Consultant - Design and implementation of Catalytic Finance and Results-Based Financing

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Purpose of the Consultancy

Unitaid is seeking a Specialist Consultant to support the design, structuring and early institutionalization of Catalytic Finance (CF) and Results-Based Financing (RBF) mechanisms under its Next Generation Financing (NGF). The Specialist will provide technical leadership and deliver support across the full financing value chain, from early concept development and partner engagement through indicative structuring and deal readiness, while ensuring alignment with Unitaid’s operating model, Executive Board guidance and WHO hosting requirements. The Specialist will engage Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), Green Climate Fund and other potentially interested funders (Foundations, Development Agencies, National Governments). The role will contribute both to advancing specific CF and RBF opportunities and to strengthening Unitaid’s internal systems, tools and capacity to sustainably deploy innovative financing mechanisms beyond the pilot period. The Specialist will act as a technical enabler and institutional bridge, helping Unitaid translate strategic priorities into finance-ready opportunities, engage effectively with financing partners, and embed innovative financing approaches in a manner that is operationally feasible, compliant and catalytic.

Background

Unitaid is a World Health Organization-hosted partnership.  It saves lives by making new health products available and affordable for people in low- and middle-income countries. We identify innovative treatments, tests, and tools, help tackle the market barriers that are holding them back, and get them to the people who need them most – fast.

• 320 million people use Unitaid-supported health products every year
• 100+ ground-breaking products introduced since 2006
• Our approach helps reach global health targets three years faster
• USD10 billion in savings by 2030
   

Unitaid focus on addressing some of the world’s biggest health challenges: HIV, TB and malaria; women’s and children’s health; and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response. We also invest in cross-cutting areas that strengthen health systems, including improving access to medical oxygen, increasing regional and domestic manufacturing of health products, addressing the health impacts of climate change, and contributing to the global target of universal health coverage. We work with a broad range of partners, starting with the countries and affected communities who identify challenges and potential solutions, and the researchers and companies creating innovative new products. Through innovative financing solutions like volume guarantees, we lower prices for those products and help get them to market and to those who need them most. Together with implementing partners, we introduce these health products to low- and middle-income countries while overcoming the various barriers that people may face in being able to access them. Then we collaborate with governments and leading global health organizations like the Global Fund to take those products and best practices to scale. Reduced prices and greater efficiencies that come with the products we deliver are projected to generate more than USS10 billion in savings by 2030 – much-needed funding that can be reinvested elsewhere.

Unitaid’s Strategy 2023-2027 sets out the organization’s ambition to invest USS1.5bn to realize 30 life-saving health products taken to scale by 2030. While traditional funding mechanisms have played a crucial role in addressing global health challenges, there is a growing recognition of the need for innovative financing approaches to bridge funding gaps. Innovative financing encompasses various mechanisms, each with varying expectations regarding investment returns. It presents significant opportunities that could enable Unitaid to implement its ambitious strategy more rapidly.

Unitaid and Innovative Financing
Today, innovative financing is crucial in driving progress towards the Health Sustainable Development Goals for the 2030 Agenda as amplified at FFD4. This involves mobilizing resources, enhancing the efficiency of healthcare spending, expanding access to essential services, tackling health inequalities, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems.

Building on a proposed strategy for Next Generation Financing (NGF), Unitaid aims to reinforce the human resources support needed to implement Results Based Financing (RBF) and Catalytic / Blended Finance (CF) as two mechanisms identified as part of the NGF pilot (2026 – 2027).

Objectives of the NGF Financing Specialist role

The objective of this role is to support Unitaid in the design, structuring and early institutionalization of CF and RBF mechanisms under the NGF pilot.

This Consultant will:

Support the translation of strategic and programmatic priorities into finance-ready products;

Explore and structure appropriate financing approaches and instruments in line with Unitaid’s mandate, and WHO hosting requirements;

Engage effectively with a range of financing partners, including development finance institutions, climate finance actors, philanthropic organizations and private investors;

Advance selected CF and RBF opportunities from early concept development through indicative structuring to become deal ready;

Engage colleagues across Unitaid, in order to facilitate the systematization of processes, tools and knowledge required to embed CF and RBF within Unitaid on a sustainable basis.

The level, sequencing and intensity of engagement may vary by project and context. The Specialist will ensure flexibility of approach while maintaining a focus on technical rigour, compliance and catalytic impact.
 

Scope of Work

Financing Value Chain–Based Approach

The Specialist will provide technical advisory and implementation support across the full financing value chain. Support may be provided at one or more stages depending on the maturity, complexity and strategic relevance of each financing opportunity.

• Upstream financing design and strategic scoping
• Financing partner identification and engagement preparation
• Early-stage engagement and indicative structuring
• Financial structuring and deal readiness
• Systematization, institutionalization and capacity building
• Ad hoc technical advisory support

Deliverables

Deliverables will be agreed through a rolling quarterly workplan aligned with the NGF implementation plan and the timing of Unitaid’s Executive Board and Committee meetings. Not all deliverables will apply to all financing opportunities; outputs will be prioritized and sequenced based on project maturity and strategic relevance.

