The Director, Investment Platform will lead and manage UNCDF’s investment pillar, assuring it meets professional fund management standards with full backing of UN legal, financial, and risk management frameworks. S/he assures its management capability and reputation, and to grow its current assets and portfolio of funds to sustain growth and development impact. Taking into consideration that the IP is at a pivotal point in its evolution, with the potential for exponential growth, the successful candidate will need to be a strategic thinker, with an entrepreneurial mind-set and a high tolerance for risk, as well as being adaptable and able to deal with large formal organisations like the UN. His/her responsibilities will be as follows:
1) Leadership
- Provide leadership to the Investment Platform team in the conception and operationalization of medium to long-range public/private initiatives responding to the SF and 2030 Agenda.
- assure integrity of IP operations and conformity to impact and responsible investing principles related to UNCDF’s mandate (e.g., crowding in domestic private investment, minimal concessionality, no market distortions, leaving no one behind, investing where others will not take risks alone)
- Be responsible for a smooth integration between the Practices and the IP, assuring separation of due diligence and decision making on investments to be considered by the IP.
- Be responsible for strategic direction and management of the IP pillar and its day-to-day operations.
- Develop and expand UNCDF investment portfolio according to mandate and related principles.
- Act as thought leader and work on furthering the UNCDF Investment Mandate.
- Develop and inspire a team to implement the strategy and to achieve objectives and targets.
- Ensure all team members represent UNCDF in the best light.
- Mentor staff to ensure personal and organizational development.
- Work closely with UNCDF management team to fully operationalize UNCDF Investment operations.
- Train staff on investment valuation techniques, modeling, and investment memo preparation.
- Actively pursue UNDP and other agency partnership through the Investment Platform
2) Investment management and financial innovation
2a) Strategy
- Position UNCDF as a service provider to other UN agencies interested in deploying financial instruments into their operations including by developing business models/cost recovery scenarios, service offerings, etc..
- Provide financial models for forecasting/testing the robustness of UNCDF’s investment strategy.
2b) Management
- Manage UNCDF’s ensure capital adequacy (as needed) in coordination with the Management Support Unit and UNDP finance.
- Monitor/manage risks of investment processes as they evolve over time.
2c) Investment
- Devise investment strategies to achieve UNCDF’s strategic objectives
- Provide leadership and guidance throughout the entire investment process, from the initial assessment of new opportunities, credit analysis, due diligence, and to contributions to the portfolio management and follow up activities, by leading the Investment platform team in its work with UNCDFs practices and local offices.
- Ensure due diligence of existing and new partner organizations, in collaboration with partnerships unit
- Monitor the performance of loans and investments and analyze investments.
- Manage investor relationships (including reporting).
2d) Development
- Develop processes and data systems to enable effective analysis, estimation and decision-making, portfolio monitoring and reporting, and assuring reliability of UNCDF’s system of record on investments
- Develop a model to integrate the financial risk assessment with a risk adjusted impact measurement
- Help refine sourcing, underwriting and execution process for debt, guarantees and quasi equity investments.
- Refine existing financial instruments and develop new where required.
- Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of UNCDF’s blended finance services and products
3) Public and Private Partnerships
- Develop new investment products and support marketing initiatives to secure new investment.
- Proactively seek opportunities to initiate, negotiate and activate new business model opportunities in the public/private sphere, in close collaboration with UNCDF practice and partnership colleagues.
- Work closely with the Directorate and PPC to support fundraising activities. Lead on identifying and developing new strategic partnerships and resources mobilized for LDCs and for UNCDF within the public/private sphere, particularly vis-à-vis DFIs, and regional and LDC-based banking and fund management constituencies.
- Drive partnership with third party fund manager(s) and ensure the strong sustainability and long term business model benefits across UNCDF, including incentives, cost recovery, and fee sharing schemes
- Assist the UNCDF Senior Management in identifying internal structural, staffing, systems, and related change processes that may be helpful to ensure optimal effectiveness and efficiency in taking new investment initiatives forward.
- Attend high-level forums and conferences, meet with donors, sponsors and lenders as needed.
4) Knowledge Management
- Provide intellectual leadership for research, learning and knowledge generation related to UNCDF’s Investment mandate and operations, including notably on impact measurement and impact in LDCs, related to investment platform work.
- Ensure that relevant lessons learned are incorporated into UNCDF’s ongoing and future programming, and form the basis for its policy advocacy at the national and global levels;
- Together with UNCDF’s Partnership Unit and other relevant UNCDF colleagues, ensure that lessons learned are more broadly disseminated to UNCDF’s partners and within the wider development community, via policy notes and other publications, practitioner’s toolkits, conference attendance, etc.
5) Strategic and Corporate Support to UNCDF Directorate
- Recruit, lead and manage the Investment Platform team and consultants for managing the work of Investment Platform pillar.
- Work closely with UNCDF Directorate to provide strategy input and back up management support as needed
- Participate on Practice investment committees at UNCDF
- Participate as a member of the UNCDF senior management team
Competencies
Core Competencies
- Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work (Level 7: Promotes stakeholder-centered design and appropriate risk-taking approaches for office / programme / division)
- Leadership: Ability to persuade others to follow (Level 7: Positions the organization as a center of expertise and influence Inspires others to reach new heights)
- People Management: Ability to improve performance and satisfaction (Level 7: Empowers team managers to act independently and takes people management decisions_
- Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform (Level 7: Reconciles contrasting positions and ambiguous circumstances by communicating a clear path for resolution and progress)
- Delivery: Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement (Level 7: Sets strategic goals and builds the means to achieve optimal service delivery and organizational excellence)
Technical/Functional Competencies
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- Technical Knowledge: Knowledge and expertise in Investment & Public finance concepts, principles and policies and the ability to apply in strategic and/or practical situations
- Building Strategic Partners: Establishing, maintaining and utilizing a broad network of contacts. Building partnerships and strategic alliances.
- Results Based Programme Development and Management: Effectively managing core and non-core resources to achieve organizational results. Moving from basic research to programme/project management, to programme design and conceptual leadership
- Fundraising: Proven ability to fundraise for development purposes, building strong relationships with funders
- Innovation and Marketing New Approaches: Developing original and innovative ideas and approaches. Influencing others within UNDP and outside, to adopt new approaches. Creating a culture of innovation and change.
- Knowledge Management: Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge
- Creating Visibility: Ensuring that UNCDF has the visibility and corporate image it requires as the key development actor.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in economics, finance, or business administration.
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) diploma, or similar is regarded as an asset.
Work Experience & Qualifications:
- A minimum of 15 years of experience in finance and development, within an international financial environment, preferably in development finance institution, multilateral or government institution or similar.
- Strategic thinker, with an entrepreneurial mind-set and a high tolerance for risk, as well as being adaptable and able to deal with large organisations.
- Proven senior leadership experience in the UN System, Government and Private Institutions.
- Experience working with multilateral organizations, venture capital and/or investment banks
- Significant deal structuring experience, from project preparation and development of investment opportunities, especially for projects in emerging/frontier markets.
- Active interest in investing in developing countries and understanding of emerging market environments, with a willingness to travel.
- Extensive experience in designing and implementing development projects related to public-private partnerships, loans & guarantees etc.
- Strong network and relationships with key development and private sector organizations engaged in public-private partnerships and impact investing.
- Demonstrated success in hiring, training, and growing an investment team.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively under pressure.
Language:
- Fluency in English;
- A second UN language fluency is considered desirable.
If interested, please apply here.
