Location:

New York, United States
Salary:

negotiable / YEAR
Job type:

CONTRACTOR
Posted:

2 months ago
Category:

Management and Strategy
Deadline:

02/09/2024

JOB DESCRIPTION

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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.

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 Finance Sector Hub, 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.

Under the direct supervision of the SDG Finance Sector Hub Director, and working closely with the other team members who report to the Senior Advisor on Thematic Debt Instruments, this position will be responsible for continuing the leadership of UNDP on delivering thematic bond and SDG-linked debt issuances as part of UNDP’s Public Finance portfolio, and building up the capacity of UNDP in delivering debt support to countries through mechanisms such as debt for nature swaps and SLBs, identifying new opportunities (origination), managing existing transactions; overseeing the delivery of the European Commission funding including integrating the EU taxonomy where appropriate to forthcoming issuances and finding links to the EU’s GGBI; scaling in-house capacity through trainings, generating tacit knowledge and translating these skills into delivery of financing instruments at the country level. Finally, the work will entail overseeing and guiding a growing team of debt experts.

Scope of Work

The Senior Advisor on Thematic Debt will be responsible for the performance of the following functions and duties:

Provide strategic technical direction and leadership for the development and implementation of the Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) Thematic Debt offering and piloting of development bond frameworks in selected countries by advising countries on their specific needs.
Lead in developing and delivering trainings on thematic debt for UNDP CO and Regional Bureau (RB) staff.
Manage a team to deliver global bond issuances, contributing to the 1 trillion Moonshot.
Lead in integrating nature-based KPIs and nature-based uses of proceeds through for example debt for nature swaps, under the guidance of BIOFIN.
Provide high quality advice and contribute in general to UNDP’s broad financing and investment work when required, in terms of networks, opportunities and partnerships, including supporting both global and country-focus activities.
Advise and provide support to delivering the European Commission financing of developing country debt issuances embedding the EU taxonomy and links to Global Green Bond Initiative.
Lead and oversee contributions to the Green and Resilient Debt Platform.
Contribute to the leadership of UNDP in Public Finance, building integrated offers with BIOFIN and the INFF team.
Performing other assignments related to this position as may be required by the Supervisor.
Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing, and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic areas.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

For more information on UNDP SDG Finance Sector Hub Activities, please visit https://sdgfinance.undp.org/

Institutional Arrangement

The Senior Advisor on Thematic Debt Instruments will carry out relevant duties under the guidance and direct supervision of the SDG Finance Sector Hub Director. An organigram for the SFH unit structure is provided in Annex I.

Competencies

Core
Achieve Results:	LEVEL 4: Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact
Think Innovatively:	LEVEL 4: Easilynavigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight
Learn Continuously:	LEVEL 4: Createsystems and processes that enable learning and development for all
Adapt with Agility:	LEVEL 4: Proactively initiate/lead organizational change, champion new systems/processes
Act with Determination:	LEVEL 4: Able to makedifficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence
Engage and Partner:	LEVEL 4: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:	LEVEL 4: Create ethicalculture, identify/address barriers to inclusion

People Management

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

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area	Name	Definition
Business Direction and strategy	System Thinking	Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Business Management	Partnerships Management	Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
Business Direction and Strategy	Strategic Thinking	Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in orderto model whatfuture developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP
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
2030 Agenda: Partnerships	SDG Finance	Innovative finance
2030 Agenda: Partnerships	SDG Finance	Public Sector Finance (tax, budget, debt,insurance and risk finance)

Minimum requirements

Min. Academic Education

An advanced University degree (master’s degree or equivalent), preferably in Finance, Economics, Development Finance or closely related field is required. or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Supplementary financial certifications (i.e. CFA, CAIA, CPA) is highly desirable.

Min. years of relevant work experience

A minimum of 15 (fifteen) years (with a master’s degree) or 17 (seventeen) years (with a bachelor’s degree) of professional work experience in investing, debt instruments, development / environmental finance, structuring and launching finance instruments, or closely related areas is required.

Required skills

Proven track record in structuring debt and innovative finance instruments including thematic bonds.
Demonstrated experience in advising on sovereign bond development and proven success: including partnerships, structures, and use of proceeds.
Experience working with complex projects and data sets and synthesizing them to build partnerships, present to Board level meetings, and mobilize resources.
Experience with impact and bond frameworks

Desired additional skills

Experience and leadership in team management
Experience working with ESG integration.
Experience working in a development finance context in emerging markets.
Experience working with bond standards and certifications such as CBI
Experience working with UN/UNDP or similar organizations

Required Language(s)

Fluency in English is required.
Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Professional Certificates

Supplementary financial certifications (i.e. CFA, CAIA, CPA) is highly desirable.

Travel:

This is a home-based assignment, so no travel to/from the duty station is envisaged.
Cost of other travel, as deemed necessary by UNDP while performing the outlined functions, shall be at UNDP’s expense and in accordance with the applicable UNDP travel policy.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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