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

As the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnerships and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP’s work is guided by four strategic objectives that together define our contribution to human development: expanding prosperity for all, strengthening effective governance, safeguarding a healthy planet and building crisis resilience. These objectives are enabled by three accelerators that drive transformative impact across our portfolio: digital and AI innovation, gender equality and sustainable finance. Through this integrated approach, UNDP supports countries to deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives and to advance sustainable development at scale.  

UNDP, through its Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) (https://sdgfinance.undp.org/), supports partners in promoting financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  As an accelerator of the UNDP Strategic Plan, sustainable finance strengthens countries’ ability to mobilize, align and deploy finance at scale for national priorities. UNDP supports international and country level policy reform as a catalyst for system-wide change, stronger policy environments, better-functioning markets and more coherent financing strategies for sustainable development.  SFH work is delivered through three interconnected portfolios: 1) Public Finance for the SDGs; 2) Private Finance for the SDGs; and 3) Global & Country Financing Policy Frameworks.

The SFH Public Finance for SDGs (PF4SDGs) portfolio supports governments to strengthen public finance systems for sustainable development. Operating across 99+ countries with a portfolio exceeding $200 million, PF4SDGs provides integrated technical assistance across three core pillars: (1) Fiscal Policy Coherence, (2) Tax Systems for Sustainable Development, and (3) Public Expenditure Management. The portfolio works with Ministries of Finance, Planning, and line ministries to align fiscal policies, tax systems, and public expenditure with national development priorities and the 2030 Agenda. As a core part of the Public Finance for SDGs Portfolio, the Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) is a joint initiative of UNDP and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), operating under the PF4SDGs Tax Systems pillar with regional hubs in Pretoria, Bangkok, Istanbul, Panama, and Amman. TIWB strengthens tax audit capacity in developing countries through real-time, hands-on technical assistance, where international experts work alongside local officials on live audit cases. Since its launch in 2015, TIWB has become a flagship program for domestic resource mobilization and international tax cooperation, supporting over 80 jurisdictions and mobilizing USD 2.4 billion in additional revenues. Its scope spans transfer pricing, tax crime investigations, exchange of information, tax treaty negotiations, and emerging areas like digital economy taxation. TIWB exemplifies high-impact, cost-effective assistance, delivering strong returns, and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Position Purpose

The Global Specialist – Tax Inspectors Without Borders will serve as the primary liaison between UNDP and the OECD-based TIWB Secretariat, coordinating TIWB programming within the broader Public Finance portfolio. Under the direct supervision of the Head of Public Finance for SDGs, the incumbent will coordinate the implementation and monitoring of TIWB programmes across 80+ jurisdictions, working closely with Country Offices, Regional Bureaus, Regional Public Finance Specialists, and the OECD Secretariat. The incumbent will manage multi-stakeholder engagement, expert deployments, programme operations, and knowledge management to strengthen UNDP's service offer in tax administration and domestic resource mobilization. 

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of interconnected nature of development risks & crises that the world is facing and that call for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated & systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Coordinate strategic, effective engagement with multiple stakeholders

  • Coordinate multi-stakeholder engagement for TIWB, including engaging with Tax experts, OECD and other Governments, UNDP Regional Hubs, Regional Bureaus and Country offices.
  • Generate demand for TIWB by engaging with UNDP Regional Bureaus and Country Offices; Collaborate on funding proposals for mobilizing additional donor resources for TIWB as part of the P4SDGs portfolio and broader SFH portfolios.
  • Work with the Regional Programme Specialists to create synergies for country-level focused capacity building and leverage expertise and experience across world regions. 
  • Articulate the Initiative’s matrix structure by outlining how thematic work is linked to the five regional perspectives through the Head of Public Finance, ensuring coherence and a unified approach across the Public Finance portfolio
  • Collaborate on strategy for TIWB, including promoting South-South cooperation.
  • Support the Head of Public Finance for SDGs in strengthening linkages between TIWB work, other SFH portfolios, including private finance and Global Financing Policy and Country Frameworks, to ensure coherence and complementarity across SFH and UNDP initiatives.
  • Liaise, as required, with relevant OECD teams to expand partnerships and promote synergies and outreach in support of UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub and the TIWB Initiative.

