IndirizzoBackground
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
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.
Since 2022, UNDP and the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security have started to work together on the policy areas of “youth-led climate action” and “energy transition” through two programmes: the Youth4Climate Initiative and the Italy-UNDP Energy Partnership. These activities will run from 2022 to 2025 gearing up – among other initiatives – to the Italian Presidency of the G7 in 2024.
Youth4Climate promotes youth engagement in climate action, contributing to SDG13. Youth4Climate supports the implementation of youth-led and youth-inclusive solutions to environmental and climate challenges, both financially and through capacity development. It also gives young people around the world who are committed to fighting climate change a platform to engage with policymakers and global leaders.
The Italy-UNDP Energy Partnership aims to promote access to sustainable energy in developing countries, contributing to SDG7. The goal of the partnership is to assist partner countries in unlocking finance to scale up the diffusion of clean energy solutions, increase access to energy and boost the energy transition. The Partnership is now in its pilot phase, and it focuses on a set of 8 countries in Africa: Algeria, Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zambia, Eswatini and Comoros. Overall, the Partnership aims to foster the mobilization of public and Private capital toward projects aligned with the international policy agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. It does so by connecting UNDP's capacity and connections in emerging economies and developing countries with the public-private ecosystem of Italy and other G7 countries, in the crucial sector of energy.
Cross-cutting to these two initiatives and to the thematic areas of climate and energy is the Platform for Investment Support and Technical Assistance (PISTA) implemented by the Rome Centre, which aims to mobilise finance for climate, energy and environment. Specifically, PISTA aims to originate projects that contribute to the decarbonization efforts of developing economies and to their transition to climate-resilient economies, and it aims to catalyse international financial resources toward these initiatives. Matching impactful projects with investors and capital providers goes hand in hand with the engagement with financial institutions – both institutional and Private – at Italian and global level.
Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition requires the support of the Climate Finance and Private Sector Specialist in the field of climate change and development finance to deliver on the activities described below. The Climate Finance and Private Sector will report to the Coordinator of PISTA. The scope of work over the course of the period may vary depending on the specific assignment and region.
Operationalization of PISTA
Support the Climate Finance and Energy Specialist in the development and operationalization of PISTA including the delivery of the Platform work plan, and to build synergies and capacity to ensure close coordination and collaboration among the various teams; Lead the formulation of PISTA’s strategy and roadmap on Private Sector engagement and with support of the relevant country/regional and global colleagues; Prepare communication materials related to the activities of PISTA and in relations with the strategic partnership of UNDP with key actors managed by the Rome Centre; and Proactively contribute to donor engagement strategy, relationship management, and ensure the timely publication and dissemination of the reports against milestones and KPIs.Private Sector Engagement
Enable a quality pipeline of potential bankable investment opportunities supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation in the themes of climate, clean energy and environment with a particular focus on the Private Sector; Identify, assess and enable the incubation of projects and initiatives with high development impact and financial soundness that require upstream, midstream or downstream project development interventions to reach the point of investment by potential financiers; Proactively collaborate with external as well as internal UNDP stakeholders to ensure efficient and effective design and implementation of scalable interventions, including platforms that can be replicated across target countries; Improve market investment conditions by collaborating with other teams across UNDP as well as partners in the European Union, in multilateral for a such as G7 and G20 to drive sector-wide change in priority areas as well as to encourage Private Sector participation in new markets; Prepare and deliver regular presentations on PISTA, particularly with respect to Private Sector engagement (key activities and progress) to senior management, technical teams, and external audiences (e.g., public webinars, engagements with countries, and partner events, etc.); and Oversee the operational management of PISTA’s Private Sector engagement, in collaboration with operational support teams, including procurement and a roster of experts (consultants).The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The Climate Finance and Private Sector is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of UNDP resources, including equipment, and supplies. The incumbent may also be asked to supervise work of external consultants and more junior staff.
Institutional Arrangement
The incumbent will work from office; The incumbent will report to and be directly supervised by the PISTA coordinator. The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment. The incumbent will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e. laptop, phone). International mission travel may be required. CompetenciesCore 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 & Competencies
Business Management - Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals Partnership Management - Private Sector Engagement: Ability to identify, conduct outreach, and manage relationships with the Private SectorFinance - Development Finance Expertise: Ability to develop and work with innovative financing mechanisms and instruments, e.g. social/development impact bonds, guarantees, Climate Finance, etc. 2030 Agenda: Partnerships - SDG Finance: Innovative finance Business Direction & 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 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 and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment. Business Management - Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
Desired additional skills and competencies:
Experience at a professional level with a financial institution, working on Private Sector investments, of 3 years or more would be an asset (e.g. World Bank Group, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, etc) Experience in structuring / deploying innovative financial instruments such as guarantees/risk sharing facilities, local currency facilities, structured equity, and other instruments will be a strong asset; Experience in managing multistakeholder relations including with Private Sector investment transactions in Africa will be an asset. Experience reviewing and advising the development of financial models will be an asset. Required Skills and Experience Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in environment, business administration, accounting or related disciplines is required, or A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in accounting, business administration, environment, or related disciplines in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree. Experience: Minimum 5 years (with Master´s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional work experience in the fields of development finance, investment management or investment mobilization and proven professional and academic experiences in the fields of development finance, sustainability, climate, energy and related disciplines.Required Skills:
Proven track record of experience in delivery on project implementation of investments and/or advisory operations is required; Experience at a professional level with an international financial institution, working on investments, of at least 1 year is required (e.g. World Bank Group, African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, etc); Sound financial, credit, and analytical skills, sound business judgment, and ability to assess project bankability; Experience with entire investment management cycle including demonstrated ability to structure blended finance support and/or advisory services to enhance project bankability is desired; Working experience in Africa is required.Language:
Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of French is an asset.The following documents shall be required from the applicants:
Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials. Disclaimer 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.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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