Job Description

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

The Joint SDG Fund supports countries as they accelerate their progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It operates through joint programmes (JPs) that provide the mechanism for transformative solutions implemented by governments and national stakeholders and supported by the UN Country Team led by Resident Coordinators (RCs). Strategic direction for the Fund is provided by the Strategic Advisory Group chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General as the chair of UN Sustainable Development Group. The Fund is managed by the Operational Steering Committee, comprised of representatives of UN entities, and with the support from the Secretariat of the Fund. The UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) hosts the Fund and provides for the alignment with the broader UN Development System reforms. The Administrative Agent of the Fund, in charge of financial management, is the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTF-O). Official documents (e.g. Terms of Reference and Operational Guidance) of the Fund and information on funding can be found on the Gateway portal.

To advance the dual mandate of supercharging the UN Development System reform to be fit for purpose and, in turn, supporting the acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Fund incentivizes coherent and coordinated joint UN action, anchored in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks at country level under the leadership of Resident Coordinator (RC). Serving as the catalytic funding to piece together emerging policy priorities and financing strategies, the Fund aims to galvanize the UN Country Teams around integrated policies and identify the fiscal space to overcome the political and financial hurdles to scale and accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

The Fund increasingly focuses on co-creation with Member States, development finance institutions, and non-traditional partners, such as private sector finance institutions and philanthropies, linking policy reform, SDG localization, and catalytic financing across priority transitions including food systems, energy, jobs and social protection, and digital transformation.

The primary objective of this position is to advise the Head of the Secretariat on strengthening the Joint SDG Fund’s partnerships, catalytic financing, and country co-creation agenda, providing strategic leadership to translate global and national priorities into investable, multi-partner programmes aligned with the Fund’s mandate. The Senior Advisor (IPSA-12) will primarily engage with public and private sector actors, including development finance institutions, foundations, philanthropic organizations, and private sector partners, in support of resource mobilization, partnership development, and the advancement of innovative and blended financing approaches for the Joint SDG Fund.

This role does not lead Member State donor relations, formal resource mobilization with contributing governments or intergovernmental engagement. The role is advisory and catalytic in nature and does not entail formal representation of the Fund vis-à-vis Member States or Governments, nor engagement in intergovernmental processes or official negotiations. Within this scope, the role focuses on enabling high-value, opportunity-driven engagement with the development finance ecosystem and non-traditional partners; advancing early-stage programme design, pipeline development, and blended finance innovation; and informing the Secretariat’s strategic positioning.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Lead the design, development, and strategic advancement of strategic partnerships with non‑Member State stakeholders, including development finance institutions, foundations, philanthropic organizations, and private sector partners, aligned with the Joint SDG Fund’s mandate and priorities, and focused on identifying and shaping high‑value, opportunity‑driven collaboration and financing pathways.
• Serve as a senior advisor to the Head of the Secretariat on the development of partnerships expansion, authoring and coordinating strategic proposals, high-level correspondence and partnership agreements to secure new funding. Drive resource mobilization efforts through partner mapping, concept and proposal development, preparation of pitch materials, and tailored engagement strategies.
• Identify and advance opportunities to align partner interests with Joint SDG Fund country pipelines, thematic portfolios, and catalytic financing instruments.
• Support engagement with both traditional and non-traditional partners, including sub-national actors and private-sector-adjacent institutions, as appropriate.
• Contribute to knowledge management and performance tracking by monitoring contributions, and results while actively staying abreast of global financing trends to adapt best practices for the fund.
• Lead, guide, and mentor team members, fostering teamwork, professional development, and clear communication within the Fund and across organizational boundaries.
• Participate in international, regional, and national meetings and engage with representatives of partner institutions on behalf of the team, as required.
• Map and analyze partnership opportunities with existing and prospective development finance institutions, collaborating with the Head of the Secretariat to develop strategic pitches, key messages, and engagement approaches.

Establish and Strengthen Programmes and Communications from a Partnerships Perspective

• In close collaboration with the Fund’s programme team, provide strategic advice, guidance, and support on the design, implementation, and positioning of existing and new joint programmes within local, regional, and global partnership frameworks.
• Lead and coordinate blended finance engagement with development finance institutions and other financial actors, providing strategic input to updates and reporting on the Fund’s catalytic financing efforts.
• Collaborate with the Fund’s communications team, to strengthen the visibility, coherence, and impact of partnership-related communications, announcements, and external engagement.
• Support the Joint SDG Fund Secretariat’s engagement with the Strategic Advisory Group to engage non-Member States and other strategic partners while providing relevant technical documents on partnerships.
• Co-lead and co-coordinate the Joint SDG Fund’s participation in key fora, including global conferences and meetings, including the co-organization of relevant side events and coordination of the Secretariat’s engagement calendar.
• Prepare and deliver briefings and partnership-focused updates for Fund governance bodies and engagements with strategic partners.

Strengthen Innovation in Programme Design through Blended Finance, External Partner Co-Creation, Localization, and Internal Coordination

• Provide strategic advice and guidance on blended finance innovation, driving improvements across the programme cycle, policies, templates, and operational procedures.
• Facilitate collaborative co-creation processes with external partners and UN Country Teams, including programme design sprints, early-stage concept development, and partner engagement.
• Foster cross-functional coherence by liaising closely with internal teams (communications, programme, policy, results) and coordinating with key UN entities (including UN Global Compact Network, DCO and the MPTF Office) and partners to align partnership efforts with programmatic pipeline delivery.
• Contribute to the development and strengthening of programmatic partnerships at country, regional, and global levels to scale, impact, and financing of joint programmes, including the activation of local ecosystems and strengthened linkages with regional and global initiatives.

