Project Lead and Sustainable Finance Specialist (Open to All applicants)

UNDP•Freetown, AL

About The Position

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan. UNDP's 2025-2030 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP's Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas. In recent decades, biodiversity finance tools and solutions have demonstrated their importance for achieving biodiversity goals and broader sustainable development objectives. Improved choice, design and implementation of effective, well-tailored finance solutions will strengthen countries’ chances of achieving national and global biodiversity targets. Biodiversity Finance Plans have become increasingly recognized as a relevant tool to help countries to identify and fill the biodiversity finance gap, including through the work of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative www.biofin.org [http://www.biofin.org/]. In December 2022, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework. This included numerous targets with relevance for financing. Target 19 on resource mobilization includes reference for countries to design and implement national biodiversity finance plans. The GEF created a global programme to support countries to design a national Biodiversity Finance Plan. A Biodiversity Finance Plan includes a systems analysis of a country's economy including to map existing financing mechanisms, subsidies with potential harmful impacts on nature, drivers of biodiversity loss and gain, public and private expenditures committed towards biodiversity objectives and a country's national financial needs for biodiversity. The biodiversity finance plan itself consists of a series of actions with the aim to significantly scale up available funding, green or phase out harmful finance flows and improve the effectiveness of available expenditures. The programme allows for active sharing of experiences across countries and includes a knowledge sharing platform and the provision of continuous technical support to country teams. The implementation of the project in Sierra Leone falls under the GEF8 Umbrella programme for the development of the first National Biodiversity Finance Plan. The overall implementation of the project will be led by the Project Lead/Sustainable Finance Specialist, with the support of a technical team and in coordination to a government project director and the National Steering Committee. For the implementation of the GEF8-BFP Umbrella program at the national level, UNDP is recruiting a national team composed of a Sustainable Finance Specialist (Project Lead), a Project Support Associate, a Policy Specialist and a Biodiversity Finance Specialist.

Requirements

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Environmental or Natural Resource Management, Economics, Business Administration, Political Science or a related field on Environment and Finance is required. OR A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above fields in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Minimum of 5 years (with masters’ degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in managing environment / natural resource management projects / initiatives and implementing sustainable finance project in Sierra Leone.
Prior experience in designing or implementing sustainable finance mechanisms or projects;
Experience in working with governments and/or private sector on sustainable finance;
Experience in working collaboratively with other members in the organization.
Fluency in English and Krio is required.

Nice To Haves

Experience in sustainable finance and development or other closely related fields;
Experience with UNDP policies, procedures, and practices particularly to project development and implementation and/or working experience in an international organization/UN Agencies;
Previous experience in the private sector and local government;
Prior experience in building strategic partnerships with multiple stakeholders is an asset;
Prior experience and knowledge in environmental or biodiversity related policies is highly desirable;
Familiarity with the functioning of the government of Sierra Leon would be an asset.

Responsibilities

Lead strategic planning for the project, including formulation and periodic revision of the Annual Work Plan (AWP), budget planning, HR, and procurement. Develop detailed implementation plans in close coordination with UNDP Sierra Leone’s Programme, HR, and Procurement teams;
Manage and coordinate overall project implementation to ensure relevance, high performance, and delivery of quality outputs within specified time and budget constraints, in line with UNDP procedures and Government standards;
Provide direction, guidance, and direct supervision to project personnel. Review and ensure technical quality of outputs produced by the team, consultants and relevant partners;
Organize project workshops in a consultative manner, engaging a diverse range of biodiversity finance stakeholders, including government, private sector, NGOs, academia, local communities, and youth group;
Ensure timely and thorough consultation and reporting of project updates including status of implementation of finance solution and financial utilization with the National Steering Committee with accompanying agenda and documentation;
Proactively identify and communicate risks in implementation to the global BIOFIN and the UNDP Country Office;
Facilitate monthly meetings among the national team and regular calls with the Senior Advisor from the global BIOFIN Team, ensuring participation of BIOFIN Core Team in regional technical calls;
Collaborate closely with relevant UNDP and UN initiatives to ensure effective integration, alignment, and synergy across programs;
Actively contribute to resource mobilization efforts by identifying opportunities, supporting proposal development, and engaging with potential partners which could include, but not limited to, government, private sector, philanthropies, and others.
Engage with key policy processes to integrate and mainstream BIOFIN policy recommendations;
Lead the development of the structure, functions, organizational linkages, and constitution of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and the Biodiversity Finance Plan for Sierra Leone;
Assist in preparing templates for work plans, monitoring and evaluation systems, and partnership arrangements with national agencies and private sector;
Supervise the implementation of sub-projects outlined in the Biodiversity Finance Plan endorsed by the Sierra Leone Government;
Co-organize meetings with the Global BIOFIN team to identify programs and activities within the NBSAP and BFP suitable for Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding.
Conduct technical research and / or policy research related to the design and implementation of finance solutions including review of existing literature and policy frameworks to support the design of finance solutions;
Convene technical meetings with partners including government agencies, private sector and academe to assess feasibility of finance solutions;
Liaise with global team and other UNDP initiatives on improving implementation of finance.
Monitor project performance against targets, identify course corrections, and address deviations proactively;
Lead in project reporting, drafting monthly and quarterly reports for submission to the Global BIOFIN team and donors.;
Develop comprehensive reports for all technical workshops;
Create briefing notes, case studies, press releases, web articles, and other media products as required;
Assist with research and contribute to writing and editing sections of technical reports;
Review all national-level deliverables to ensure quality and alignment with the BIOFIN methodology;
Participate in cross-country knowledge exchange and global forums highlighting the learnings in designing and implementing finance solutions;
Advocate for BIOFIN recommendations at all levels.
Document programme/project stories, lessons learned, and best practices in programme/project development, implementation, and oversight;
Access BIOFIN and other global and regional knowledge, distill best practices and facilitate their dissemination and incorporation within BIOFIN Programme and projects, UNDP CO, and to counterparts and partners;
Support capacity building and networking with other BIOFIN countries at the regional and global level, and to facilitate knowledge exchange, and promote uptake through Knowledge platforms such as webinars, thematic workshops, Knowledge fairs etc.;
Support the technical advisor, together with other national program managers in the region, in mentoring new BIOFIN countries through peer-to-peer learning exchanges including periodic calls and in-country missions;
Actively support the dissemination of the project’s results and achievements to wider audience in close partnership with UNDP Communications Team.