Project Lead and Sustainable Finance Specialist

Background

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 offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its 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 UNDP’s Strategic Plan. 

UNDP's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP's Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

In recent decades, biodiversity finance tools and solutions have demonstrated their importance for achieving biodiversity goals and broader sustainable development objectives. Improved choice, design and implementation of effective, well-tailored finance solutions will strengthen countries’ chances of achieving national and global biodiversity targets. Biodiversity Finance Plans have become increasingly recognized as a relevant tool to help countries to identify and fill the biodiversity finance gap, including through the work of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative www.biofin.org. In December 2022, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework. This included numerous targets with relevance for financing. Target 19 on resource mobilization includes reference for countries to design and implement national biodiversity finance plans. 

The GEF created a global programme to support countries to design a national Biodiversity Finance Plan. A Biodiversity Finance Plan includes a systems analysis of a country's economy including to map existing financing mechanisms, subsidies with potential harmful impacts on nature, drivers of biodiversity loss and gain, public and private expenditures committed towards biodiversity objectives and a country's national financial needs for biodiversity. The biodiversity finance plan itself consists of a series of actions with the aim to significantly scale up available funding, green or phase out harmful finance flows and improve the effectiveness of available expenditures. The programme allows for active sharing of experiences across countries and includes a knowledge sharing platform and the provision of continuous technical support to country teams.

Ethiopia is a new participant in BIOFIN, supported by the GEF8 Umbrella Programme, aimed at designing the country’s first National Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP). The plan will include a detailed systems analysis of the economy, focusing on biodiversity expenditures, finance mechanisms, and policy gaps. The Project Lead will work closely with the National Steering Committee, the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank of Ethiopia, and other national stakeholders.

The Ethiopia Country Office is recruiting a national team consisting of a Project Lead and Finance Specialist, a Biodiversity Finance Specialist, a Policy Expert, and a Project Support Associate to implement the GEF8-BFP Umbrella programme at the national level.

Scope of Work

The Project Lead and Sustainable Finance Specialist will be responsible for the overall supervision and management of in-country activities, ensuring a proper workplan and budget is in place and implemented within set timelines, with an effective national team and strong partnerships. The Project Lead will closely work with the technical team of an Environmental Policy Expert, a Biodiversity Finance Specialist and a Project Support Associate, to ensure implementation mechanisms and technical working groups are established and meet regularly, that all planned workshops, technical studies and other activities are organized in a timely manner, and that they meet expected quality standards. 

He/she is expected to have senior experience and to provide substantial technical expertise in assuring horizontal integration and consistency of workstreams/studies, as well as advisory services and quality assurance of national products and processes throughout the duration of the national project. He/she will be responsible for relevant sections the production of the Policy and Institutional Review, the Biodiversity Expenditure Review and the Financial Needs Assessment. He/she will also lead the preparation of the Biodiversity Finance Plan and will oversee the identification and implementation of finance solutions as requested. He/she will also specifically be responsible for outreach activities to national (Government, donors' delegation, academia, etc.) and relevant international stakeholders, and the preparation of synthesis reports, policy briefs, press releases and briefing notes for Government, UNDP, etc.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Project Management

• Lead the management of national consultants and experts in collaboration with the UNDP Country Office and Global Project Management and Technical Support Unit (GPMTSU);
• Oversee the development, execution, and revision of workplans and budgets in consultation with UNDP and GPMTSU;
• Manage and guide the national BIOFIN team to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of outputs, including the Policy and Institutional Review (PIR), Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER), and Financial Needs Assessment (FNA);
• Ensure regular communication with the Ministries of Finance, Environment, and other key stakeholders, and facilitate the formal establishment and meetings of the National Steering Committee;
• Monitor risks and challenges and report regularly to the GPMTSU and UNDP Ethiopia.
• Ensure alignment of the project with national biodiversity-related processes (NBSAP updates, Global Biodiversity Framework implementation);
• Identify risks and challenges in project implementation and report them to the GPMTSU;
• Organize regular team meetings and monthly calls with the GPMTSU Technical Advisor, ensuring the national team participates in regional technical calls and global meetings.

