Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organisation, 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, UNOs, 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.

UNCDF’s structure also includes within the IID, a Strategic Funds Unit (SFU) dedicated to developing and overseeing trust funds, in partnership with UN agencies and other partners, that deploy blended finance approaches to leverage investment and sustainable revenue streams to mobilize capital at scale, expand pipelines of investable solutions, and strengthen alignment with global climate, biodiversity, and SDG commitments. The SFU provides integrated secretariat services from its liaison office in Geneva Switzerland.

To facilitate the achievement of these objectives, UNCDF seeks to hire a Strategic Engagement Analyst within the Strategic Funds Unit – integrated fund secretariat services to support the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, the Plastic Transition Investment Facility and the development of new initiatives related to Ocean Finance. The Strategic Engagement Analyst will also contribute to UNCDF corporate activities as required by the UNCDF External Relations Unit. The Trust Funds Strategic Engagement Analyst will support resource mobilization, strategic partnership, and fund design for those UN Multi Partner Trust Funds, collaborating closely with other UNCDF staff and units, and other Participating UN Organizations.

The Trust Funds Strategic Engagement Analyst will report to the Trust Funds Strategic Engagement Manager (P4).

UNCDF seeks to hire a Trust Funds Strategic Engagement Analyst within the Strategic Funds Unit, which delivers integrated secretariat services for the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, the Plastic Transition Investment Facility (PTIF), and other UNCDF-managed Trust Funds. The incumbent will play a key role in resource mobilization, strategic partnership development, and fund design, working in close coordination with other UNCDF teams, Participating UN Organizations, and external partners.

As part of UNCDF’s Integrated fund secretariat services, this position contributes to design, advocate, and operationalize innovative finance mechanisms and pooled funds that mobilize resources for major environmental and sustainable development priorities with a particular focus on Ocean Finance. The role supports resource mobilization through the preparation of strategies, proposals, and agreements that attract public, philanthropic, and private capital; strengthens strategic engagement by coordinating partnerships, research, and high-level visibility efforts; and advances strategic design by contributing to the design and governance of flagship initiatives and blended finance instruments. Collectively, these efforts enhance UNCDF’s capacity to mobilize capital at scale, expand pipelines of investable solutions, and strengthen alignment with global climate, biodiversity, and SDG commitments.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of interconnected nature of development risks & crises that the world is facing and that call for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated & systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration

Duties and Responsibilities

Resource Mobilisation: Developing and executing strategies that attract and manage funding from public, philanthropic, and private sources to advance strategic funds and ocean finance flagship initiatives.

• Contribute to the design and implementation of Resource Mobilisation Strategies for trust funds based on ocean-related innovative pricing mechanisms.
• Support day-to-day fundraising activities and donor engagement with UN Member States, private foundations and ocean industries
• Design and coordinate strategic pledge sessions and related donor engagement events to secure commitments.
• Draft tailored proposals, concept notes, and pitch materials that respond to contributor interests.
• Lead management of the engagement tracking system to ensure consistent follow-up and reporting.
• Maintain transparent, consistent communication with contributors and provide timely responses to inquiries.

Strategic Partnership: Strengthen UNCDF’s visibility, partnerships, and policy influence through coordinated engagement across global ocean forums and high-level dialogues.

• Support the planning and coordination of strategic engagement activities in collaboration with organizers, UN agencies, and other partners, ensuring alignment with global priorities and advocacy objectives.
• Assist in identifying and cultivating collaboration opportunities that can help grow the Fund’s resources and visibility, including preparing background research and draft materials to support senior-level engagement with donors, strategic partners, industry representatives, and other high-profile stakeholders.
• Provide research, coordination, and drafting support for engagement in key international fora, including UN Ocean Conferences, and other relevant meetings, ensuring materials reflect current priorities and positioning.
• Contribute to the preparation of engagement plans, briefing packages, talking points, and presentations for high-level participation in strategic events.
• Support the preparation and delivery of materials for public events, publications, and external engagements that present the Fund’s initiatives, impact, and opportunities for collaboration.

Fund Design: Supports the design and positioning of new ocean financing instruments and mechanisms, enhancing UNCDF’s role in advancing innovative, blended finance solutions.

• Conduct research and prepare analytical materials that inform strategic portfolio decisions and organizational positioning.
• Draft and review concept notes and governance documents for flagship initiatives and trust funds.
• Identify and document emerging financing mechanisms, including blended finance and multi-partner trust fund models.
• Support the design, governance, and operational frameworks of innovative finance secretariats hosted by UNCDF.
• Coordinate inputs across teams and partners to ensure coherence between strategic initiatives, broader organizational goals and strategic frameworks.

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

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously

LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility

LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination

LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner

LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

People Management (Insert below standard sentence if the position has direct reports.)

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Business Direction & 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.

Negotiation and Influence

Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates win-win situations.

Business Management

Portfolio Management

Ability to select, prioritize 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.

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 strategy and policies.

Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs.

Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.

Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests.

Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

Partnership management

Strategic engagement

Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.

Partnership management

Emerging partnerships

Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master's degree or equivalent in Public Administration, Social Sciences, Law, International Relations, Development Studies, Political Science, or other relevant fields.
• Bachelor’s degree in the aforementioned areas with two years of additional relevant experience is accepted in lieu of Master’s degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in resource mobilisation with public and private contributors related to biodiversity and/or ocean finance is required.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience and record on working with blended finance instruments and related partnerships, including UN organizations, is required.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience and record on working with UN multi-partner trust fund secretariats related to biodiversity finance issues is required.
• Demonstrated skills to plan and prioritize work activities to meet organizational goals and efficiently achieve quality results is required.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Experience in planning and organizing international events within the context of multilateral environmental agreements, such as the CBD COP, UN Ocean Conference and others is highly desirable.
• Experience in UN multi-partner trust fund design, operations, governance, and programme support is highly desirable.
• Experience with UNDP policies, procedures and practices particularly in relation to project development and implementation and/or working experience in an international organization is highly desirable.
• Experience in donor reporting and proposal development is highly desirable.
• Experience developing or contributing to knowledge products or communication materials related to biodiversity conservation, environmental finance, or sustainable development is highly desirable.
• Experience supporting high-level missions, ministerial briefings, or donor engagements is highly desirable.
• Good knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.

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.

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.