Project Portfolio Specialist, WCA and LAC, IPSA10, UNCDF [Open to Tier 0, 1 & 2 applicants]

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

General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operations the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations. The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDFs vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity.

As a Flagship Catalytic Blended Financing platform of the UN, UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031.

As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, United Nations Organizations, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector. By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders. UNCDF’s work is focused on three priority areas, including:

• SME Finance
• Sub-National Finance
• Digital Finance

UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by an Executive Board comprised of UN Member States.

Due to the expanding pipeline of UNCDF projects throughout the Western and Central Africa (WCA) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region and the initiation of several new though small initiatives, UNCDF seeks to hire a Project Portfolio Specialist to lead project launch in the first months/phases of the project commencement (inception) and implementation. Particularly, these new initiatives include 3 joint programmes under the Joint SDG Fund, that is the “Mali’s Food Systems and Energy Transition Acceleration Programme” in Mali, “ConvergeFood” in Cameroon and “Burkina Faso Flagships Initiatives (Food Systems Focus)” in Burkina Faso, and the “Conectando la cadena de valor del cacao con soluciones sostenibles de mercado y financiación en Catatumbo project under the Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) in Colombia. These projects are too small in scope and of a short duration for a dedicated project manager.

The WCA/LAC portfolio spans a unique multilingual environment, combining English, French, Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as projects in varied areas including clean energy transition, food systems transformation, digital development finance, private sector development, financial inclusion and others. The regional projects pipeline is continuing to actively expand and remains dynamic, with several initiatives already entering initial implementation phases, including those in the countries mentioned above (Mali, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Colombia), that the position will directly support. Additional projects are expected to enter the pipeline as UNCDF advances its positioning with major donors and financing windows (such as PBF, MPTF, EU, GEF, GCF and others) across a range of thematic areas aligned with its unique investment mandate. Given this evolving pipeline, the Project Portfolio Specialist is expected to provide flexible, responsive support to the above-mentioned projects in Mali, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Colombia, as well as new country engagements and projects emerging as the regional projects pipeline expands to new donors and opportunities in several contexts (Guinea Bissau, Cameroon, Jamaica, Brazil, among others). The incumbent will lead the project management functions for these projects, ensuring coherent coordination, timely operational setup, cross-language support, and alignment with UNCDF’s unique investment mandate and implementation approach across diverse contexts.

The Project Portfolio Specialist will ensure the alignment of operations, establishment of the project portfolio team and coordination, and ensure successful set-up of projects’ objectives, workstreams, partnerships, and reporting processes. The role is expected to interact with various UNCDF functions (investment, management, communications, finance and operations) active both at country, regional and Headquarters, and a wide array of professionals in the countries of project implementation, including donors, UN partner agencies, government counterparts, private-sector partners, development banks and DFIs.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Portfolio Specialist will report to the Regional Team Lead matrix to the two Regional Investment Specialist for West and Central Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean and have monthly progress update meetings with the region and project team to discuss and align delivery.

The role is based in Dakar, Senegal and may require some travel to the countries where projects are implemented with costs borne by UNCDF.

Under the guidance of UNCDF’s Regional Team Lead/Regional Investment Specialists for WCA and LAC, the overall responsibility of the Project Portfolio Specialist will be to act as liaison for all project stakeholders, providing technical assistance and ensuring proper implementation of the projects under implementation.

S/he will conduct the following tasks:

a) Lead the planning, coordination and implementation of project launch activities:

• Lead launch and kick-off meeting for projects across WCA and LAC
• Develop detailed workplan and timelines for all project activities, ensuring alignment with the overall project objectives and national strategies, and oversee effective execution
• Coordinate and ensure operational readiness: project team recruitments, procurement, logistics, office arrangements when relevant and as required by project setups
• Support establishment of governance structures (steering committees/technical groups), related to the implementation of the project, including ensuring regular communication and collaboration with donors and possible partners for successful programme implementation
• Lead the overall management and timely implementation of the project outputs and activities
• Provide strategic guidance and management oversight to ensure project implementation is on track to ensure achievement of the planned results

b) Ensure the proper monitoring and reporting of the project portfolio:

• Organize regular coordination meetings and draft regular progress reports as agreed in the project documents, including regular briefing to donors and other relevant partners
• Ensure the guidelines, frameworks and requirements of the possible donors are followed throughout project implementation
• Updating the Oracle Cloud ERP (Quantum and Quantum+) tools as required and monitor changes in the external environment and promptly propose to the UNCDF management of necessary solutions/actions
• Overall responsibility to monitor project progress, Environmental & Social Safeguards, and risks, ensuring that changes are controlled and problems addressed
• Monitor the utilization of programme resources and budget to ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency
• Participate in the mobilization of additional resources to ensure implementation of projects, as relevant
• Travel to the projects’ target countries as needed for on-site verification of results
• Build partnerships with relevant stakeholders and undertake advocacy activities
• Coordinate dialogue, engagement and partnerships with the respective Government authorities and lead advocacy activities with other relevant stakeholders at both project and country level, including with bilateral, multilateral and private sector actors
• Ensure alignment of the projects with relevant UN initiatives in the countries/region
• Advise on the contribution of the project to the countries national priorities, progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UNCDF’s Strategic Framework
• Lead preparation of reviews and evaluations as defined in the project document

c) Facilitate implementation of knowledge management activities:

• Ensure implementation of knowledge management activities
• Participate in training events, communities of practice, codifying and sharing knowledge on sustainable practices
• Facilitate development of success stories and other communication materials

d) Support broader UNCDF programme:

• Actively advocate for practices that support the objectives of UNCDF, leveraging professional expertise and networks
• Contribute to knowledge-sharing initiatives and best practices in blended finance/local development/gender and women economic empowerment/nature/energy/food/inclusive digital finance
• Share knowledge and lessons learned from private sector operations and best practices in relevant fields

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

Competencies

Competency Level

Thematic Area Name Definition