Background

 
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

 
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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. 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.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.  BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.  BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

UNDP's Sustainable Finance Hub

The Sustainable Finance Hub, a finance and innovation platform, draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to leverage and align resources for the SDGs and support the implementation of UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 . The Hub is an integral part of both the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), as well as part of the GPN. Through regional focal points, it supports sustainable finance work in UNDP’s Country Offices and works in close collaboration with the Regional Bureaus. The Hub serves as a connector, broker and global coordinator among internal and external actors; curates and manages UNDP’s catalogue of service offers on SDG financing to governments, investors and companies. The Hub has five interconnected service offers: 

1) Public finance for the SDGs; 

2) Unlocking private capital and aligning business operations for the SDGs;

3) SDG impact management and finance tracking;

4) Integrated National Financing Frameworks and Portfolios; and 5) SDG Finance Academy.

UNDP’s Insurance and Risk Finance Facility

The collaboration between the insurance industry and the development sector has grown significantly over the last five years. Key initiatives, such as the Insurance Development Forum, InsuResilience Global Partnership and the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance, have evolved into significant policy and standard setting partnerships, bringing together countries, the development sector, and the private and mutual/cooperative sectors of industry. The Tripartite Agreement between the German Government, UNDP and Insurance Development Forum (and its private sector members) is a flagship example of such transformative partnerships. Increasingly, these partnerships are moving beyond policy to programming, with a strong focus on not only delivering insurance and risk financing solutions to countries and communities, but also on long-term transformational change of insurance markets.

UNDP’s growing work in this space has led to the creation of the Insurance & Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), within the SFH. This work covers a range of critical areas where insurance and risk transfer solutions and collaboration with the industry can add significantly to achieving and delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.) Covering inclusive insurance, sovereign risk financing, insurance investments, natural capital, and more, UNDP’s work will look to not only develop and deliver insurance solutions together with countries and communities, it will also look to work with partners to transform insurance markets, working on legislation, regulation and institutional capacity.

UNDP’s dedicated team working on insurance, risk and resilience financing, is now being enhanced with additional capacity to deliver on the promise and commitment around smallholder farmers’ financial resilience towards climate adaptation. The IRFF is launching a new initiative to support climate adaptation efforts for smallholder resilience through the design and implementation of agriculture insurance and risk transfer programs through innovative partnerships and catalyzing further financing for scale up of initiatives.

Position Purpose

Under the overall supervision of the Senior Technical Advisor, Insurance & Risk Financing Facility, and coordinating directly with the Value Chain Resilience Specialist. The position will also work closely with the other team members, especially the Inclusive Insurance Lead and Regional Advisors for Asia and Africa.  The Agricultural Insurance Specialist will be responsible for leading and guiding UNDP work of a newly launched initiative in five countries across Asia and Africa. In particular, the Specialist will lead and manage all elements involved in developing agricultural insurance initiatives that target small scale producers. 

The Specialist will be responsible for the design of country roadmaps towards the development of agricultural insurance and support the national coordination process (including public and private players) through UNDP country offices. The Specialist will provide technical support for the insurance product development linked to agricultural value chains and to the integration of agricultural insurance to public policies around rural productivity, adaptation to climate change and social protection. 

Additionally, the Specialist will support UNDP Country Offices globally to design, develop and implement agricultural insurance projects including proposals for donors. The Specialist will represent UNDP in global fora on agricultural development, climate change adaptation and insurance.  

