Office/Unit/Project Description 

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.

BPPS’s Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit, works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste.

The newly established UNDP Climate Hub is the arrowhead of UNDP’s commitment to the “Climate Promise” that aims to support programming countries designing and implementing pledges under the Paris Agreement, including ambitious National Determined Contributions, with climate change mitigation and adaptation interventions fully embedded in the national development planning and budgetary processes. The Climate Hub will build on UNDP’s existing over USD 4 billion country-level climate portfolio on Climate Change Policies and Strategies, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate and Forests, covering over 142 countries, as well as on UNDP’s Nature portfolio, UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP’s Digital offer and other relevant portfolios on youth, gender, health, climate security among others.

The UNDP Climate Hub is responsible for: 

• Thought leadership on Climate and to be the custodian of UNDP policy positions on Climate;
• Strategy and vision formulation;
• Pipeline development in coordination with the other hubs and the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit;
• Provision of integrated policy and programme support to Country Offices;
• Global engagement, advocacy in collaboration with BERA;
• Integration across thematic areas;
• Strategic Partnerships development and resource mobilization;
• Lead and Support global flagship initiatives and partnerships on Climate;
• Serve as focal point with relevant UN coordination mechanisms and Conventions (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change);
• Cross-organization knowledge and learning; and
• Innovation.

At COP28, Parties invited UNDP to join UNFCCC and GCF Secretariats to jointly form the interim secretariat for the new fund for loss and damage as part of funding arrangements for loss and damage. The interim secretariat is expected to support the fund Board until the independent Secretariat for the Fund is in place. Arrangements for interim secretariat are now underway.

UNDP is recruiting a Funds Specialist to work with the interim secretariat in providing advises to the fund Board, including preparations for board meetings, writing Board documents, as well as preparing documents for internal consultation on UNDP engagement.

Scope of Work 

a)           Strategically Oversee the Preparation and Review of Fund Documentation:

• Lead the analysis and development of key documents for Board review, ensuring they reflect advanced governance, institutional frameworks, and operational strategies. Collaborate closely with high-level stakeholders, including UNDP colleagues, UNFCCC, and GCF counterparts, to tailor content to strategic priorities.
• Synthesize feedback from the Interim Secretariat and Board members to refine fund operation documents, demonstrating a high level of conceptual understanding and applied mastery in fund governance.
• Design and present comprehensive briefing materials that succinctly summarize strategic insights and operational updates for Board members, ensuring alignment with overarching fund objectives.
• Direct the creation of executive updates and detailed briefing notes that inform senior management about critical developments, enhancing strategic decision-making.
• Champion the integration of high-quality data management practices into reporting and monitoring frameworks to support operational excellence and accountability.

b)          Lead Operational Excellence in Fund Board Meeting Coordination:

• Act as a liaison during Fund Board meetings, providing strategic support and real-time problem-solving to address the Board’s dynamic needs.
• Oversee the preparation and provision of technical support for high-level meetings, ensuring all documentation is of a strategic standard and meets the technical complexity expected at senior levels.
• Implement and refine comprehensive documentation practices, capturing critical discussions and decisions to inform future strategy and compliance.

c)           Drive Knowledge Leadership and Capacity Building within Fund Thematic Areas:

• Lead research initiatives to identify and integrate best practices and innovative funding mechanisms from both climate-related and other pertinent sectors. Use this knowledge to inform policy development and strategic fund positioning.
• Spearhead contributions to and participation in key knowledge networks and communities of practice, positioning the fund as a leader in its field.
• Develop and oversee a training and capacity-building strategy focused on enhancing technical skills in finance and compliance across the organization, ensuring alignment with best practices and emerging trends.

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

Institutional Arrangement

• The Funds Specialist will report to and be directly supervised by the Programme Specialist, NDCs and Negotiations, focal point for loss and damage;
• The Funds Specialist is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability taking into consideration different time zones;
• The Funds Specialist will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The Funds Specialist will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• The Funds Specialist will engage regularly with the supervisor by email and Skype on a weekly and/or as needed daily basis;
• The Funds Specialist shall submit to the Supervisor a monthly progress report on the status of the implementation of tasks.

Competencies

Complete the Competencies section for each set of competencies as follows:

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Education requirements   

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in international development or economics, environmental/climate change policy, or natural resource management 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.

Min. years of relevant work experience 

• A minimum 5 years (with a master’s degree or equivalent) or 7 years (with a bachelor’s degree) of relevant work experience in climate change finance or policy is required.

Required skills  

• Demonstrated experience in climate and environment funds, climate change policy and planning, and/or global negotiations on loss, damage, and climate change is required.
• Experience with fund programmes and other climate and/or disaster finance mechanisms, including support to fund boards is required.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section 

• Working experience in an international organization is an advantage.
• Knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices is desirable.
• Experience with fund project design, project management, and/or results-based monitoring and evaluation related to development, environment, or climate change projects is desirable.
• Experience with grant development and implementation is desirable.
• Experience with supporting countries and/or communities in loss and damage response is desirable.

Required Language(s)   

• Fluency in English is required.