Organization: UNDP – United Nations Development Programme
Location: Istanbul
Grade: Mid level – P-4, International Professional – Internationally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
Banking and Finance
Environment
Biology and Chemistry
Agriculture and Forestry
Project and Programme Management
Managerial positions
Natural Resource Management
Closing Date: 2024-11-12
Background
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.
Job Purpose and Organizational Context:
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 highlighting 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.
BPPS’ Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste work 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. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses:
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests;
Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems;
Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS;
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation;
Sustainable Energy;
Extractive Industries;
Chemicals and Waste Management;
Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy; and SCP approaches.
This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.
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.
The Biodiversity Finance Initiative – BIOFIN – was developed to provide a new tool for governments to: 1) review the existing policy context, 2) measure expenditure levels for biodiversity, 3) calculate future financial needs and 4) design strategic plans to deploy the right mix of finance solutions, tailored to the country context. This tool was applied in 41 countries to date, with many now having reached the implementation stage.
BIOFIN is supported by the Governments of Belgium, Canada, Flanders, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the European Union. The initiative is part of UNDP’s Nature, Hub, under UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS).
BIOFIN’s first phase (2012-2019) enabled full assessments and initial implementation of finance plan elements in target countries. Based on lessons learned, a new and comprehensive version of the BIOFIN Methodology was developed. Significant scaling up of finance solutions is required in all 41 countries to address the biodiversity finance challenge. BIOFIN’s second phase (2018 – 2030) focuses mainly on the implementation of prioritised finance solutions while also allowing additional countries to undertake the initial assessments and create the finance plan. See www.biofin.org for further information.
Position Purpose:
Under the overall supervision of the Senior Technical Advisor on Biodiveristy Finance, the BIOFIN Programme Manager is responsible for the overall development and implementation of the UNDP Biodiversity Finance Initiative, providing strong leadership on strategic, technical, policy and management matters – especially relating to building partnerships, visibility, quality assurance and the strategic development of the initiative. The BIOFIN Programme Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing the development of all knowledge products emerging from the Initiative, for guiding and overseeing work carried out at national level.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of interconnected nature of development risks & crises that the world is facing and that call for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated & systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Ensure Effective Programme and Team Management
Manage BIOFIN at a global scale under the supervision of UNDP Nature Hub’s Senior Technical Advisor for Biodiversity Finance, working to maximise and showcase impacts, to grow and develop the initiative, and to strengthen relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including strategic partners inside and outside UNDP, partner governments, and donors;
Co-manage the global BIOFIN Team, reviewing on a regular basis progress reports, deliverables, disbursements and budgets to ensure implementation is on track, and troubleshooting as well as adapting management as required;
Ensure the global BIOFIN team operates in a productive manner, through a clear division of labour, the setting of specific annual goals by all team members and the organization of regular online and face to face meetings, including an annual planning meeting at the start of each year;
Ensure the management and administrative requirements (technical, financial, communications, audits, evaluations, etc.) of the different partners/donors of the Initiative are met;
Ensure that UNDP-specific processes (integrated work planning, budgeting, procurement, monitoring and evaluation, performance planning of global BIOFIN staff and appraisals, etc.) are met;
Establish and convene meetings periodically of the Global Steering Committee (GSC), to define priorities, evaluate progress and management, and exchange information;
Manage and monitor risks and issues, submitting newly identified ones to the global head of Biodiversity and/or GSC for consideration and decision if required;
Identify and source necessary technical expertise and support, and oversee the recruitment of global BIOFIN staff members, international consultants and service providers, ensure necessary training and ongoing capacity building are carried out;
Ensure that relevant UNDP projects and the Biodiversity Finance Initiative draw from and feed into each other, avoiding duplication and maximizing synergy; particularly across BPPS in particular the Nature Hub and the Sustainable Finance Hub;
Work closely with the team leading the GEF funded project on National Biodiversity Finance Plans, under the Biodiversity Finance Unit;
Liaise with other relevant UNDP staff including in-country colleagues regarding the Initiative, including to share information about trends and issues in the thematic area;
Lead on and contribute to the definition of indicators and benchmarks for the overall Initiative to form the basis for M&E and ensure an adequate M&E Framework is in place for BIOFIN.
