Within the context of SDG Financing, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH), which is a finance and innovation platform drawing on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of resources for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and lead the implementation of the new UNDP private sector strategy. As part of UNDP’s SFH, development finance has a central role in supporting the UN member-countries, leveraging new sources of capital, offsetting high debt burdens, and innovating for long-term solutions to challenges around climate change, disaster resilience, fragile ecosystems.

Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) was established in Istanbul, Turkey on the basis of the Partnership Framework Agreement signed between the Government of Turkey and the UNDP in 2011. IICPSD is mandated to leverage the role of the private sector in development and supports the UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) by leading UNDP’s strategic offer to partner and work with the private sector, advocating and facilitating its contribution to human development and inclusive growth. IICPSD’s work to engage foundations and the private sector focuses on delivering policy advisory and technical services in four thematic areas:

• Private Sector Engagement through South-South Cooperation for the SDGs
• Private Sector Engagement in Skills Development
• Impact Investing
• Resilience and Crisis Response

Under its impact investing thematic area, IICPSD and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) established the Global Islamic Finance and Impact Investing Platform (GIFIIP) in 2016 to position Islamic finance and impact investing as worldwide leading enablers of SDG implementation. Bringing together the private sector, governments and key stakeholders operating in the Islamic finance and impact investing markets, GIFIIP aims to promote market-based solutions to sustainable development challenges by creating a collaborative working space among these actors.

The Green Sukuk Initiative has been launched under GIFIIP recognizing that the principles of Islamic finance and impact investing, with their rigorous moral and social criteria, their emphasis on inclusiveness and broader understanding of business-society relations complement each other. Further, IICPSD initiated the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) project to establish an online training platform to build capacity on Islamic finance and its role in sustainable development, in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and Durham University Business School. IICPSD, also provides technical assistance on private sector led engagements including, but not limited to green sukuk, Islamic micro and SME financing, and Islamic credit guarantee fund mechanisms.

Under the guidance of and reporting directly to the UNDP IICPSD Deputy Director, the Research Analyst will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following key functions:

Ensures implementation of the strategies of IICPSD on the private sector’s role in Islamic finance in following areas:

• Conduct analysis and research on Islamic finance tools and mechanisms under the impact investing thematic area of IICPSD, and participate in the formulation, management, and evaluation of knowledge management activities within the Center’s mandate.
• Support the coordination and production of reports, knowledge management activities, toolkits and training development initiatives.
• Conduct research and support the preparation of high-quality policy and programme guidance material for fields such as Islamic finance ecosystem, innovative financing mechanisms, and inclusive business models; focusing on good practices and lessons learned.
• Analysis and synthesis of proposals on the areas for support and interventions within these thematic areas.
• Conduct the necessary internal procedures related to editing, design, clearance of documents and advocacy materials.
• Cooperation, technical advisory, and implementation assistance offered to other UNDP units, including Country Offices and Regional Bureaus.
• Contribute to the facilitation of partnerships and regularly cover industry related stories and their development impact through briefs and blogposts.

Participates in the effective formulation, management, and evaluation of knowledge management activities of the IICPSD focusing on quality control from formulation to implementation of the Center’s activities:

• Design and formulate IICPSD activities within the area of responsibility, translating IICPSD’s priorities into local interventions and partnerships.
• Coordinate and implement the Islamic finance activities that are ongoing and planned under GIFIIP, as well as the broader Islamic finance projects of the Center.
• Coordinate the post-publication initiatives of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) project.
• Initiation of a project; finalization of contribution agreement; determination of required revisions; coordination of the mandatory and budget re-phasing exercises, closure of projects through review.
• Application of conceptual models in support of partnership and intervention design.
• Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of IICPSD activities in the knowledge management activities, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions.
• Preparation of inputs for reporting, including reporting to higher level management of IICPSD.
• Supervise consultancy works and review and assess products/services provided by consultants and experts counterparts and notify/advise the Project Manager and Deputy Director on quality and recommend appropriate actions to undertake for improvement of results.
• Draft terms of reference for local short-term and long-term consultants and consultancies on projects’ needs with the guidance of UNDP and assist in the recruitment and evaluation processes based on UNDP procedures.

Creation of strategic partnerships and implementation of the outreach and resource mobilization strategy:

• Promote the organization’s capacity as a reliable partner with national as well as international counterparts, ensure coordination of sectoral activities with broader country/regional/global programs and advocate on behalf of organization’s goals.
• Develop communication materials including press releases, speeches, briefs, blogposts.
• Organize and coordinate roundtable discussions, press conferences, briefing sessions, conferences, workshops, retreats, national and international events.
• Coordinate the outreach workplan and promotion of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
• Apply conceptual models in support of partnership and intervention design.
• Analyze and research information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects.
• Initiate and maintain partnerships with development partners, government institutions, private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders to contribute to the achievement of the IICPSD’s objectives.
• Identify and link to related ongoing activities within other institutions and encourage collaboration and synergies.
• Prepare any follow-on project proposals as per the needs identified by the UNDP/donor.
• Support communication, advocacy, and outreach activities for smooth implementation in line with the respective guidelines of UNDP.
• Represent UNDP as requested in relevant national/regional/global seminars, meetings of work groups and panels, and meetings within the thematic area.

Provision of top-quality advisory services to the relevant stakeholders and facilitation of knowledge building and management:

• Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues.
• Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to thematic areas.
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Organization of trainings on the thematic area.
• Professional growth through active learning.

• Master’s or higher degree in economics, business administration, finance, Islamic finance, management, international development, development finance, economic development, international relations, political science, or a related field.

OR

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, business administration, finance, Islamic finance, management, international development, development finance, economic development, international relations, political science, or a related field is required.
• Minimum 1 year of relevant work experience (applicable for candidates having a master’s degree) is required.

OR

• Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience (applicable for candidates having a bachelor’s degree) is required
• Experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis is required.
• Proven knowledge or experience in Islamic finance is required. with a preference for private sector development and sustainable development.
• Experience in drafting and finalizing high quality materials for internal and external partners including proposals and work plans, concept notes, technical and financial reports.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)
• Experience of working with international organizations is an asset.
• Experience with UNDP is an asset.
• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in economics or finance is desirable.
• Demonstrated knowledge in research and analysis of Islamic finance ecosystem and financial tools is an asset.
• Experience in organization of events, conferences etc. is an asset.
• Knowledge on visibility standards and rules of UNDP.
• Knowledge of the UN system would be an asset.
• Fluency in English and Turkish is required.
• Working knowledge of other UN language desirable.