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

General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operations the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations. The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDFs vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity.

As a Flagship Catalytic Blended Financing platform of the UN, UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031.

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, United Nations Organizations, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector. By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders. UNCDF’s work is focused on three priority areas, including:

• SME Finance
• Sub-National Finance
• Digital Finance

UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by an Executive Board comprised of UN Member States.

Position Purpose

The Strategy and Institutional Affairs Specialist serves as a senior coordination and institutional coherence function supporting UNCDF’s strategic engagement, corporate positioning, and alignment across directorates.

The position ensures that senior management decision-making is supported by coherent cross-directorate inputs, that UNCDF’s institutional and corporate policy positioning is consistent across engagements, and that strategic priorities are translated into coordinated internal action. The role also includes responsibilities related to advancing gender equality and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (PSEAH) and to supporting the corporate investment committees. The role acts as a central integrator between directorates, strengthening discipline in preparation for senior-level engagements and governance processes, and ensuring that UNCDF’s mandate and policy positioning are clearly articulated and consistently applied across corporate processes.

UNCDF adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNCDF personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

1) Strategic Planning and Corporate Coherence

• Translate executive-level priorities, including on implementing the Strategic Framework and our value proposition, into coordinated internal messaging, analysis and reporting to member states and intergovernmental processes.
• Ensure alignment between corporate policy positioning, investment pipeline narratives, and external engagement messaging to maintain institutional coherence.
• Coordinate inputs from across UNCDF to ensure engagements, particularly with member states and UN organizations, are reflective of UNCDF’s current results and impact
• Provide structured and substantive briefing materials, talking points, and coordinate corporate inputs for the Executive Secretary and their senior management, including inter-agency processes, intergovernmental fora and high-level partner engagements.
• Support the development, coherence and implementation of the Strategic Framework, the Integrated Results and Resource Matrix, the Resource mobilization Strategy and the Partnership Action Plan.

2) Institutional Positioning and Corporate Policy Alignment

• Ensure corporate presentations, substantive materials, and inputs reflect coherent institutional positioning on financing for development, catalytic capital, de-risking instruments, and last-mile finance across engagements, briefs, materials and messages.
• Support institutional and corporate processes, including those related to the Strategic Framework and the Executive Board;
• Monitor and provide strategic planning and policy analysis on inter-governmental processes and inter-agency matters, including the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA), the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS) and the Sevilla Commitment, including through coordination of background papers, reports, and related events.
• Identify emerging policy positioning priorities based on shifts in the external environment or performance trends related to the UNCDF Strategic Framework.
• Advance UNCDF’s strategic engagement with major country groups (AOSIS, LDC Group, G77+China, LLDCs), ensuring consistent institutional positioning.
• Represent UNCDF in UN system coordination mechanisms and inter-agency fora, as delegated, reinforcing its role in the policy-to-capital continuum.
• Contribute to partnership and resource mobilization efforts by ensuring institutional positioning and messaging are aligned with organizational priorities.

3) Strategic Intelligence and Knowledge Support

• Monitor programme country trends on financing needs, policy developments, and external financing shifts relevant to UNCDF’s mandate and institutional positioning.
• Provide structured analysis and strategic insights to support senior management decision-making.
• Support the identification and contribute to the development of thought leadership opportunities across UNCDF’s areas of expertise, including blended finance and catalytic capital in Least Developed Countries
• Contribute to the development of key corporate knowledge products that support institutional positioning and strategic engagement with partners and funders, including the Annual Report and QCPR report.

4) Investment Committee Function

• Supports the UNCDF Investment Committee by serving as Secretariat to both the Project Investment Committee (PIC) and Investment Decision Investment Committee (IDIC).
• Ensure procedural integrity, quality control, and timely preparation of documentation across the investment approval lifecycle.
• Strengthen coordination between pre-assessment, review, and final approval stages to support pipeline discipline.
• Support adherence to accountability, transparency, and documentation standards in investment governance processes.

5) Advance Gender Equality and PSEAH considerations across strategic, policy, investment and operational processes

• Act as focal point on embedding gender equality, women's economic empowerment and PSEAH considerations within UNCDF’s strategic, partnership, and investment approach, reinforcing institutional integrity and alignment with UN system standards.
• Develop the Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment (GEWEE) Strategy and UN-SWAP Action Plans, ensuring integration across strategic planning, partnerships, and investment operations.
• Integrate PSEAH risk assessment into investment governance processes, ensuring systematic identification and mitigation of safeguarding risks.
• Represent UNCDF in inter-agency gender and PSEAH coordination mechanisms, ensuring alignment with system-wide standards.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervise one P3 and one IPSA9

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

People Management

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

Business Direction & Strategy

• 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 Management

• Portfolio Management
  • Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization's programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment. Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Business Direction & Strategy

• Negotiation and Influence
  • Reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations

Business Management

• Communication
  • 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. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels

Business Management

• Partnerships Management
  • Build and maintain partnerships with a wide network of stakeholders, governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and other in line with internal strategy and policies.

UN System Affairs

• Intergovernmental affairs
  • Knowledge or intergovernmental bodies (General Assembly, ACOSOC, UNDESA, etc.), including respective mandates, ways of working, and negotiation processes.

General

• Public relations

  • Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organization, its mandate and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the public

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Public Administration, Social Sciences, Law, International Relations, Development Studies, Political Science, or other relevant fields is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with Master’s degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic planning, institutional affairs, policy advisory functions, or external relations within the UN system, international organizations, development finance institutions, or comparable multilateral settings is required.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior management decision-making through preparation of executive-level briefs, talking points, background notes, and strategic analyses is required.
• Prior experience with investment governance processes, quality assurance, committee secretariats, and corporate review processes is required.
• Experience mainstreaming gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, and safeguarding/PSEAH considerations within institutional, policy, or programmatic frameworks is required.
• Prior experience in financing for development, catalytic and blended finance, development finance instruments, and the role of public capital in crowding-in private investment is required.
• Experience engaging with United Nations inter-agency coordination mechanisms, multilateral reform processes, international policy debates, particularly related to development finance and least developed countries is desired.
• Hands-on experience in institutional policy development, strategic planning, and results-based management frameworks in international organizations is desired.
• Prior familiarity with donor engagement, partnerships and resource mobilization is desired.
• Experience working with the United Nations System, both at HQ and country level is desired.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of at least one other UN official language 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.

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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