UN Consultancy: Specialist, Private Sector Engagement for SDG Finance (Remote, Home-based in Asia Region) – Bangkok
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Location:
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Salary:negotiable / YEAR
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Job type:CONTRACTOR
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Posted:8 hours ago
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Category:Budget and Accounting, Economic Development, Environment and Natural Resources, Finance, Social and Inclusive Development
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Deadline:23/01/2025
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.
To accelerate the achievement of the SDGs, UNDP is committed to mobilizing private sector capital through innovative financial solutions., UNDP’s priorities include involvement with the private sector to mobilize its capital towards achieving the SDGs at policy and specific investment levels through facilitating and providing advice on blended finance, impact investment, SDG alignment and Impact Measurement and Management (IMM).
UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) has developed service lines for businesses and investors to align their investments towards the SDGs – these include engaging and enabling institutional and private investors; co-creating and innovating impact factored financial tools for development; leveraging private capital into SDG and climate aligned investment opportunities. In Asia and the Pacific region, the SDG Finance team of Regional Bureau for Asia Pacific (RBAP), in collaboration with UNDP Global Policy Network, provides support to 24 UNDP Country Offices in the region in pioneering dedicated catalytic facilities and engagement frameworks to implement those service lines and through their application drive social, economic and environmental impacts of private sector investments in the context of SDGs.
Promoting alignment and mobilizing private sector sources for SDGs is achieved through a combination of activities focused on impact advisory IMM approaches, metrics and standards, identifying SDG targeting business-based solutions, aligning business strategies and operations with SDGs, impact performance incentives for both capital providers and recipient businesses.
SDG Finance in Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) has been working on developing a range of business cases through structured research on identifying SDG investment opportunities, setting-up a network of impact venture accelerators (IVA), partnerships with PE/VC funds, working with banks, stock exchanges and other capital market ecosystem stakeholders. Following a range of successful cases involving engagements with financial intermediaries, large systemic financial structures, regulators UNDP currently plans going beyond pilots to scaling up and expanding the successful frameworks for such engagements with the private sector.
This presents an immense space for partnership, engagements over innovative SDG impact factored financing ideas and an overall strategic alliance between businesses and UNDP.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under matrix reporting lines to the Regional SDG Finance Policy Advisor in the Bangkok Regional Hub, the incumbent will be also working closely with the other team members in the SDG Finance Team. The Specialist will support related scope at the regional level and in other countries of the region in coordination with the assigned focal points in the Country Offices.
UNDP Asia-Pacific region is looking to further develop and expand its offer and to complement its current efforts to accelerate results for the SDGs through the use of innovative impact factored financial tools to align, leverage and mobilize private sector resources and make them more efficient and results-oriented using a strong SDG impact lens.
In this context, the specialist is expected to undertake research, and contribute to designing, and scaling of innovative impact finance and business frameworks, undertaking and scaling relevant initiatives at country and regional levels.
The specialist will be in charge of the following activities:
- Private Sector Engagement, business development and Resource Mobilization: Identify and engage key private sector stakeholders, including investors and financial institutions, to foster partnerships and mobilize resources for SDG and climate-responsive projects in the region. Develop and implement strategies to attract private sector investment, tailor partner-specific proposals, and facilitate the execution of legal agreements to formalize partnerships. Maintain a dynamic database of private sector stakeholders to facilitate ongoing engagement.
- SDG Finance Initiatives and Program Support: Structure and joint programs with private sector focused on its sustainable development, resilience, scaling, and SDG alignment. Collaborate with global and regional teams to develop and implement impact measurement and management frameworks for private sector initiatives and identify potential financing pathways in engagement with the team (e.g., work with financial institutions at country level, impact and . Identify opportunities and support the investible impact project pipeline generation, deployment of UNDP’s Impact Venture Accelerator (IVA) and alike initiatives, leveraging the IVH platform. Contribute to the design and development of digital tools to scale the implementation of impact measurement and SDG alignment frameworks.
- Knowledge Management: Provide insights for the development of strategic communications materials, such as blogs, briefs, and policy papers, to position the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific’s Sustainable Finance Hub (RBAP SFH). Contribute to the development of knowledge products, including case studies and white papers, to disseminate best practices and lessons learned.
- Advocacy & Outreach: Act as a focal point for coordinating UNDP’s regional engagement in relevant fora and dialogues with national stakeholders. Propose and support key convenings, events, and initiatives to promote UNDP’s sustainable finance agenda and foster partnerships with key stakeholders in private sector and relevant IFIs, policy, regulatory and civil society organizations. Represent UNDP at events and conferences, advocating for innovative financing solutions and promoting the adoption of sustainable practices.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies
Core competencies:
- 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:
Business Direction & Strategy
- Business Acumen: Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome
- Entrepreneurial thinking: Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate
- Systems 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 Development
- Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need
- Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
Finance
- Development finance expertise: Ability to develop and work with innovative financing mechanisms and instruments, e.g. social/development impact bonds, guarantees, climate finance, etc.
2030 Agenda: Partnerships
- SDG Finance. ESG standards
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in investment banking, development finance, sustainability and environmental management or closely related field is required. OR
- A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in combination with additional two years of relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Master’s degree.
Experience:
- Minimum 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of experience and management consulting firms, venture and startup ecosystems in the countries of Asia and the Pacific, innovation consulting, financial institutions engaged in promoting sustainability, multilateral development and philanthropy organizations, other areas related private sector advice and capacity building in terms of innovation and sustainability, socio-economic research and analysis.
- The candidate is required to have a minimum 2 year of work experience in developing of initiatives for promotion and integration of sustainability and SDG impact vision in the strategies and business processes of start-ups, early growth stage ventures, companies, relevant ecosystem players such as academia, governments, investors etc. in developing countries.
- Knowledge and experience of structuring multilayered technical assistance interventions, overall project preparation and management.
- Experience of working with governments, financial institutions, development partners, private sector, universities, institutional investors on sustainable finance, sustainability and impact issues.
- Partnership and business development experience in the corresponding focus areas.
- Experience in working in the startup and innovation consulting ecosystem, business model consulting and accelerator programmes.
- Experience working in a development finance context in emerging markets in Asia Pacific is desirable.
- Experience working with UN/UNDP or similar organizations is a distinct advantage.
- Experience working for/with multi-lateral institutions and IFIs, civil society and regulatory entities is an asset.
- Knowledge and experience working with innovative i.e. impact factored finance or related focused area is an asset.
- Understanding of and experience working with SDG financing, the financial sector, impact measurement and management with private sector actors are distinct advantages.
Required languages:
- Fluency in English are required.
- Knowledge of another UN language would be an asset.
Travel:
- As part of performing the above functions, there might be need for official travel to the countries within the Asia-Pacific region.
- In the event of mission travels or other travel not anticipated in this TOR (likely within the Asia and Pacific region), payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective supervisor and the incumbent, prior to travel and will be reimbursed based on UNDP rules and regulations relevant to the advertised position type and level.
Disclaimer
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.
Scam warning
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Level of Education: Bachelor Degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: No requirements
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