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, 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 is seeking a Blue Economy Investment Specialist to lead the origination, structuring, and deployment of ocean-positive and nature-based blended finance investments in the Pacific. The position will focus on mobilizing concessional and catalytic capital toward enterprises and financial intermediaries that generate sustainable livelihoods while protecting and restoring coastal and marine ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on reef-positive, fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, waste management, and ocean-climate resilience solutions.
Among other tasks, the incumbent is expected to manage the blue economy portfolio in the Pacific, in particular the EU-funded Sustainable Pacific Blue Circle Fund (SPBCF) project, an impact investment vehicle that provides investment capital backed by venture-building support (technical assistance, grants, loans, guarantees) to businesses that have the potential to generate revenue and create a positive development impact ongoing till 2028. The incumbent is also expected to oversee other blue economy focused and reef-positive interventions that are implemented in the Pacific region.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Regional Investment Specialists for the Pacific and in close collaboration with other colleagues in IID and IFOD, the Blue Economy Investment Specialist will lead and support the development, structuring and execution of blue‑economy or other relevant sectoral investment initiatives. The Specialist will work closely with IID and IFOD colleagues, as well as other UNCDF counterparts, country focal points, government partners, private sector actors and development partners.
1) Project Management of Blue‑Economy Investment Initiatives
- Manage all aspects of the blue economy initiatives implemented in the Pacific.
- Lead the preparation and implementation of Annual Work Plans (AWPs), budgets and activity schedules for Pacific blue‑economy investment programmes.
- Manage day‑to‑day implementation of activities, including stakeholder engagement, technical assistance delivery, pipeline development and progress monitoring.
- Manage project documentation, track financial delivery, oversee audits when required, and support organization of steering committee meetings.
- Ensure effective coordination between countries, regional teams, and corporate oversight units to deliver a complex multi-country programme.
- Apply UNCDF Social and Environmental Standards (SES), including safeguards related to human rights, gender equality, SEA/SH prevention, and grievance mechanisms.
- Maintain and update project risk registers, escalate high-risk issues, and contribute to assurance activities, audits, and evaluations.
- Apply adaptive management approaches, identifying implementation risks and bottlenecks and proposing timely corrective actions.
- Ensure efficient use of project resources, value for money, and adherence to approved budgets.
2) Investment Pipeline Development and Blended Finance Execution
- Lead the sourcing, screening, and development of a diversified pipeline of blue and green economy MSMEs
- Oversee incubation and acceleration pathways, ensuring MSMEs receive tailored technical assistance and progress toward investment readiness.
- Guide and quality-assure financial, technical, environmental and social (ESG), and gender-lens due diligence processes for MSMEs and financial-sector partners.
- Coordinate the structuring and deployment of investment grants, concessional loans, and credit guarantees benefiting the blue economy in line with UNCDF investment policies and approval committees.
- Support engagement with local financial institutions, development banks, and impact investors to crowd in private capital in support of the blue economy.
- Ensure supported enterprises are prepared for graduation to concessional or commercial finance.
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Contribute to the design, feasibility assessment, and investor engagement for the expansion of blended finance in the blue economy, ensuring alignment with UNCDF’s catalytic mandate.
3) Partnership Development, Stakeholder Engagement, and Policy Dialogue
- Serve as UNCDF’s primary focal point for blue economy related engagement with governments, central banks, regulators, donors, financial institutions, NGOs, business development service providers, and private investors.
- Build and sustain strategic partnerships that enhance MSME incubation, financial sector capacity, and capital mobilization for blue and green economy investments.
- Support structured dialogue with policymakers and regulators to strengthen enabling environments for sustainable finance and MSME access to capital.
- Coordinate engagement with regional and international partners working in the blue economy to leverage synergies and avoid duplication.
- Represent UNCDF in national, regional, and international forums related to blended finance, blue economy, and climate finance.
- Promote South–South and Triangular Cooperation initiatives and knowledge exchange around blue economy matters.
4) Monitoring, Reporting, Knowledge Management, and Learning
- Oversee and maintain robust M&E systems capturing both programme and investment‑level results, including blue‑economy‑specific indicators (e.g., sustainable fisheries outcomes, marine ecosystem co‑benefits, climate resilience).
- Ensure high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting, including disaggregation by sex, youth, sector, and country.
- Contribute to timely and accurate donor reports, annual progress reviews, and mid-term and final evaluations.
- Lead knowledge capture and dissemination, including case studies, lessons learned, and good practices for blue and green economy finance.
- Support learning and replication by sharing evidence and insights within UNCDF and with regional and global partners.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies
Core Competencies - UNDP Core Competencies can be found here.
- 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
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
| Thematic Area | Name | Definition |
| Business Direction & Strategy | Strategic Thinking | Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNCDF’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight. |
|
Business Development |
Knowledge Generation | Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new 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 |
Working with Evidence and Data |
Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making |
| 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 & 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 |
| Partnerships management | Private Sector engagement | Ability to identify, conduct outreach and manage relationships with the private sector. |
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- An Advanced (Master’s level) university degree in business administration, finance, marketing, economics, accounting or related fields 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:
- A minimum of 7 years (with a Masters’ Degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor’s Degree) of relevant work experience in either the financial sector or the private sector or a mix, preferably with investment and/or business management expertise.
- A minimum of 5 years investment experience in the blue economy and financial instruments is required.
- Experience working in venture capital and/or banking within an international financial environment, preferably in development finance institution, impact investor or similar is required;
- Experience in private credit and/or equity for investments with a social mission in emerging/frontier markets, is required.
- Experience in project preparation and/or in development of investment opportunities, especially for investment projects focusing on blue economy in developing countries is required.
- Competency with financial modeling and analysis in Microsoft excel is required.
- Computer literacy, including proficient use of research applications is required.
Desired Experience:
- Experience in nature-related or climate-aligned investments
- Experience in evaluating environmental impacts alongside commercial viability.
- Understanding of the investment needs of enterprises and the mix of debt/equity required at different growth stages—from incubation to scaling up to commercial viability.
- Strong knowledge of financial markets and financing for sustainable development, with the ability to apply it to strategic and/or practical situations.
- Strong analytical writing skills; experienced in producing concise, executive level reports (PowerPoint) and presentations, training modules and materials.
- A minimum of 2 years of experience in working for/in the UN System or similar international development finance institution;
Language:
- Written and spoken fluency in English is required;
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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