Upstream design and concept development

• Financing design and scoping notes for priority CF and RBF opportunities.
• RBF Mechanism Design Note, including intervention logic, KPIs, verification pathways and an initial shortlist of applications.
• Partner identification and engagement preparation
• Financing partner mapping outputs.
• Engagement and pitch materials, including financing narratives and indicative capital stack illustrations.

Early-stage engagement and indicative structuring

• Indicative structuring briefs covering roles, risk allocation, concessionality and feasibility.
• Internal decision-support notes addressing governance and operational implications.
• Financial structuring and deal readiness
• Draft term sheets and non-legal structuring documentation for at least one CF opportunity and one RBF instrument.
• Indicative financial models and capital structure options.
• NGF risk register and mitigation updates.

Systematization and institutionalization

• Develop a roadmap for systematization and institutionalization.
• CF Systematization Toolkit (templates, screening criteria, pipeline tracking tools, catalytic impact metrics).
• Internal capacity-building materials and training sessions.
• Documentation of lessons learned and recommendations for Unitaid’s NGF playbook.
• Governance, reporting and ad hoc advisory
• Contribute to Executive Board and committee reporting packages.
• Ad hoc technical advisory outputs, including briefing notes and responses to partner technical questions.

Required Experience and Qualifications

Educational Qualifications

Essential:

Advanced university degree in business administration, financial management, economics, or international development

Experience

Essential:

• Minimum of 15 years of relevant professional experience in health financing, development finance, or investment banking, preferably in African country contexts.
• Prior experience of financial structuring, health finance, or development finance for health or health systems (including public-private financing projects).
• Experience in pharmaceutical/medical manufacturing in Africa and/or climate finance would also be valuable, with an understanding of regional manufacturing/local production economics and supply chain dynamics.
• Proven track record in structuring multi-million health financing projects and initiatives across Africa and beyond in low- and middle-income countries.
• Sound understanding of contractual and legal considerations involved in financial structuring.
• Strong attention to detail, including demonstrated ability to oversee administrative, financial, and legal procedures and processes
• Planning, coordination, and organization across multiple internal and external stakeholders, and a demonstrated ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, particularly with financial institutions or investors.
• Ability to prepare Board-facing materials, donor briefs, and operating within multilateral governance frameworks.
• Ability to lead and deliver cross-functional initiatives in a highly matrixed organization.
• Understanding of project management principles and application in multicultural settings including International Organizations.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience in a partnership, coordination, external-facing, or engagement role.
• A minimum of 7 years of experience in the Global Public Health or international development landscape.

Desirable:

• In-country experience of development and/or public health programs, preferably in LMICs.

Skills and Knowledge

• Strong project management skills
• Good analytical and problem solving skills
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders
• Stakeholder management and negotiation

Languages

Required
Expert knowledge of English

Desirable
Intermediate knowledge of French

Location
Home based – Off-site

Work can be performed remotely and selected candidates are free to choose their preferred work location. The selected candidates are expected to be available for meetings during normal business hours in the Central European Time zone (CET). 
Selected candidates may be expected to travel to other locations as part of their work (e.g., workshops, meetings with potential donors or partners, etc.).
Consultants not based on Geneva, should plan on travelling to Geneva quarterly.

Remuneration:
Band level D - USD 626 - 720 per day

Method and frequency of interaction:

The selected candidates will liaise and coordinate closely within the secretariat for all aspects of political or financial outreach related to RBF or CF initiatives.  Selected candidates and Unitaid Secretariat will set up regular online calls to share updates and progress toward the agreed deliverables in addition to the regular email exchanges and monthly activity reports. The Specialist will provide input to Executive Board, Policy and Strategy Committee and Finance and Audit Committee reporting cycles twice annually as part of the NGF monitoring framework.

Expected duration of contract: The assignment is for 11 months on a part‑time basis. The selected candidate is expected to work flexibly according to project needs, averaging 2 to 3 days per week. The overall project is planned to run for up to 21 months in total. After completing the initial 11‑month contract, the consultant will take a one‑month contractual break, after which the engagement may continue.
 

Additional Information:

• This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.
• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test or video assessment may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.
• WHO is committed to workforce diversity.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.
• WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.
• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority. The execution of the work under a consultant contract does not create an employer/employee relationship between WHO and the Consultant.
• WHO shall have no responsibility whatsoever for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Consultants working in Switzerland must register with the applicable Swiss cantonal tax authorities and social security authorities, within the prescribed timeframes (Guidelines issued by the Swiss Mission are available at: https://www.eda.admin.ch/missions/mission-onu-geneve/en/home/manual-regime-privileges-and-immunities/introduction/Manuel-personnes-sans-privileges-et-immunites-carte-H/Non fonctionnaires et stagiaires.html
• UNITAID is a partnership hosted and administered by WHO, located outside WHO premises in Le Pommier, 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex.
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