuine interest in business development, public affairs and development cooperation.
- Working experience from private businesses or other relevant institutions is not a requirement, but is considered an asset.
- Systematic, independent and responsible in your approach to an internship that unfolds in an international, intensive and demanding environment.
- You have the ability to work independently, demonstrate initiative and you value working in teams.
- Fast to learn, ready to adapt, and good multi-tasking skills are highly valued qualities.
- You have strong skills in oral and written English as well as Danish, and are helpful and open to the wide task portfolio at the Embassy.
Practicalities
The internship will be eligible for transfer of ETCS points at a relevant educational institution.
The Embassy provides a monthly supplement of DKK 4000 of which approximately half will be spent on rent for the apartment shared by the Embassy’s four interns. Due to regulation regarding SU and compensation, you will have two options regarding receiving the supplement:
- Choose not to receive SU and get the monthly supplement of DKK 4000 per month.
- Receive SU and hand in documentation of concrete expenses (including flight tickets, vaccines, insurance, etc.) up to DKK 4000 per month.
Due to Nairobi being a city with high security risks there are certain limitations to the movements of the interns. For more information on the security situation in Nairobi, please see the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' recommendations on travelling in Kenya. Regular security briefings will be provided by the Embassy.
Should you have any questions, you are welcome to contact Christian Staffeldt – [email protected].