Technical Manager, TISFD (Home-Based) (Open to Tier 0,1 and 2)

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.

Office/Unit/Project Description

Background

As the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnerships and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. 

As outlined in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2026-2029, UNDP’s work is guided by four strategic objectives that together define our contribution to human development: expanding prosperity for all, strengthening effective governance, safeguarding a healthy planet and building crisis resilience. These objectives are enabled by three accelerators that drive transformative impact across our portfolio: digital and AI innovation, gender equality and sustainable finance. Through this integrated approach, UNDP supports countries to deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives and to advance sustainable development at scale.

UNDP, through its Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH) (https://sdgfinance.undp.org/), supports partners in promoting financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As an accelerator of the UNDP Strategic Plan, sustainable finance strengthens countries’ ability to mobilize, align and deploy finance at scale for national priorities. UNDP supports international and country level policy reform as a catalyst for system-wide change, stronger policy environments, better-functioning markets and more coherent financing strategies for sustainable development. SFH work is delivered through three interconnected portfolios: 1) Public Finance for the SDGs; 2) Private Finance for the SDGs; and 3) Global & Country Financing Policy Frameworks.

UNDP supports the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD or Taskforce), a global initiative for reporting and managing inequality and social-related risks, opportunities, impacts, and dependencies. The Taskforce is a multistakeholder initiative involving investors, business, labor, civil society, policy makers and regulators, service providers, and academia working together to co-create a global framework for inequality and social-related disclosures, guidance and education and capacity building resources. For more information see: TISFD

Development of the TISFD Framework is underway and the Taskforce is expected to publish its recommendations in December 2027, with the production of critical outputs beforehand and further work on implementation to follow. The Taskforce Secretariat coordinates and facilitates the Taskforce’s activities according to the direction defined by the Steering Committee and Working Groups.

The technical deliverables of the Taskforce include: 

• An integrated and accessible disclosure framework and recommendations, informed by a set of conceptual foundations, to help market actors identify, assess, and disclose their people-related impacts, dependencies, risks & opportunities (IDROs), enabling decisions that improve people’s outcomes.
• A small set of core global metrics for disclosure; and larger set of metrics for discretionary use in disclosure.
• A body of evidence on social and inequality-related IDROs to inform the disclosure framework and support the call for action to address social challenges, inequalities and systemic risks.
• Various types of guidance to help corporates and financial institutions in identifying, assessing and reporting on inequality and social related IDROs, building on existing work in this space.
• Resources to support the building of stakeholder capacity to engage with the taskforce and use the framework effectively.

Position Purpose

The Technical Manager will coordinate the development of the TISFD’s framework, ensuring that it meets the practical needs of the market while being technically rigorous and aligned with the principles and over-arching mission of the TISFD.

The Technical Manager will coordinate the research and analysis underpinning the TISFD’s deliverables and lead the development of its outputs, in coordination with the Technical Director. 

The technical deliverables of the Taskforce involve a number of resources including but not limited to: an integrated and accessible disclosure framework and recommendations, informed by a set of conceptual foundations and a body of evidence on social and inequality-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities; various types of guidance to help corporates and financial institutions in identifying, assessing and reporting on inequality and social related impacts and risks, building on existing work in this space. 

Scope of work

Coordinate collaborative development of technical deliverables

• Advise and support the Technical Director in the development of the technical deliverables of the Taskforce, including in planning and developing a strategy and managing the timely delivery of the Taskforce’s outputs.
• Contribute to leading the process for co-creating the Taskforce’s framework, including involving the Taskforce’s Alliance, Regional Councils and Knowledge Partners, as well as public consultations on the TISFD’s deliverables, in accordance with the TISFD Governance Principles of Inclusivity, Co-creation, Effective and Efficient Decision-Making, Continuous Learning and Improvement and Transparency.
• Engage with TISFD stakeholders, including TISFD Practice Groups and expert focus groups, ensuring their guidance and feedback are properly incorporated into technical outputs and followed through. 
• Maintain good working relationships with key TISFD stakeholders, including Working Group(s), Practice Group members, Regional Councils and Alliance members and Knowledge Partners.
• Represent TISFD in relevant fora, advisory panels, discussions and events 

Lead Research, drafting and delivery of technical outputs 

• Coordinate and conduct research and analysis related to the Taskforce’s outputs, including the disclosure framework and recommendations, conceptual foundations, and associated guidance, playing a leadership role on one or more individual workstreams or deliverables.
• Contribute to the drafting of the Taskforce’s outputs, playing a leadership role on one or more individual workstreams or deliverables, under the supervision of the Technical Director.
• Liaise with TISFD Knowledge Partners to source information and research relevant to the development of the Taskforce’s deliverables.
• Supervise the work of research associates, consultants and interns as needed, including providing guidance and direction and reviewing work to ensure quality standards are met.
• Keep abreast of developments in relation to voluntary and regulatory sustainability-related disclosure standards and frameworks and research and policy developments in the intersection between business and finance and inequality- and social-related issues.

Advise on piloting, testing, learning and capacity development

• Advise on the systematic piloting of the framework across priority sectors, geographies and stakeholders.
• Advise on the formulation of learning modules and capacity development resources of the TISFD.
• Work closely with TISFD Secretariat colleagues leading on engagement to ensure technical outputs are enriched and reflective of contextual issues across geographies.

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

Institutional arrangements

The Technical Manager will work under the supervision of the Technical Director within the TISFD’s Secretariat in UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub.

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 and technical competencies

Business Direction and Strategy- Negotiation and Influence

• Reach a common understanding/agreement, persuade others, resolve points of difference through a dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions and create ‘win-win’ situations.

Business Direction and Strategy- Systems 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- Project management

• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Business management-Working with evidence and Data

• Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.

Partnership management- Private sector engagement

• Ability to identify, conduct outreach, and manage relationships with the private sector

2030 Agenda: Peace Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights 

• Human Rights Institutions

 2030 Agenda -Partnerships SDG Finance

• Unlocking private capital and aligning business operations for the SDGs

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

• An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent), in Business, Economics, Finance, International Relations, International Development or other relevant field 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 

• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) OR 9  years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in sustainability, responsible business, ESG investing, sustainable finance, business and human rights, social impact or social risk.

Required skills 

• Experience in the field of corporate and/or finance sector sustainability management and/or reporting.
• Proven experience conducting research and analysis on social impact and risk measurement and/or business and human rights 

Desired additional skills

• Experience of development of or reporting to corporate sustainability disclosure frameworks or reporting standards, such as TCFD (Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures), TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures), ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards), GRI (formerly Global Reporting Initiative), ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board), or other regional and national standards and frameworks
• Experience working in or with the private sector to tackle inequality and/or social-related issues (e.g., human and workers’ rights)
• Experience translating technical information for a diverse range of non-expert audiences
• Experience in developing practical tools and resources to implement sustainability-related practices for businesses, financial institutions or regulators 
• Experience in managing co-creation or consensus-building processes in international and multi-stakeholder settings.
• Experience with relevant policy making processes and dynamics at international and national levels concerning corporate sustainability-related regulations and reporting and disclosure frameworks 
• Track record of successful project management, including planning, organising, prioritising and managing resources. 

Required Language(s) 

• Fluency in English required.

Travel

• This is a home-based assignment, so no travel to/from the duty station is envisaged.Costs of other travel, as deemed necessary by UNDP while performing the outlined functions, shall be at UNDP’s expense and in accordance with the applicable UNDP travel policy.

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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