Advocacy, Strategic Communication, and Knowledge

• Co-lead advocacy and narrative development to position the Joint SDG Fund as a platform for SDG-aligned investment, enhancing visibility around catalytic results, partnership value-add, and localization outcomes.
• Support the preparation of briefs, presentations, and background materials for senior leadership engagements with partners and external stakeholders.
• Capture, document, and disseminate lessons learned from partnership and co-creation processes, contributing to internal learning and external knowledge products.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Secretariat

Institutional Arrangement

The Senior Partnerships and Blended Finance Advisor will report to the Senior Advisor, Partnerships and Advocacy of the Joint SDG Fund Secretariat.

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

People Management: UNDP People: Management Competencies can be found on the dedicate site

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Business Direction and Strategy - Systems Thinking:

Ability to apply structured analysis and sound judgment to understand how interrelated elements operate within complex systems, and to anticipate how changes in one part of the system affect others.

Business Management - Client and Partner Management:

Ability to respond to partners’ needs in a timely, solutions-oriented manner; deliver consistent, high-quality results; anticipate evolving partner priorities; and identify opportunities to add value beyond immediate requests.

Partnership Management - Resource Mobilization:

Ability to identify, engage, and secure external funding partners, align financing opportunities with programme and initiative needs, and develop structured blended finance strategies to meet resource mobilization objectives.

Business Management - Results-Oriented and Risk-Informed Partnership and Blended Finance Management:

Ability to develop and lead results-oriented partnerships and blended finance initiatives, integrating proactive institutional risk management to safeguard performance, credibility, and development impact across complex, multi-stakeholder arrangements.

UN System Affairs - Intergovernmental and Inter-Agency Coordination:

Demonstrated ability to coordinate effectively across UN entities, external stakeholders, and Member States, with a strong understanding of intergovernmental mandates and coordination mechanisms; proven experience convening partners and managing high-level, multi-stakeholder engagements and events to advance coherent, partnership-driven outcomes.

External Relations and Advocacy - Public Relations:

Ability to build and maintain a strong public profile for the organization, its mandate, and its brand, while ensuring communications and advocacy initiatives effectively support outreach, visibility, and engagement objectives.

Business Development - Knowledge Facilitation:

Ability to convene and mobilize diverse stakeholders and contributors, fostering shared learning, collaboration, and collective problem-solving, particularly in external and multi-partner contexts.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in International Development, Political Science, International Relations, Business Management, Economics, Social Sciences, Management Science, or a related field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields combined with an additional two years of qualifying professional experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

• A minimum of 10 years (with a Master’s degree), or 12 years (with a Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic partnerships, external stakeholder engagement, and relationship management. This experience must include substantive engagement with development finance institutions, banking and financial institutions, foundations, private sector actors, and/or international development organizations.

Required skills

• Proven ability to identify potential sources of funding, develop aligned proposals, and to secure major new sources of funding for large projects.
• Extensive experience designing, managing, and advancing strategic partnerships in support of sustainable development outcomes, with a strong focus on blended finance, catalytic capital, and UN pooled financing mechanisms, including joint programmes and inter-agency initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic advice to senior leadership and governing bodies, supporting informed decision-making on partnership models, financing structures, and programmatic priorities in system-wide or multi-entity contexts.
• Proven ability to lead partnership and programme co-creation, shape strategic engagement processes, and facilitate effective collaboration across public, private, philanthropic, and actors.
• Strong analytical, drafting, and strategic communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex financial, technical, and institutional information into clear, authoritative messages for senior leadership and external partners.
• Excellent interpersonal, coordination, and negotiation skills, with demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships with donors, investors, implementing partners, and UN entities, and to operate effectively in multicultural and multi-institutional environments.
• Demonstrated experience with the UN development system or similar multi-lateral organizations, including familiarity with Fund Secretariats, pooled financing instruments, joint programming modalities, and inter-agency coordination mechanisms supporting integrated and scalable development impact.

Desired skills

• At least 5 years of hands-on experience in blended finance and catalytic financing, including direct engagement with private sector entities, multilateral institutions, pooled funding mechanisms, and/or the UN development system.
• Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization and partnership across institutional sectoral, and geographic contexts.
• Professional experience within the UN system or comparable international organizations, with a strong understanding of agency mandates, joint programming, and global pooled funding arrangements.
• Experience in team leadership, including overseeing partnership portfolios, managing operational processes, or guiding matrixed teams.
• Professional experience in systems innovation and change management within the international development context with a demonstrated ability to support institutional adaptation and new financing models.
• Strong expertise in partnership development and blended finance instruments in complex, multi-stakeholder and inter-agency environments.
• Prior professional experience in the UN system or comparable multilateral organizations, with a proven ability to navigate complex governance structures, coordinate high-level events, and apply an in-depth understanding of agency mandates and pooled funds.
• Experience working with government counterparts in development coordination roles (including Ministries of Finance and Central Banks), contributing to enhanced coherence, alignment, and effective finance programme implementation in support of sustainable development priorities.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is desirable.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

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