Ensure Policy and Programme Advisory Support

  • In coordination with the SFH Regional Advisors, engage with UNDP country offices to analyze global and cross-regional contexts and identify potential synergies between TIWB, P4SDGs and the broader SFH  portfolios, and UNDP’s in-country policy and development work in the five regions in the context of public finance, in particular taxation for the SDGs.
  • Liaise with UNDP country offices to engage substantively in expert deployments, including through providing expert advice, helping to formulate appropriate requests for assistance, assisting with briefing of experts before, during and after deployment so that the missions build on existing work of the Sustainable Finance Hub.
  • Collaborate on UN’s policy papers/reports on domestic resource mobilization. Develop policy content on domestic resource mobilization, including blogs.
  • Develop concept notes for technical workshops/webinars/side events for TIWB.
  • Develop internal UNDP briefing notes and talking points for Senior Management on TIWB.

Ensure Programme Coordination and Project Management

  • Manage TIWB programmes as per developed standard operating procedures, including collaborating on TIWB programme’s terms of reference.
  • Structure and collaboratively map out emerging trends, synergies with other activities and opportunities across regions and globally.
  • Coordinate setting up of TIWB programmes in each country as required.
  • Coordinate evaluation and selection of TIWB tax experts and other experts for deployment worldwide, including overseeing their procurement and contracting as per UNDP standard operating procedures. 
  • Manage reporting duties related to TIWB, including project budgeting and cash flow management, and oversee its maintenance as per UNDP standard operating procedures.
  • Collaborate on evidence collection and lessons learned from TIWB country experiences, including promoting best practice sharing and peer learning through case studies. 
  • Support UNDP and SFH thought leadership and collaborate on knowledge management between various stakeholders, including experts’ engagement platform.

Coordinate Outreach Engagement and Facilitate Knowledge Building

  • Coordinate TIWB communications efforts, including key knowledge products (e.g. the TIWB annual report), newsletters, videos, social media (e.g. X) content and engagement in coordination with the other SFH portfolios.
  • Coordinate the organization of TIWB related events, including Governing Board meetings, Technical Advisory Board meetings, international conferences, side-events, amongst others.
  • Represent TIWB in international forums, conferences and events, as required, ensuring strong linkages with SFH portfolios and UNDP’s work in general.
  • Provide substantive and sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None

Competencies

  • Core Competencies: 

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 and Technical Competencies:

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 - 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.

Business Management - Results based management: Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.

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 UNDP strategy and policies.

2030 Agenda: Partnership - SDG Finance:

  • Public Finance for the SDGs
  • Taxation and the SDGs

Communications - Product management: Ability to manage digital products through their entire life cycle.

Communications - Storytelling: Ability to convey information in engaging narratives through digital media to achieve communication outcomes.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Economics, Law, Political Science, Public Policy, Taxation or related field is required.OR 
  • 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 bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience of working in taxation, public finance management or domestic resource mobilization for a government, bilateral donor organization or international organization is required.
  • Proven experience and thorough understanding of tax/fiscal policy, tax administration processes, public finance reforms and management is required.
  • Experience and proven knowledge of current debates regarding taxation, financing for sustainable development and the 2030 Agenda in developing and transition economies is required.
  • Experience in working in and with developing countries in at least two regions on tax related issues is desired.
  • Experience in working with UNDP or UN system on matters related to taxation and fiscal policies is desired.
  • Experience in project management and programme coordination is desired.
  • Experience in overseeing knowledge management activities is desired.
  • Experience in organizing high-level events is desired.
  • Experience in writing concept notes, briefing notes, outcome reports, and other communication and analytical inputs especially related to tax administration is desired.

Language:

  • Fluency in English, both written and oral is required.
  • Knowledge of another UN language would be an asset.

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. 

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA), including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer, Secondment or Loan of Staff, on an appointment of more than one year, continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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