Overseeing the technical work carried out at global and national level
Lead on technical and policy matters and put structures in place for a fruitful cooperation between global BIOFIN team members and other relevant teams within BPPS, especially relating to public and environmental finance, soliciting/securing additional technical input as required from UNDP colleagues, external experts and international and national consultants;
Guide the BIOFIN Technical Advisor team, and Country Offices to identify implementation modalities that set out a process of transformative change in participating countries;
Ensure BIOFIN’s global technical team provides key guidance materials to be used to implement BIOFIN at the national level.
Ensure planning and implementation in countries is aligned with the Initiative’s global methodologies and standards, that these are reconciled with national NBSAPs and other national development processes, and that key milestones are met;
Ensure an adequate system is in place to monitor and provide technical support to improve the quality of in-country deliverables;
Oversee and support implementation progress in core participating countries in contributing to implementing the global BIOFIN methodology;
Support monitoring and evaluation missions, to provide guidance and training, to gain a sense of progress and develop an analytical understanding, and to feed the cumulative learning which is taking place into national and global processes.
Lead Partnership Management and Development
Maintain and development partnerships with financial, technical and political partners, positioning BIOFIN outputs and outcomes;
Regularly liaise with relevant global and regional initiatives and stakeholders related to biodiversity finance;
Oversee and contribute to the development of suitable communication and knowledge materials and knowledge-sharing platforms, tools and mechanisms;
Lead development of funding proposals linked to further BIOFIN work;
Contribute to preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals by country teams.
In consultation with the Senior Technical Advisor on Biodiversity Finance, present and position the outcomes and outputs of the Initiative in relevant technical and policy circles,;
Contribute to the further development of UNDP’s global and regional work on sustainable and nature finance, such as by contributing to the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers, blogs and internal briefing notes;
Contribute relevant biodiversity finance input to UNDP publications, presentations, websites, newsletters, and other outreach products, as required;
Facilitate Knowledge Generation, Management and Exchange
Ensure global knowledge products are developed periodically drawing on lessons from national implementation;
Lead the development of knowledge products and knowledge-sharing events, such as global and regional conferences, the biofin website, other platforms and publications.
Oversee the preparation and organisation of global and regional workshops aimed at developing and discussing methodologies and ensuring this build on and inform relevant policy processes at the national and global levels;
Ensure BIOFIN produces a consolidated set of outputs/products aimed at addressing the biodiversity finance gap that can be replicated globally;
Work with UNDP staff and partner organisations to feed lessons learned from BIOFIN into specific case studies.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.
Competencies:
Core CoreBehaviouralCompetencies.pdf (undp.org)
Achieve Results:
Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively:
Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously
Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility
Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination
Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner
Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion
Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
People Management
UNDP People Management Competencies can be found on the dedicated site.
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies
External Relations & Advocacy: Partnership management: Resource mobilization
Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements
Business Management: Results-based Management
Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results
Business Management: Portfolio Management
Ability to select, prioritise 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 optimising return on investment
Business Management: Risk Management
Ability to identify and organize action around mitigation and proactively managing risks
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
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
Agenda 2030: Planet: Nature Climate and Energy
Ecosystems and biodiversity
Required Skills and Experience:
Education:
Advanced University degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Public Finance, Economics, Environmental Economics, Public or Business Administration, Natural/Environmental Sciences, Human Geography, or Social Sciences or other closely related field is required; or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in environmental management and/or biodiversity conservation, environmental finance, development finance, environmental economics or other relevant field;
At least 3 years of professional experience working in developing countries on internationally financed environment/ development programmes/projects is required;
Professional experience in working on a programme/project at international level is desired;
Experience in results-based and results-oriented portfolio/programme/project implementation and/or management is desired;
Experience in managing teams, inspiring and mentoring staff, facilitating their capacity development, and resolving conflicts is desired;
Experience in overseeing and guiding the development of knowledge management strategies and products is desired;
Working experience in an international organization, and knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices are advantageous.
Language:
Fluency in English is required.
Fluency in Spanish and/or French an advantage
Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
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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