UNDP Jobs - 57495- Fund Portfolio Manager

Fund Portfolio Manager

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

08-Jul-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. 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.

Background

The Portfolio Manager leads the substantive development and administration of the MPTFO’s Transition portfolio, and contributes to MPTFO strategic planning.

The MPTF Office is a UN centre of expertise on pooled financing mechanisms. It supports development effectiveness and UN coherence through the efficient, accountable and transparent design and administration of innovative pooled financing instruments as well as provision of advisory services for fund operations.

Housed within UNDP, the MPTF Office is firewalled from all UN implementing entities, UNDP included. The MPTF Office has put in place a number of tools and systems to support its fund administration services, including a separate General Ledger Business Unit in ATLAS (MDTF1) and the MDTF Office GATEWAY (see mdtf.undp.org).

The MPTF Office’s current portfolio is over $7 billion in total (> 750 million/year) and includes over 100 pooled financing mechanisms (country-level and global MDTFs, Joint Programmes (JPs) and National Funds), established for humanitarian, transition, development and climate change activities. The transition portfolio is the oldest of the four thematic portfolios, making up on average 20 - 25 per cent of annual deposits.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance and direction of the Executive Coordinator of the MDTF Office, the Senior Portfolio Manager’s responsibilities will include the following main functions:

Transition Cluster Strategic Planning, Management and HR Development:

Leads MPTFO strategic planning in Transition;
Leads the transition cluster and is responsible to talent management for the transition team.

Fund Formulation, Establishment, and Policy Analysis:

Leads the development of the Transition portfolio and contributes to the development of other thematic portfolios;
Translates new fund objectives and theory of changes into detailed fund architecture, scope and governance structures; identifies cost and risk drivers; evaluates and monitors financial viability; and designs and develops systems solutions to support fund design;
Negotiates and finalises contribution agreements using pre-established legal agreements and making adjustments as required.

Fund Administration and Result-Based Reporting:

Oversees the administration of the Transition portfolio and of other medium to high complexity funds in her/his portfolio;
Manages annual reporting for the Transition cluster;
Coordinates and responds to audit observations made on the fund operations in the transition cluster and ensure follow-up actions are taken on agreed recommendations.

Coordination, Representation, Networking:

Raises awareness amongst the donor community and UN agencies of the MPTFO activities, and represents the MPTF Office in the appropriate inter-agency fora dealing with transition issues;
Actively collaborates and coordinates with the Peace Building Support Office and other Fund Secretariats regarding the external communication on the transition portfolio through website postings, periodic publications and public meetings;
Creates networks and promotes initiatives with partner organizations to enhance fund development, capitalization and implementation.

Knowledge Management and Advisory Services:

Identifies and articulates lessons learnt on the operations of the Transition Funds and other Funds in her/his portfolio and leads and actively contributes to the formulation of guidelines, procedures and policies that would further improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their operations;
Provides advisory services upon request for new fund start-up including (a) the establishment of fund secretariats (interim staffing, formulation of operational manuals, etc.); (b) risk management (including assessment and accreditation of the fiduciary capacity of partners); and (c) support to development and operationalization of innovative financing instruments;
Contributes to the recruitment and management of LTAs for advisory services.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work;
Leadership: Ability to persuade others to follow;
People Management: Ability to improve performance and satisfaction;
Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform;
Delivery: Ability to get things done.

Functional Competencies:

Primary:

UN Coordination and Knowledge Management Skills on Pooled Financing Instruments:

Knowledge of UN inter-agency and national pooled financing instruments, including applicable legal arrangements.

Transition Finance:

Knowledge of theories of change, global funding environment and pooled financing instruments for humanitarian situations.

Fund Architecture Design:

Knowledge of issues related to fund establishment and viability, including analysis of comparative advantages of specific funds, business case development, translation of a theory of change into a fund result matrix and result-based management system linking programmatic outcomes and financial flows, advice on options for governance arrangements; and
Negotiating and finalizing legal agreements and structures.

Financial Expertise & Process Innovation:

Financial and business process engineering expertise required to design, implement and innovate upon standard fund capitalisation instruments and standard business processes related to the receipt and deposit of financial contributions from donors, treasury and investment management, disbursement of funds, the production of annual Fund reports and certified financial reports and timely closure of projects and funds.

Partnerships:

Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Secondary

Thematic and Analytic (humanitarian, development, climate change):

Knowledge of global theories of change, global funding environment and pooled funding instruments in specific thematic areas (humanitarian, transition, development, climate change).

Technical Advisory:

Capacity to assess scope of request for advisory services, prepare detailed TORs, brief and manage a variety of technical consultants; assess quality of services provided by technical consultants and take remedial measures as appropriate.

Knowledge Management:

Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.

Results-based Management:

Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Employee Engagement:

Ability to motivate and inspire internal resources.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree in development, public administration, business administration or other relevant social sciences (Master and above).

Experience:

Minimum seven years of increasingly responsible experience in international development and with international organizations, including experience with UNDG agencies;
On-the-ground experience in conflict affected and fragile states with UN organizations;
Proven experience in development project/programme formulation and execution/implementation;
Proven track record in fund mobilization; knowledge of innovative financing instruments an asset;
Experience of facilitation of multi-agency and multi-donor committees.

Language:

Fluency in English and French both written and spoken.