Individual Contractor (full-time, 11.5 months) Innovative Financing specialist – Joint Finance Flagship, Outreach and Engagement, Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP), Geneva, Switzerl

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child's Future

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How can you make a difference?

Reporting to the Partnership Manager for Innovative Finance (PFP), the Innovative Financing specialist will initiate and lead specific activities to deliver on the implementation of the new Global Vision & Strategy for IF4C at UNICEF. These activities will include exploring various methods of structuring new innovative financing mechanisms, with a focus on moving forward for the Flagship a Joint Private Sector Financing Facility (JPSFF), which will focus on: i) exploring relevant innovative financial mechanisms to help solve programmatic challenges on the ground; ii) identifying opportunities and relevant sources of funding for these mechanisms; and iii) structuring effective frameworks and modalities to attract and effectively engage private sector capital to support their operations.

MAIN TASKS

Under the leadership of the Partnership Manager for Innovative Finance (PFP), and in close collaboration with the relevant teams within PFP, UNICEF's Innovative Finance Team, and other key UNICEF Divisions, et. al., the Innovative Finance specialist will conduct the following planned activities:

1. Innovative Finance - Investment Policies and Procedures: Technically review, provide detailed input and support the design of relevant policies and procedures or updates to existing policies and procedures of or on behalf of PFP, as guided and directed by the Partnership Manager from time to time.
2. UNDP – UNICEF Joint Private Sector Financing Flagship (JPSFF): Under the supervision of the Partnership Manager, and in coordination with UNDP, lead and coordinate on behalf of PFP the program feasibility, program design, program development and program execution of the JPSFF, a priority IF4C UNICEF initiative.
3. IF4C Private Sector Initiatives: Structure, incubate, develop and help execute new strategic private sector IF4C initiatives planned by PFP as part of its strategic planning, Engage with relevant development finance institutions, private sector financial markets and investment managers, relevant UNICEF National Committees and other divisions engaged with IF4C programs.
4. Private Sector IF4C Business Analysis and Program Design: Lead and support high-level business analysis, working closely with UNICEF Divisions and UNICEF National Committees to 1) better understand the optimal characteristics/parameters of the new innovative financing mechanisms as applied to the UNICEF context; 2) design viable impact finance credit and investment models to help direct capital to industries, geographies and market segments of program priority for UNICEF. In addition, evaluate all applicable financial and reputational risks involved and develop detailed risk profiles and mitigation strategies; and 3) identify and recruit potential private sector service providers with the knowledge and capacity to assist UNICEF in developing, structuring, launching and executing these new mechanisms.
5. Child Lens Investing Approach: In coordination with the Senior Convenor IF4C, the Office of Innovation and UNICEF National Committees, support the development of a UNICEF minimum standard with respect to child lens investing that can be used by UNICEF to advocate and promote child lens investing considerations as part of mainstream ESG investment frameworks, to encourage global capital markets to deepen financing to child-friendly businesses globally, including providing child-lens guidance for the SDG Global Impact Standards.
6. Project Management and Support: Regularly set, track, evaluate, and document relevant meetings, project milestones and outcomes, et. al.; present progress on IF priorities and specific initiatives under the new Private Sector Operating Plan for IF (PFP); and support the Partnership Manager for Innovative Finance (PFP) on IF4C-related activities on an ad hoc basis, as needed.

DELIVERABLES

Provision of expert guidance and related services by the Innovative Finance specialist will require working with UNICEF PFP, UNICEF OoI, UNICEF DFAM, UNICEF Legal, other key internal and external stakeholders, and UNICEF colleagues across various divisions/regions as needed, to:

1. UNDP – UNICEF Joint Private Sector Financing Flagship (JPSFF): Coordinate the commissioning and completion of feasibility and design, and develop internal presentations, concept papers, strategy documents, investment strategy, investment process and investment criteria design for the proposed JPSFF as directed by the Partnership Manager for the development of JPSFF post-feasibility, including a recommendation for a pilot impact fund partnership, by Q1 2023.
2. IF4C Private Sector/ Joint Global Finance Flagship Initiatives: To facilitate the development and implementation of new strategic, high cap IF initiatives for the division and the Flagship. This includes formulating, implementing and driving project roadmaps, work plans and planned activities in order to achieve each initiative’s specified goals within all prescribed timelines and budgets, including structuring, incubating, and capacitating specific new innovative financing initiatives, beginning with the pilot impact fund partnership that leverages the SDG Global Impact Standard for the Joint Global Finance Flagship by Q4 2023.
3. Child Lens Investing Approach: Provide technical input as required and as directed by the Program Manager to the UNICEF working group chaired by the IF4C Senior Convenor to develop child lens business standards, with specific child-lens guidelines developed for the SDG Global Impact Standards for the Joint Global Finance Flagship pilot impact fund, by Q3 2023.
4. Project Management and Support: Draft new policies and producers, or updates to existing policy and procedures, as required and directed by the Partnership Manager. Create and present regular progress updates and written reports, documentation of meetings, project documents, et. al.; and provide regular technical support and advice to the Partnership Manager for Innovative Finance (PFP) on an as-needed basis, throughout the contract.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master's or higher) in international development, finance, economics, public or business administration or another relevant field is required. Alternatively, a first level university degree (Bachelor’s) in combination with 2 years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 12 years of relevant work experience at national and international levels in international finance, Environmental social & governance (ESG)/impact investing, principal investing role in an international development finance institution, private equity, private credit, investment banking, structured finance, strategy consulting, or other related fields.
• Strong working knowledge and prior work experience in national and/or international development shall be highly valuable.
• Prior experience working with Innovative partnerships or financial innovation, as well as diverse stakeholder groups or multi-stakeholder partnerships as well as resource mobilization/capital formation from private sector partners as well as DFIs, et. al. Specific experience working with Europe partners is desirable.
• Experience in/knowledge of the UN system and knowledge of UNICEF’s work would be a strong asset.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of an additional UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is an asset. .

Other competencies:

• Combination of Self-driven, motivated, passionate about achieving results.
• Strategic and global thinking and analytical ability.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communications skills.
• Ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas as well as to manage projects.

COMPETENCIES

UNICEF's core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

ESTIMATED DURATION OF THE CONTRACT AND PROPOSAL

Full-time, 11.5 months, tentatively starting on 27 Dec 2022.

REPORTING TO

Partnership Manager for Innovative Finance, Country Relations section, PFP and under the overall guidance of , Deputy Director Outreach and Engagement, PFP.

WORKPLACE

Ideally working from Geneva office with option to be home based (remotely).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Remarks:

Please indicate your ability, availability, and gross daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered. Also, please mention the earliest date you can start.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein. Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

NICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.