Innovative Finance and Accelerator Lab Partnerships Development Specialist

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. Within this context, UNDP invests in a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. The scale of ambition of the SDGs and the Strategic Plan demands that UNDP re-frame its engagement with the private sector at a scale of ambition that matches the requirements of the Member States and the SDGs. Within the broader span of private sector partnerships, engagement with the private sector will help to leverage additional financing to achieve the SDGs is a critical area of work for UNDP. To this end, UNDP will embark on an innovative undertaking to validate new forms of partnership and programming with the private sector through which significant financing can be leveraged for achievement of the Strategic Plan and the SDGs.

Within the context of SDG Financing, UNDP is launching an Finance Sector Hub which is conceptualized as a finance and innovation platform that draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of resources for the SDGs and lead the implementation of the new UNDP private sector strategy and other initiatives which fully supports the implementation of the Strategic Plan and supports governments to align private sector activities and financial investments with the 2030 Agenda. The Hub will be an integral part of both the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), as part of the Global Policy Network (GPN).

The Finance Hub and Accelerator Lab Network Partnerships Development Specialist will support the integration of the Innovative Finance Hub experiences and lessons learned into UNDP’s broader regional and global work and seek new opportunities for support to innovative finance objectives within the framework of dynamic and constructive partnerships with the private sector, which will be mainstreamed into the operational and programme work for Bureaux, regional hubs, and country offices. The incumbent will play a critical role in developing, strengthening, and coordinating key partnerships. S/he maintains relations with donors and other development partners at appropriate levels and seeks synergies across all UNDP strategic initiatives and projects. The Specialist will report directly to the Director, Finance Sector Hub and the Team Leader of the Accelerator Lab network in a 50/50 time split.

This post will also provide support to the Accelerator Lab Network.  The initiative is run out of the UNDP’s Executive Office of the Administrator in very close collaboration with the Bureau for Policy and Program Support, Regional Bureaus and Country Offices.  The intention is to build the largest and fastest learning global network of Accelerator Labs (initially setting up 60 labs in 60 countries) to apply emerging approaches to development challenges and accelerate progress toward the Agenda 2030.  The Labs, embedded within UNDP’s global architecture and country platforms, embody the new organizational offering to transform the collective approach to development. The new offering is premised on leveraging the latest thinking from the fields of complexity science, lead user innovation and collective intelligence toward new development approaches and accelerated learning on most effective and locally appropriate ways of achieving SDGs. 

The incumbent will provide a critical link between the finance hub and the accelerator lab network in order to scale innovations across UNDP and into its core business. The Specialist will lead on the grafting of new processes – co-design, agile management, open-source technologies onto UNDP’s core ways of working and managing risk.  This post is meant to test out new ways of programme operations, defining and managing frontier risks, and making UNDP a more agile partner to support the Accelerator Lab network.

Support the development and adaptation of UNDP’s corporate policies and strategies with external stakeholders relevant for the Finance Sector Hub and the Accelerator Lab network:

• Design and update, as required, collaboration modalities with partners outside of the UN system, including donors, service providers, and Responsible Parties.
• Co-develop with BPPS the development of new financial instruments, partnership agreements, or programmatic tools that will enable the streamlining of the finance hub’s activities into regional and country office portfolios.
• Implement these strategies and tools in collaboration with hub projects.
• As a member of the Accelerator Lab Network support hub, scope out innovative solutions for accelerator lab partnerships for responsible parties.
• Actively feed lessons from the Accelerator Lab network into UNDP corporate policies and practice.

Support senior management with regard to the implementation of Innovative Finance, ensuring the goals and objectives of the Finance Sector Hub are reflected in UNDP’s programmatic delivery and operational management processes:

• Actively engage and support the definition of UNDP roles regarding innovative finance instruments, including fix asset, equity and venture, including defining policies and rules for UNDP around these instruments.

Advisory Support, Client Management and Coordination for the Finance Hub and the Accelerator Lab network:  

• Advise senior management on operational issues affecting programme delivery and overall operations.
• Identify approaches and modalities to achieve management targets and increased cost-effectiveness.
• Promote knowledge sharing and learning in the Finance Hub.
• Ensures that Finance Sector Hub activities are in line with UNDP regulations and rules.
• Design and update, as required, Service Level Agreements and other arrangements with partners within the UN system.
• Work with project managers within the Finance Sector Hub to Develop and implement solutions for complex operational problems.

Negotiating and Managing Partnership Portfolio on Innovative Finance for the Finance Sector Hub:

• Map out key stakeholders in innovative finance, in both the public and private sectors.
• Develop proposals for engagement with key actors and mobilize existing resources within UNDP to achieve results.
• Lead negotiations with potential partners, with due consideration to UNDP rules and regulations.
• In close consultation senior management, determine programmatic areas of cooperation in the area of innovative finance, based on strategic goals of UNDP, needs and donor priorities.
• Undertake analysis and research of funding opportunities, areas of cooperation, and cost-sharing.

Represent the Finance Sector Hub in national, regional, and international fora, as required, and support knowledge management on Innovative Finance for the Hub:

• Develop and maintain effective relations with external partners, other UN agencies and other UNDP units.
• Support the senior management in representation efforts in the national, regional and international fora, vis-à-vis national and international partners at governmental and non-governmental levels in close cooperation with BERA, UNDP HQ or UNDP COs, as appropriate.
• Ensure effective knowledge management and communication amongst the Innovative Finance Hub’s projects.

Drive Accelerator Lab innovation operational scaling in UNDP and with partners:

• Advise regional and country operations staff on innovative solutions to ensure the Accelerator labs can undertake solutions mapping, collective intelligence and managing a portfolio of experiments.
• Support CO’s in new methods including engagement facilities, development support initiatives and other programme modalities.
• Develop partnerships through responsible party agreements and long-term agreements in new areas including behaviorial insights, real time monitoring, innovations skills development among others.
• Design and test new ways to bridge internal silos (programme and operations) as a core member of the Accelerator Lab Network Hub.
• Lead the defining of new risks posed by frontier technologies and ways to manage them within the Accelerator Lab network, including through the development of risk management tools for digital ethics.
• Provide substantive and coordination support on finance, procurement and legal issues to Country Offices within the network. 

Core

Innovation Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them

Leadership Ability to persuade others to follow

Level 5: Plans and acts transparently, actively works to remove barriers

People Management Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Level 5: Models high professional standards and motivates excellence in others

Communication Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

Level 5: Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others

Delivery Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Level 5: Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions

Technical/Functional

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Results Based Management Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Relationship Management & Partnerships Ability to engage with other agencies and parties

Resource mobilization Ability to identify and organize projects to implement solutions and generate resources

Advocacy and Representation Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues)

Strategic Planning Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision, and mission

Secondary

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position; Possesses knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks; Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning, demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Knowledge Management Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences

Client Orientation Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion; Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines

Education

• Master’s Degree in political science, law, international relations or a finance related field. Or
• Bachelor’s Degree in political science, law, international relations or a finance related field, plus 2 additional years of relevant experience as outlined below.

Experience

• At least 7 years of substantive experience in or directly related to commercial activities within international development, including but not limited to procurement, commercial negotiations, and policy development.
• Thorough understanding of the operational environment of UNDP, and the way it can engage with the private sector is required.
• Prior experience and proven competence managing commercial relationships with UNDP is required.
• Strong experience in negotiations at the international, national, regional and local level is required.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages and handling of web-based management systems is required.
• Prior experience and demonstrated competence managing teams that deliver tangible results is an asset.
• Knowledge of UNDP rules and procedures is an asset.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of additional UN languages is an asset.

Other

• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required.

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: 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.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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