Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

 

Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP's policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP's Strategic Plan. BPPS's staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. In addition, BPPS works closely with UNDP's Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. While ensuring that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP's development programmes, BPPS also assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. Lastly, BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

In order to streamline its financial and investment engagement, UNDP launched the Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH), a finance and innovation platform, that draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of resources for the SDGs and lead the implementation of the new UNDP private sector strategy and other initiatives. The Hub is an integral part of both the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), as well as part of the GPN. The Hub serves as a connector, broker and global coordinator among internal and external actors; curates and manages UNDP’s catalogue of service offers on SDG financing to governments, investors and companies, via the COs, to significantly enhance the scale and impact of UNDP’s work.

Through the SFH UNDP has been increasing its engagement in global financial and economic policy making through the work carried out in different forums (I.e., G7, G20, UN’s FfD process, etc.) as well as other regulatory and market-based networks. Furthermore, as Secretariat of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group, UNDP assists G20 Presidencies in the implementation of their G20 priorities for the Group.

Please visit the SDG Sustainable Finance Hub website for more information.

 

Institutional Arrangement

The Sustainable Finance Specialist will work under the direct supervision of a Sustainable Finance Advisor, Sustainable Finance Hub and in close collaboration with the other SFH team members.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

The Sustainable Finance Specialist will be responsible for supporting UNDP Sustainable finance hub in the outreach and relationships management of various G20 financial constituencies, including the Government of India which will be holding the presidency of G20 Summit in 2022, and providing subject-matter expertise on various related topics and projects related to the uptake and implementation of the sustainable finance agenda in its various forms across the G20 but most specifically within the finance track.

1) Strategic Planning and Execution

  • Coordinating planning and execution of a G20 sustainable finance strategy jointly agreed with UNDP SFH.
  • Coordinating planning and execution of the sustainable finance initiatives in at least 2 selected countries.
  • Coordinating global initiatives and activities aimed at aligning the financial system to the 2030 Agenda.

2) Outreach and Relationships Management

  • Coordinating outreach to G20 constituencies, including with the 2022 India’s G20 Presidency, to advance and implement the work of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group and/or other groups in international financial policy making forums.
  • Coordinating engagement with target constituencies, such as FSB, BIS, WB, IMF, IFC, OECD, Alliance for Financial Inclusion, Network for Greening the Financial System, finance ministries and central banks, among others.
  • Cultivating and managing ‘client relationships’ with all SFWG members as well as other group members to advance UNDP’s policy work.
  • Preparing briefing notes for the SFH Director and designees at the Executive Office of the Administrator.
  •  Developing and implementing long-term strategies for wider stakeholders’ engagement in the global financial system and in the United Nations System.

3) Subject-Matter Expertise on Relevant Topics and Projects:

  • Providing timely technical and administrative guidance, as required and determined jointly with supervisor, to G20 Presidency and Sustainable Finance Study Group Co-chairs on the development, uptake and implementation a sustainable finance agenda for the SFWG.
  • Developing technical documents, reports and or briefs for G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group Presidency and Co-chairs.
  • Developing a stock-take on the activities planned for 2023-2024 by major sustainable finance networks.
  • Coordinating the outreach and engagement with UNDP country offices to inform them on the G20 Sustainable Finance Agenda and assist them, as relevant, in the uptake of the agenda.  

Perform any other duties related to this assignment as may be required by Supervisor.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:

LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:

LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Business Direction & Strategy

Negotiation and Influence

Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates win-win situations

Business Development

Knowledge Generation

Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

Business Management

Monitoring

Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme   performance and results

Partnership management

Relationship management

Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Programme and Policy

SDG Finance

ESG standards

Public Sector Finance (Tax and domestic resource mobilization, public financial management and public expenditure)

Programme and Policy

Strategic Policy Engagement

Strategic policy advice in the context of the G20

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Academic Education

  • Minimum Master’s degree in Economics / Development Economics, International Development, international Management / Relations, Development Finance, or other closely related area is required.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

  • A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in outreach for major initiatives or institutions involving multi- stakeholder engagement, inter or intra-governmental negotiations, experience with the financial sector through the private or public sector is required.

Required skills and competencies

  • Experience in supporting/coordinating partnerships with the Government of India is required.
  • Experience in sustainable finance issues is required.

Desired additional skills and competencies

  • Experience in working with financial regulators is desirable.
  • Experience with development and creation of new partnerships with demonstrated networks is desirable.
  • Experience with the UN system, including UNDP’s network of Country Offices for implementation of activities is desirable.
  • Proven experience conducting or coordinating research and development of sustainable finance frameworks, policy briefs or thought pieces is desirable.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

  • Proficiency in English language is required: excellent presentation, writing, and editing skills.
  • Proficiency in Hindi is an added advantage.

Professional Certificates

  • N/A