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.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Investment Portfolio Management Specialist, working under the supervision and guidance of the Investment Portfolio Management Advisor, provides a wide range of investment portfolio management services for smooth implementation and management of the Investment and Finance Oversight Division’s (IFOD) operational responsibilities. S/he will ensure full compliance with IFOD-specific workflows and practices, adhering to UNDP/UNCDF Financial Regulations and Rules, UNDP/UNCDF programme and operational policies and procedures (POPP) and UNCDF Supplementary Guidelines. The Investment Portfolio Management Specialist is expected to work in close collaboration with the entire team.
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.
- Ensures implementation of Investment Portfolio Management focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Manage the UNCDF on-balance investment portfolio with a comprehensive understanding of the performance.
- Lead semi-annual investment review meetings and prepare the semi-annual investment review report, including macroeconomic country analysis related to the portfolio, progress and financial performance reviews, and lessons learned.
- Produce the annual investment portfolio valuations in support of IPSAS 41 impairment and provisioning requirements, within 2 months post-period end.
- Prepare monthly/quarterly portfolio management reports as needed, including loans and guarantees portfolio analysis.
- Monitor monthly payment activities of the UNCDF on-balance investment portfolio (e.g., loan repayments, guarantee fees, etc.).
- Supervise the production of monthly concentration reports based on the loans and guarantees portfolio by the Investment Portfolio Management Programme Associate.
- Supervise the annual covenant and financial statement analysis of the portfolio.
- Review investment amendment requests (e.g., restructurings, write-offs, etc.), guarantee claims requests, etc. as necessary.
- Support the design of new financial instruments.
- Support policy development as required.
- Support investment portfolio-related responses to audit recommendations as required.
2. Implements and maintains the Investment System in Quantum+ focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Develop investment modules for the effective operation of the investment portfolio management covering all investment instruments by UNCDF.
- Develop structures and routine tasks for data collection, verification, recording, and reporting.
- Collaborate with IT software developers, Salesforce external teams, UNCDF data analytics, and UNCDF Digital Agility colleagues for enhanced system usage and continuous improvement of the organization’s portfolio management solutions.
- Address system issues and maintain the reporting system regularly.
- Ensure adaptation and usage of Quantum+ by front office colleagues and oversee the quality of manual data handling and inputting into systems.
- Generate both standardized and bespoke reports from the system and Excel for internal and external use.
3. Conducts investments related activity (including impact and results monitoring) focusing on achievement of the following results:
- UNDP Lead the measurement of impact indicators related to the Investment Portfolio.
- Support and review the accuracy of impact stories related to the Investment Portfolio.
- Support new transactions favoring SDG-positive investments in financially underserved areas as needed.
- Participate in IFOD and IDIC meetings as required.
4. Ensures compliance of loans and guarantees operations with policy and regulatory requirements:
- Provide support to the documentation, analysis, and publication of cross portfolio indicators needed by other operational units.
- Provides advice in a timely manner to UNCDF’s projects/programmes as it relates to regulation, risk management, and the loan and guarantee policy.
- Supports drafting of new, and review existing, policies and procedures to ensure that UNCDF continues to comply with regulatory standards and industry’s best practices.
- Adopts approaches to ensure that the lessons learnt are collected and disseminate.
- Follow the international debate on the recording and valuation of an investment portfolio, etc.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None
Competencies
Core Competencies - UNDP Core Competencies can be found here.
- 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
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
2030 Agenda: Partnerships - SDG Finance:
- Blended Finance for SDGs
Business Management - Partnerships Management:
- Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNCDF strategy and policies
Digital - Alternative Finance:
- Ability to identify potential alternative forms of finance and mobilize them for the purpose of addressing development challenges.
- Ability to review the skills, capacities, procedures and protocols that are needed to enable new financial mechanisms.
- Ability to assess the risks, limitations and implications of using new financial mechanisms. Set up the processes and structures to design, testing and implement new financial mechanisms.
- Managing outreach and stakeholder engagement.
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.
Business Direction and 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 - 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 - 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.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Finance, Business Administration, or other closely related field is required.
- 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 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with a bachelor's degree) of progressively responsible finance or programme finance experience is required at the national or international level.
- At least 3 years of relevant experience in a financial institution, development cooperation agency, or development financial institution is required.
- Experience issuing and/or managing various financial instruments; grants, loans, guarantees, and/or equity is required.
- Experience in preparing investment portfolio valuations (aligned with IPSAS 41 or similar accounting standards) is required.
- Experience in financial database system management and information migration is required.
- Experience in loans and guarantee restructurings and amendments are required.
- Experience in credit and/or equity for investments with a social mission in emerging/frontier markets, is highly preferable.
- Experience with IPSAS accounting standards is highly preferable, particularly related to financial instruments.
- Demonstrated experience in managing finance, accounting, budgeting, internal controls and reporting is desired, particularly related to financial instruments.
- Experience in financial database system development is an advantage.
Language:
- Fluency in English is required.
- Knowledge of another UN language is considered 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.
Scam alert
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