SDG Finance & Innovative Finance Advisor

The United Nations Development Programme works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. 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 Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), 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 scope and ambition of the SDGs), together with the important commitments made in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, is far beyond what governments, aid flows and Multilaterals can achieve alone. The SDGs demand that both domestic and international markets are fundamentally reshaped to be more inclusive, equitable and sustainable while generating profits, innovation and inclusive growth. The challenge to finance the SDGs is not the of lack of money, the issue is systemic and much deeper than closing any financial gap. It demands the re-orientation of how government, businesses and investors interact with each other to create a system to achieve results in the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. 

The UN Secretary General has highlighted the need for a fundamental reform of the way the UN system approaches financing, investment and the work with the private sector, to help unlock the resources required to meet the SDGs. UNDP is increasingly being called upon to be a key actor in the arena of SDG and Green Finance.  UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2018-22 is founded on six signature solutions: keeping people out of poverty, strengthening effective governance; enhancing national resilience; promoting nature-based solutions; closing the energy gap; and strengthening gender equality. The financing environment in developing countries is extremely complex, which finds reflection in the increasing importance of south-south cooperation and a remarkable proliferation of new inclusive and sustainable business models, new financial models and instruments, the slowly growing blending of public and private resources, crowdfunding, ESG investments, social impact bonds and much more.

UNDP is committed to transform the way it provides policy and program support to client countries, so that it exponentially increases SDG action. UNDP’s Global Policy Network (GPN) reorients staff into technical teams that can deliver world class thought leadership around the 2030 Agenda. UNDP’s Finance Sector Hub is building an agile innovation platform that draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives across all parts of the organization and wide-ranging partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of financing for the SDGs, at national, regional  and global levels.

In this context UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) is seeking to recruit an SDG Finance & Innovative Finance Advisor as a strategic position to help coordinate UNDP’s work in Europe and Central Asia on financing the SDGs. The portfolio includes work to support SDG financing strategies, budget reform, debt and fiscal instruments, leveraging international public finance, unlocking private capital, aligning business strategies and operations as well as monitoring and reporting on the impact of SDG Finance. The SDG Finance Advisor will have oversight and strategic leadership of different SDG finance initiatives. The position will be embedded in and support on a day-to-day basis UNDP’s Istanbul Regional Hub and work as part of the BPPS/Global Policy Network. The SDG Finance Advisor reports to the Manager of UNDP’s Istanbul Regional Hub with a matrix reporting to the SDG Finance Advisor in the Finance Sector Hub. The SDG Finance & Innovative Finance Advisor will provide specific support for UNDP’s policy and programming with a focus on the following areas:

• Lead SDG Financing policy and programme support to country offices;
• Lead SDG Financing policy and programme support at the regional level;
• Lead regional partnerships and resource mobilization for SDG financing;
• Knowledge management.

Lead SDG Financing policy and programme support to country offices 

• Support country offices in their engagement on SDG Financing, with Governments, the UN country team, IFIs and development partners broadly;
• Provide policy advisory support to UNDP country offices and their clients including government and the private sector in scaling up financing for the SDGs at country level;
• Support programme and portfolio development at the country level to enable country offices to test and apply innovative financing approaches and to deliver quality support to governments in financing the SDGs;
• Provide advisory support and leverage internal and external expertise for public finance frameworks for development, as well as and private finance alignment to benefit the SDGs;
• Support UNDP COs in accessing support from other UN resources including, but not limited to the UN Joint SDG Fund.

Lead SDG Financing policy and programme support at the regional level

• Support the Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director in collaborative efforts related to SDG financing with regional UN system partners;
• Lead and oversee the work of the Istanbul Regional Hub related to SDG Finance and innovative financing approaches within the framework of the Regional Programme – across multi-disciplinary teams;
• Develop regional and/or sub-regional financing and scaling strategies, tools, methodologies in partnership with UN system partners and IFIs;
• Ensure coherence and alignment of financing strategies in regional and country-level programming and integration with policy and programme services across GPN teams based in Istanbul;
• Support Finance Sector Hub in UN collaboration at HQ providing country and regional inputs to the Interagency Task Force on Financing the SDGs and the SG’s strategy on financing the SDGs.

Lead regional partnerships and resource mobilization for SDG Financing

• Build, nurture and maintain a network of knowledge and implementation partners on SDG financing and innovative financing in Europe and Central Asia;  
• Working with the Finance Sector Hub ensure UNDP COs have access to thought leaders and experts to support innovative approaches to financing the SDGs;
• Raise resources for UNDP COs from regional and global sources of support including from traditional as well as new and emerging donor governments, foundations and the private sector as well working with the Finance Sector Hub to access global support.

Knowledge Management

• Lead a community of practice on SDG finance across country offices of the region and connected to other regions with and through the UNDP Finance Sector Hub
• Coordinate team contributions and support to corporate KM activities and related communication on SDG finance and innovative financing approaches, whether at the regional or global level to help influence/advance policy dialogue in the area of SDG finance in collaboration with policy teams at the Istanbul Regional Hub and the Finance Sector Hub;
• Coordinate and perform knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned for SDG and Innovative Finance and ensure that knowledge sharing, and content management is in line with corporate standards and tools.

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work

• Ability to persuade others to follow

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

• Knowledge and understanding of the effective administration of funds collected and spent by governments.

• Ability to undertake initiatives that aim to raise newfunds for development or optimize the use of traditional funding sources. 

• Knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ability to support their achievement strategically and/or practically.

• Ability to manage and coordinate campaigns and people with inspiration. Believe in and promote diversity in the workplace and reshaping the workforce to meet need

• Ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside (Programmes/ projects) or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support. 

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

• Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources

• Ability to substantively engage and foster networks with public and private sector institutions, research institutions, and think tanks.

• Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

• Master's degree in Economics, Finance, Public Financial Management, Development Studies or a related area.

• At least 10 years of professional experience in Public Financial Management and a proven track record in innovative financing and scaling approaches and in partnering with public and private financial institutions
• Proven track record in policy and advisory support in the areas of development financing, with a focus on financing innovations and financial scaling 
• Proven track record in management and leadership roles; extensive experience of programming; partnership development and resource mobilization;
• Excellent coordination, negotiating and communication skills and ability to mobilize support from a wide range of partners (public, private, academic, civil society, business community leaders).
• Experience working for development financing institution is an asset

• Full proficiency in English, fluency in Russian is considered an asset.
• Other official language of the UN will be desirable.

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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