Key Duties and Accountabilities

Market foundations for agricultural insurance

Example of Duties:

  • Lead support to the five intervention countries on developing a process for market foundations of agricultural insurance. 
  • Lead IRFF interventions that involve agricultural insurance.
  • Facilitate national multistakeholder working groups and coordination among national stakeholders (insurers, intermediaries, financial institutions, ministries of agriculture and finance, extension services, input providers, off takers, service providers) to drive the development of agricultural insurance 
  • Design and implement tools for needs assessment of stakeholders involved in agricultural insurance. 
  • Develop content and interventions to improve and sustain the capacity of national stakeholders regarding agricultural insurance and small-scale producer resilience.
  • Support UNDP country offices in driving and facilitating the scale up of agricultural insurance

Partnership Development

Example of Duties:

  • Identify implementation partners for agricultural insurance initiatives at the country level.
  • Drive partnership development with incentives for all stakeholders to engage in the implementation of agricultural insurance initiatives in five countries with incentives. 
  • Design monitoring mechanisms for public private partnerships that scale up agricultural insurance for smallholder farmers

Insurance product development and implementation

Example of Duties:

  • Lead product development and implementation of agricultural insurance products
  • Design and implement implementation models that link up public and private stakeholders aiming to scale up climate protection for smallholder farmers
  • Develop monitoring and evaluation tools for all stakeholders to follow up the performance of agricultural insurance products at the country level
  • Support UNDP Country Offices in the processes to design and implement agricultural insurance products

Technical support to UNDP Country Offices and other initiatives

Example of Duties:

  • Provide technical backstopping for UNDP Country Offices globally in their work on smallholder and agricultural insurance
  • Develop proposals and concept notes for UNDP Country Offices around smallholder resilience and agricultural insurance for diverse donors and vertical funds

External Engagement and Advocacy, Research and Evidence

Example of Duties:

  • Lead on agricultural insurance knowledge management and research for the IRFF, including the development of knowledge products, reports, technical briefs, and guidance notes.
  • Provide content and inputs to the communications and general knowledge products of the IRFF.
  • Support the technical development of marketing, policy, learning and advocacy materials related to the IRFF’s work, as well as in support of both the SFH and wider GPN, especially as it relates to smallholder and agricultural insurance
  • Represent the IRFF as subject expert on smallholder and agricultural insurance in diverse forums and events. 
  • Develop data collection tools and techniques for monitoring of project related interventions

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervising the national project coordinators in five countries.

Requirements:

Education

A Master’s degree in Agronomy, Business, Economics, Finance, Actuarial Science, and Development or other closely related area is required 

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

  • A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in agricultural insurance work, rural development, and financial inclusion, especially in developing countries, ideally with exposure to both public (national or multilateral, including UN) and private sectors (academia, non-governmental sector, corporate), with an increasing level of responsibility is required.
  • Experience in overseeing the implementation of initiatives involving government, private sector, academia and/or intergovernmental stakeholders, especially in Africa and Asia, is highly desirable. 
  • Experience in results-based project management including implementation, reporting, monitoring and evaluation is desirable.
  • Familiarity and experience working with key global organizations and stakeholders working in agricultural insurance such is desirable.
  • Experience in overseeing and guiding the development of knowledge products and knowledge management on agricultural  insurance is an asset. 
  • Working experience in UN or other international organization is an advantage.
  • Excellent English language knowledge with exceptional writing, presentation and communication skills is a must.
  • Competency in French and/or Spanish and/or Portuguese is desirable

Expected Demonstration of Competencies

Core : Full list of 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: Easily navigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight
  • 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: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation 
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management 

  • UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

The Specialist will have matrixed supervisory role of National Project Officers in program countries and is expected to demonstrate the following people management competencies: 

  • Show managerial courage.
  • Demonstrate empathy and emotional intelligence.
  • Motivate and direct.
  • Build an enabling workplace.
  • Build capability.
  • Manage performance and ensure accountability.
  • Lead with humility

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Direction and Strategy : 

Strategic Thinking 

  • Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives , based on the systematic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities ; linking the vision to reality on the ground and creating tangible solutions;
  • Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what the future developments an d possible ways forward look like for  UNDP

Business Management

Results-based Management

  • Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results

Business Management

Partnerships Management

  • Ability to 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: Partnerships

 SDG Finance

  • Inclusive markets/businesses and value chain development
  • Insurance for Development

Innovative Finance

  • Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation
     
For external applicants, please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

 
Disclaimer

 

 
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.

 
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