Project Specialist on Investable Nature Project Pipeline [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

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organisation for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realise 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. 

UNDP’s 2026–2029 Strategic Plan reaffirms our continued commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by accelerating structural transformations that advance poverty eradication, reduce inequalities, strengthen resilience, and drive sustainable, climate-aligned development. 

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policies 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. 

As part of GPN in BPPS, UNDP's Planet Hub 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.

The Planet Hub promotes and scales up an integrated approach to deliver UNDP’s environment portfolio across nature, climate, energy, and chemicals and waste, supporting countries in advancing implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and related multilateral environmental agreements. It coordinates UNDP’s flagship offers—Nature Pledge, Climate Promise, and Energy Moonshot, and Cooling, Circularity and Pollution Prevention initiatives—to meet strong country demand across more than 140 countries. The Hub enables joined-up policy, programming, and financing solutions that accelerate low-emission, nature-positive, and pollution-free development, while strengthening resilience and advancing sustainable, inclusive growth in line with the Strategic Plan.

The UNDP Biodiversity Finance Initiative – BIOFIN – was developed to provide a comprehensive methodology 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. 

UNDP BIOFIN was created in 2012 to enable developing countries to identify and implement the most optimal financing solutions following a bottom-up approach. Starting with pilots in 12 countries, the initiative has since grown into a global community of practices engaging over 130 developing countries with 10 donors. Countries have demonstrated the approach to be viable, mobilising and re-aligning to date around US$ 2.7 billion, with the potential to reach US$ 10 billion by 2030. This includes advances in the re-alignment of subsidies to contribute to CBD GBF Target 18. 

UNDP Planet Hub and BIOFIN programme in particular have been expanding efforts to engage the private sector in biodiversity financing, contributing to the overall objective of redirecting global finance flows from nature negative to nature positive, as a prerequisite system change for achieving the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Programme and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among other approaches, it entails work with private sector entities to structure and deploy financing instruments at the country and landscape level, for investment in nature. This work builds on the existing country-driven opportunities and requires professional support with respect to structuring emerging blended finance instruments and supporting country teams in planning bankable conservation portfolios.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Specialist on Investable Nature Project Pipeline will be part of the UNDP Global BIOFIN team and collaborate closely with the UNDP Nature Investment team. The Specialist will lead in the construction of private sector-related pipeline for investable projects to finance nature. The Specialist will work with the BIOFIN teams in country offices, directing country teams in stakeholder engagement, policy support for enabling environment, and designing a pipeline of investable projects. 

Under the overall supervision of the BIOFIN Project Manager, the Specialist's role is primarily to provide global technical assistance, increase global partnerships with the private sector, train national teams, and ensure quality control over national pipelines.

Global Technical Leadership and Methodology Development

• Develop Standardized Investment Frameworks: Design and finalize the methodological framework, templates, and criteria for four pilot countries to systematically identify, screen, and prepare investable nature-positive projects.
• Conduct trainings to the global team on designing a high-quality investable pipeline of projects for nature finance. 
• Technical Support and Quality Assurance: Serve as the lead technical advisor to country teams, offering continuous support on project sourcing, pre-feasibility analysis, financial structuring (including blended finance), and the design of credible revenue streams (e.g., biodiversity credits, ecosystem service payments), focusing on four countries in particular. 
• Develop guidance on an enabling environment to facilitate investment from the private sector into nature, building on challenges and lessons learned from BIOFIN and other countries.
• Develop guidance on establishing national working groups to better engage the private sector in nature finance.
• Ensure the updated BIOFIN Workbook methodology in 2027 better integrates private and finance sector engagement and provides more tools to identify investment opportunities in the Biodiversity Finance Plans. 
• Collaborate with partners in MDB and National Development Banks to design pipelines of projects that could provide opportunities for synergies with UNDP.
• Map, prioritize, manage relationships, and develop partnerships with financial institutions and corporates. 

Enabling Environment and Private Sector Strategy

• Support National Enabling Environment Studies: Design the scope, methodology, and structure for the studies and support their implementation in two pilot countries. Identify legal, regulatory, fiscal, social and policy barriers and incentives critical for attracting both domestic and international private investment in nature finance, as well as mapping, identifying and prioritizing relevant nature-related pipelines.
• Design National Private Sector Engagement: Provide guidance for the planning and design of the national working groups to empower the private sector in nature finance, ensuring they are structured for sustained dialogue, policy influence, and project co-creation.
• Analyze Investment Gaps and Risks: Analyze the investment appetite of local and international private capital for the project types emerging in the pilot countries, focusing on de-risking mechanisms and guarantee needs. Assess financial disbursement chains, identifying relevant stakeholders from financial entities to intermediaries and local organizations

Global Platform Design and Scaling Strategy

• Draft Initial Design of the Investment Matchmaking Platform: Lead the conceptualization and drafting of the initial design and concept for a global or regional investment matchmaking platform. This includes defining its scope, key features, data requirements, and user interface for project proponents and investors.
• Develop Platform Roadmap and Scaling Opportunities: Prepare a comprehensive roadmap for the platform, including phases for trial, expansion, technical specifications, and a strategy for gathering investor interest and feedback. 
• Coordinate Global Synergies: Actively ensure continuous contact and coordination with the UNDP Nature Investment Facility (NIF), and other relevant partners like United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSDA), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA), to ensure the pipeline strategy leverages existing knowledge and project pipelines based on UNDP’s and others’ capacities.

Capacity Building and Knowledge Management

• Design and Deliver Capacity Building: Design and deliver specialized capacity-building workshops in 2 countries, focusing on the practical application of the investment pipeline methodology and investor engagement strategies.
• Capture and Disseminate Lessons Learned: Systematically gather and synthesize lessons learned from the pipeline creation and enabling environment work in the two pilot countries. Produce and disseminate high-quality knowledge outputs (e.g., reports, policy briefs, case studies) to inform potential replication in other BIOFIN countries.

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 incumbent will work home based.
• The incumbent will report to, and be directly supervised by, the UNDP BIOFIN Project Manager.
• The incumbent will work with the global Team, national Teams, UNDP Country Offices, core and donor country governments, other international/multi-lateral organizations, and contractors.
• The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment.
• The incumbent will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a stable, secure and reliable internet connection.
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

Competencies

Core 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 & Technical Competencies:

Business Management – Partnerships Management

• 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 Management – Resource Management

• Allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with business needs and priorities and principles of accountability and integrity.

General – Event planning and execution

• Ability to plan, manage and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP's overall brand and mandate.

2030 Agenda: Planet – Climate

• Climate change adaptation policy and planning: National Adaptation Plans.

Partnerships Management – Emerging partnerships

• Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships.

Business Management – Communication

• 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.

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:

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Management, Finance, Economics or a related field is required, OR. 
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the fields mentioned above with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the 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 finance sector, development banks, private equity, impact investment with linkage to environment, nature, climate, or sustainable finance.
• Experience in the private sector (corporate, private financial institution or development finance institution) is required.
• Experience managing relationships with the private sector and different type of investors and financiers  including social and/or environmental impact investors is required.
• Experience in developing pipeline of bankable projects in developing countries is required.
• Working experience with UNDP and/or another international organization is desirable.
• Experience in designing investable/bankable projects in developing countries in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, tourism, fisheries or water is desirable.
• Experience in setting up multi-partner / blended finance facilities/ transactions is desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of French and/or Spanish will be considered an asset.

Professional certificates:

• A professional licence in finance is desirable (e.g., CFA or equivalent).

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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

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