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 engagement in finance and investment, UNDP launched the Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) in 2019. The Hub works as platform on finance and innovation that draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization, alignment and leveraging of resources for the SDGs and lead the implementation of the new private sector strategy and other initiatives.

At the same time, the European Commission, together with EU Member States, development agencies, EU financial institutions and UN organisations, have embarked on coordinating their offer of EU expertise and resources for low- and middle-income countries in the area of sustainable finance, inspired by EU experience, through the Sustainable Finance Advisory Hub, of which UNDP is an implementing partner, focusing on supporting countries on sustainable finance taxonomy development, disclosure frameworks and thematic/green bond framework development.

As such, the Project Manager/Technical Lead, to be based in the Brussels Representation Office (RO), is responsible for providing substantive advice and technical expertise to countries within the project, as well as coordinating and leading advocacy, relationship building and knowledge management efforts for work related to the EC Sustainable Finance Advisory Hub project. S/he serves as liaison with partners in Brussels for issues related to sustainable finance and works across teams in the Brussels Representation Office to establish a coherent approach to the portfolio with the EC and other partners as relevant. S/he works in close collaboration with the rest of the GPN to support integrated policy and programme support to partner countries, with particular links to sustainable finance and climate/green financing work and ensuring programmatic linkages with aligned initiatives including the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) Facility.

Position Purpose

Under the direct supervision of the SFH Director, and with EU coordination oversight by the UNDP Brussels Representation Office Director, the Project Manager/Technical Lead, Sustainable Finance Advisory Hub, will be responsible for performing the following duties and responsibilities:

Duties and Responsibilities

Project management and coordination 

• Prepare and monitor annual workplan deliverables, activities, and budget, ensuring timely. and quality delivery of project outputs in accordance with the Special and General Conditions of the Contribution Agreement signed with the EU and the Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement between the EU and the UN.
• Lead UNDP engagement with Hub Secretariat, including managing requests for support, coordinating country outreach, inputs for communications knowledge management strategies, and regular governance meetings.
• Liaise with UNDP’s technical Debt team and facilitate support as needed to deliver work products.
• Coordinate with the INFF Facility team to map country demands, trends and ensure services support INFF and financing strategy implementation.
• Coordinate with other implementing partners (UNEP FI; GIZ etc) to ensure complementarities and coordination in country where possible.
• Ensure day-to-day management of the project, manage operational and reputational risks and take appropriate actions to address them.
• Organize the project board annual meeting and coordinate evaluations as necessary.
• Supervise project assistant to ensure budget delivery, reporting and UNDP’s financial rules and regulations are adhered to.
• Provide updates to the Operating Management Committees and the project board and facilitate UNDP representation in both.
• Draft and finalize annual reports including narrative and financial reporting before their discussion in the Steering Committee and submission to the EU.

Technical and policy advisory, project delivery 

• Deliver technical advisory services to countries, via country offices, to support development of bond frameworks, sustainable finance taxonomies, disclosure requirements and reporting.
• Lead delivery of taxonomy integration across portfolio countries.
• Provide capacity building on taxonomy and bond issuance work to country offices and governments, making links with GGBI and GRDP as appropriate.
• Support delivery of bond frameworks alongside the Debt Team, leading on taxonomy/use of proceeds alignment.
• Establish monitoring and reporting processes for bond issuances tied to EC deliverables and country priorities.
• Coordinate other technical leads from project to deliver high quality and timely support to country offices, in coordination with other implementing partners where required.
• Coordinate with other experts across SFH to consolidate support to countries and develop guidance and training.
• Ensure substantive and programmatic linkages with other SFH service offers including on integrated national financing frameworks, public finance, unlocking private capital and impact measurement and management as well as broader engagements on thematic bonds, taxonomies, disclosure requirements and reporting, etc.
• Facilitate access to and update the UNDP expert roster for country support, facilitate. training of experts on technical areas, and coordinate across rosters from implementing partners, as needed.
• Facilitate south-south exchange across countries and participate in exchanges (country, regional or global events or workshops) in the context of the Sustainable Finance Advisory Hub Forum for Sustainable Finance Expertise.

Partnership Building 

• In coordination with relevant BRO colleagues and under the supervision of the UNDP BRO Director, lead engagement with EC on sustainable finance issues on behalf of the Sustainable Finance Hub teams, ensuring coherent approach and effective outreach to partners, including in the framework of the EU-UNDP Strategic Dialogues and their follow up.
• Coordinate across Brussels-based sustainable finance colleagues to ensure consistency, linkages across initiatives and leveraging of efforts.
• Identify and lead on opportunities to expand the growing body of debt work and lead these introductions.
• In coordination with relevant BRO colleagues and under the supervision of the /UNDP BRO Director, support strengthening of strategic partnerships with EU-based financial institutions, EU member states, other intergovernmental organizations, private / finance sector entities and networks on sustainable finance.
• Contribute to related resource mobilization efforts through development of proposals and high-quality substantive inputs towards donor and corporate progress reports.

Knowledge Management and Communications

• Synthetize knowledge, case studies and lessons learned to feed back into the Hub and communicate results.
• Contribute to SFH knowledge management activities, including through the SDG Finance Academy and SFH knowledge platforms, particularly at the global and cross-regional level, to help influence policy dialogue on sustainable development and finance.
• Where appropriate represent UNDP SFH at events, and actively contribute to its strong internal and external online presence by producing and sharing expert articles and blogs.

Competencies

Core:
Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively:

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously:

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility:

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.

Act with Determination:

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner:

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management:

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical:
Business Management: Project Management

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.

2030 Agenda: Partnerships – SDG Finance 

• Knowledge and understanding of global partnership for effective development cooperation, inclusive markets/businesses and value chain development, Innovative Finance, philanthropy, public private partnerships.

Partnerships 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.

Business Development: Knowledge Facilitation

• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally.

Business Management: Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.

Business Management: Monitoring

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

Digital & Innovation: Innovation Management

• Being able to create the strategies, conditions, structures, and systems to enable innovation at an organizational level.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or above) in economics, finance, public policy, business administration, international relations, social sciences, or other related disciplines is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience (with a master’s degree), or 9 years’ experience with a (bachelor’s degree), in international development, sustainable financing, public finance, private sector/innovative financing, is required.
• Proven experience in project management, coordination, and donor management/reporting is required.
• Demonstrated experience in technical advisory services, policy analysis, sustainable finance advice to governments and/or private sector is required.
• Demonstrated work experience in developing country settings, including policy advisory services, would be an asset.
• Experience leading strategic partnerships, consultations with governments and a wide range of stakeholders, is preferred.
• Previous experience in strategic partnerships with the EC on sustainable finance, debt or other related areas would be an asset.
• Working experience in UN or other international organization, and knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices is a distinct advantage.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.