Market Research Specialist (Financing), P3, Fixed Term, Copenhagen, Denmark

Overview

Support market research and supplier financing activities.

You have:

• An Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree) in Business, Economics, Financing, International Development or other related discipline.
• A first University degree with additional two years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University degree.
• A minimum of five (5) years professional work experience at the international level in finance/innovative finance, market research, market shaping, economics, public or private sector procurement, business management, business development, or other relevant field.
• Proven experience in finance background (corporate finance/treasury, private/public/multinational banking, Development finance incl Innovative finance structuring).
• Proven experience in market dynamics relating to health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education and/or products used in resource-poor settings.
• Proven experience in structured finance, innovative financing and/or complex supplier financing mechanisms.
• Proven experience in building, managing relationships and external partnerships.
• Prior relevant work experience in the UN system, other international development organization or national government is desirable.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Proficiency in another UN official language is an asset.

Contract

This is a P-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 129,217 USD and 169,200 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

Market Research Specialist (Financing), P3, Post # 121907 Markets, Supply and Financing Centre (MSFC) Supply Division, Copenhagen, Denmark

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,

Strategic office context:

Through the Markets, Supply & Financing Centre (MSFC), UNICEF Supply Division seeks to positively influence the market dynamics to ensure commodities are fit for purpose, available, affordable, and produced by a competitive supply base, as well as to encourage product innovation of essential commodities to meet the changing needs of children in the SDG era.

While MSFC will coordinate the efforts of influencing markets across UNICEF Supply Division’s different procurement centres and units, with each procurement centre playing a critical role in identifying and defining the procurement approaches required, MSFC will assist and facilitate this body of work with strategy design/review, market research, analysis, supplier financing, communication, leveraging partnerships, and promoting market information transparency.

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of the Finance Manager, MSFC, the incumbent will be expected to support Supply Division’s market research and supplier financing activities, including contributing to the design and execution of innovative financing mechanisms to achieve improved market conditions for key strategic supplies for children.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Contribute to the development of and provide advice to management on tailored and targeted financing structures to support improved market dynamics, including the deployment of special contracting (e.g. firm commitments/volume guarantees, prepayments), as well as ‘pull’ mechanisms or other financial incentives to drive the development and scale up of novel products.
2. Provide analysis of raw material data to support price negotiation and risk management

• Analyze historical data of key raw materials of goods procured by UNICEF Supply Division;
• Model the volatility and potential impact on pricing to support price negotiation;
• Explore the costs and benefits of potential hedging options to manage volatility risks in key raw materials with high impact on goods procured by UNICEF;
• Provide data analysis on RM prices ongoing to procurement centers to equip and ensure informed intelligence driven product price negotiations.

14. Supplier financing training for country and regional office supply staff (support/promote internal supplier finance training module).

- Provide training on the perspectives of suppliers so that supply staff could be better equipped in price negotiations; - Document potential Country Office demand emerging from the training for supplier financing and special contracts.

16. Collaborate with Supply Division procurement centres, UNICEF stakeholders (e.g. Innovative Financing Team) and key external partners to help drive procurement strategies and shape critical markets for essential products and services for children by interpreting market research and discerning how novel financing and risk-sharing approaches can positively influence supplier behavior.
17. Conduct risk–benefit analyses to maximize the value of financing interventions and appropriately balance supplier and buyer risks.
18. Support expanded access to financing for suppliers in program countries as part of a ‘local market’ influencing strategy to improve local markets and/or increase on-continent production.
19. In coordination with colleagues in Supply Division, engage with UNICEF’s market shaping partners and public and private financiers especially in relation to potential special contracts and supplier financing endeavors; e.g. with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gavi Secretariat, the Global Fund, UNITAID, the World Bank, IFC, UNCDF, DFID/CDC Group, and others. Impact of Results:

• Supply Division’s market influencing interventions are supporting market goals to incentivize innovation, improve availability and/or promote affordability for selected essential supplies for children.
• Procurement strategies for strategic essential commodities are designed based on solid market analyses and evidence, and consider innovative approaches to creating a healthy, dynamic and sustainable market with affordable prices for products.
• Demand forecasts and pull mechanisms are developed where needed to help UNICEF accelerate development, improve availability, and reduce prices particularly for novel essential supplies for children.
• High quality business intelligence is maintained and kept up-to-date to inform UNICEF’s strategic engagement with key manufacturers/suppliers to ensure core business are postured to meet the needs of children.
• Supported countries have improved local markets and/or increasing on-continent production to meet demand for certain (mainly lower-risk) commodities.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

An Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree) in Business, Economics, Financing, International Development or other related discipline.

*A first University degree with additional two years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University degree.

Work experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years professional work experience at the international level in finance/innovative finance, market research, market shaping, economics, public or private sector procurement, business management, business development, or other relevant field
• Proven experience in the following areas in the private or public sector is required:
  • Finance background (corporate finance/treasury, private/public/multinational banking, Development finance incl Innovative finance structuring)
  • Market dynamics relating to health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education and/or products used in resource-poor settings
  • Structured finance, innovative financing and/or or complex supplier financing mechanisms
  • Building, managing relationships and external partnerships
• Prior relevant work experience in the UN system, other international development organization or national government is desirable

Language requirements:

Fluency in English is required.

Proficiency in another UN official language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

Core Competencies:

• Builds and Maintains Partnerships

• Works Collaboratively with others

• Thinks and Acts Strategically

• Drive to achieve impactful results

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness

• Innovates and Embraces Change

• Manages ambiguity and complexity

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Priority will be given to all the eligible candidates participating in UNICEF’s 2022 Mobility Exercise and Staff on Abolished post.

Potential interview questions