Provision of top level technical advisory

• Act as principal technical contact for the project implementation with GPMTSU with regards to all questions and issues that arise during national implementation; 
• Serve as the principal technical contact for project implementation, liaising with the GPMTSU on national implementation issues;
• Provide technical leadership on all finance-related issues, ensuring horizontal integration and consistency across workstreams and studies;
• Provide guidance and quality control for the four key deliverables (PIR, BER, FNA, and BFP), ensuring adherence to the BIOFIN methodology;
• Regularly submit draft work to the global Technical Advisor and GPMTSU for feedback and ensure it is integrated into national reports;
• Develop sections on subsidies and financing incentives for the PIR, based on guidance from the GPMTSU and BIOFIN Workbook;
• Provide technical support for data collection and analysis related to the Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER) and Financial Needs Assessment (FNA);
• Develop the Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP) in line with the guidance provided by the GPMTSU and BIOFIN Workbook;
• Provide leadership on finance-related aspects, particularly.
  • Capital market linkages, including green bonds and investment structures;
  • Engagement with banking and pension sectors to integrate biodiversity considerations;
  • Developing innovative finance solutions aligned with global standards.

Lead Reporting/Communication/M&E

• Identify and report any delays in national deliverables to the UNDP Country Office and the GPMTSU;
• Lead project monitoring, reporting, and evaluation at the national level, preparing monthly and quarterly reports for the global BIOFIN team;
• Coordinate the development of workshop reports for the inception and technical workshops;
• Review all technical reports and ensure alignment with global BIOFIN methodologies, including the BIOFIN Workbook;
• Liaise with relevant UNDP initiatives (NBSAP, GEF 7 Early Action Support Program, Nature Hub) and other organizations to support project execution;
• Review final reports for the PIR, BER, FNA, and BFP, ensuring their quality and consistency;
• Collaborate with the team to develop at least one overview publication annually, along with press releases and media products.

Support Strategic Partnership Building and Resource Mobilization

• Establish and maintain a strategic understanding of and engagement with all the relevant institutions, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other UN agencies, government institutions, donors, NGOs, IFIs, the private sector, academia, civil society and other stakeholders and beneficiaries at the national, regional, and local levels;
• Participate in meetings with donors, prepare and deliver presentations of project results, and follow up with relevant counterparts if requested by the supervisor;
• Implement resource mobilization strategies to achieve project outcomes that include facilitating liaisons with potential financing agencies and institutions to strengthen relationships and raise funds;
• Identify new funding opportunities for furthering the project ideas.

Contribute to Knowledge Management and Information Sharing in the UNDP Country Office

• Organize training for the project personnel to enhance their capacities in the technical matters of the thematic area of the project;
• Identify, evaluate, synthesize, and document lessons learned and best practices directly linked to the project goals and activities. Develop knowledge sharing materials and respond to related queries;
• Contribute substantively to knowledge networks and communities of practice within the thematic area of the project;
• Develop and carry out a personal learning plan.

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

Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall guidance of the ETH-BIOFIN project and the direct supervision of the CRES Unit Team Leader or his/her designate and EBI Deputy Director Genera or his/her designate, the Project Lead and Sustainable Finance Specialist will work in close collaboration with the programme, operations, and project teams in ETH-BIOFIN at country office and regional project offices to ensure successful implementation of the project.

Competencies

Core

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:

2030 Agenda

• Nature, Climate and Energy
  • Ecosystems and biodiversity: Economic and finance shift.

Administration and Operations

• Travel Policy and Procedures
  • Knowledge of travel policy and procedures; ability to interpret travel policy, the Staff Rules, administrative circulars and financial regulations and rules on travel-related matters. 

Partnership Management

• Private Sector Resource Mobilization
  • Ability to identify, develop and manage partnerships that leverage private sector technical expertise and resources.

Business Management

• Project Management
  • Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Finance

• Financial Planning and Budgeting
  • Ability to create and manage processes to achieve UNDP's long and short-term financial goals, including through planning, budgeting, forecasting, analyzing and reporting.

Procurement

• Procurement Management
  • The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source.

Business Direction and Strategy

• System 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.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Environment/Natural Resource Management, Biodiversity, Political Studies, Economics/Finance or a closely related field is required or;
• A first-level university degree (bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years (with a master’s degree) or 7 years (with a bachelor’s degree)  in the implementation of environment/biodiversity/finance projects.

Required Skills:

• Experience in gathering and processing data and information;
• Experience in managing work teams and supervising technical assessments, reports and technical documents;
• Knowledge of key software packages (MS Office).

Desired Skills:

• Experience in capital markets, pension systems, or private sector finance;
• Experience with tripartite engagements across public, private, and financial sectors;
• Knowledge of environmental or biodiversity-related policies;
• Prior experience with UNDP projects.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in English and Amharic is required;
• Knowledge of any other UN language or national language is desired.

Professional Certificates:

• Certifications in the field of capital markets, green finance and related fields 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. 

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.

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