SPECIAL NOTE: The position is for one (1) year.
The Position:
The position of Principal Adviser, International Development Finance, will act as the organization’s global lead for international Financial Institutions/Multilateral Development Banks (IFIs/MDBs), with a particular focus on the World Bank Group (WBG); the International Monetary Funds (IMF); and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB), to strengthen the current collaboration and identify new opportunities to grow the partnership (financial, non-financial) at all levels.
The Principal Advisor will provide vision, guidance and enhance UNFPA’s engagement with IFIs/MDBs set against a changing financing for development landscape, with the aim to support the Organization to seamlessly navigate and effectively position in this evolving context. The position seeks to leverage processes, approaches and opportunities that can expand and deepen the partnership with IFIs/MDBs, particularly the WBG, IMF and IADB that encompasses aspects such as policy development and advocacy, joint analysis and assessments, program planning and implementation, and financial support across all levels and settings, including in the context of fragility and humanitarian contexts. All with the aim to accelerate impact and the realization of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action, UNFPA’s Three Transformative Results and the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
UNFPA’s Strategic Plan (2022-2025) recognizes that the landscape of funding is changing and that a full range of sustainable development financing instruments are required to scale-up investments in its three transformative results. Therefore, the organization is shifting primarily from its focus on ‘funding’ to’ funding and financing’ – an ambition to catalyse on its own funding and expertise with the aim to leverage significant broader financing across a range of actors and financing instruments – domestic, and international, public, and private finance in support of the ICPD Programme of Action.
Strengthening and expanding partnerships with IFIs/MDBs that exploits the complementarity and value added in relation to thought leadership, normative/technical role, knowledge management and financing are crucial cornerstones of UNFPA’s approach. As such the position of Principal Adviser, International Development Finance, has been established to assist the Division for External Relations and the Organization to advance the relationship with IFIs/MDBs, especially the WBG, IMF and IADB, as an essential contribution to UNFPA’s financing for development journey.
The position of Principal Adviser, International Development Finance will report to the Director, Division for External Relations.
You would be responsible for:
A. Partnership building, development and expansion
- Expands and diversifies partnership opportunities between UNFPA and IFIs/MDBs, especially the IMF, IADB and WBG, strengthening current collaboration efforts while identifying new opportunities for engagement that span policy, programming, innovation and financing.
- Manages the global partnership with the IMF, IADB and WBG through effective communication, coordination and follow-up to ensure strong collaboration and trust.
- Engages on behalf of UNFPA in key IFIs/MDBs policy meetings, consultations and processes, including during the IMF and WBG Spring and Annual Meetings.
- Ensures the gathering, monitoring and sharing of timely strategic information and trends to identify emerging opportunities and challenges with IFIs/MDBs, especially with the IMF, IADB and WBG.
- Continuously scans, assess and identifies opportunities for scale up of the partnership with IFIs/MDBs, especially with the IMF, IADB and WBG.
B. Building a coherent approach to International Development Cooperation partnerships
- Provides expert advice and guidance to UNFPA Senior Management on emerging IFIs/MDBs issues and on the wider financing for development landscape.
- Supports the Organization in the implementation of its current Strategic Plan (2022-2025) Strategy for Financing the ICPD Agenda (2022-2025), and in the development of UNFPA’s new Strategic Plan (2026-2029), particularly as it relates to the engagement with IFIs/MDBs and the broader financing for development agenda.
- Builds and maintains effective and transparent outreach within the Division of External Relations and across the organization, particularly with the Programme Division, Humanitarian Response Division and Division for Management Services, in the context of IFIs/MDBs, especially as it relates to the IMF, IADB and WBG.
- Oversees and contributes to key strategic briefs, reports and research to support the Division of External Relation and the Organization, in its engagement with IFIs/MDBs and the wider financing for development agenda.
- Bolsters UNFPA’s reputation as a thought leader in the international community engaged in the financing for development agenda through research; networking; new transaction development, speaking engagements and high-level representation, and rigorous monitoring, evaluation and learning.
- Supports the Division of External Relations In its overall engagement in key internal and external processes to support the delivery of organizational priorities.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
Master’s degree in Economics, Development Financing, International Development, Public Administration, Public Policy or related discipline.
Knowledge and Experience:
- A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in development field or in a government, multilateral, UN System setting.
- Strong experience of working in the development financing agenda is required.
- Proven track record of success in building and expanding strategic partnerships, preferable with non-traditional partners, is required.
- Experience partnering with the IMF/IADB/WBG or other MDBs and demonstrable familiarity with their development financing approaches modalities and instruments.
- Relevant experience in a UN System setting or with similar multilateral development organization is desirable.
- Extraordinary communications skills – listening, influence, negotiation/persuasion, counsel.
- Ability to effectively interact with and maintain strong working relationships with a broad array of stakeholders.
Languages:
Fluency in English; knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French and/or Spanish, is desirable.
Required Competencies:
Values:
- Exemplifying integrity,
- Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
- Embracing cultural diversity,
- Embracing change
Core Competencies:
- Achieving results,
- Being accountable,
- Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
- Thinking analytically and strategically,
- Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
- Communicating for impact
Managerial Competencies:
- Providing strategic focus;
- Engaging internal/ external partners and stakeholders;
- Leading, developing and empowering people/ creating a culture of performance;
- Making decisions and exercising judgment.
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
UNFPA Work Environment:
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.
Disclaimer:
Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.
Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
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