Strategic Intelligence and Analytics Specialist

UNDP•New York, NY

12h

About The Position

General Assembly Resolution 2186 (XXI) decided to “bring into operations the United Nations Capital Development Fund as an organ of the General Assembly which shall function as an autonomous organization of the United Nations. The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) assists developing countries, especially least developing countries, in the development of their economies by supplementing existing sources of capital assistance by means of grants, loans, and guarantees. UNCDFs vision is to help mobilize and catalyze an increase of capital flows for SDG impactful investments to Member States to address the most pressing development challenges facing vulnerable communities in these countries and thereby contribute to sustainable economic growth and equitable prosperity. As a Flagship Catalytic Blended Financing platform of the UN, UNCDF utilizes its unique capability in the UN system to deploy grants, loans and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact. UNCDF focuses on where the needs are greatest, a deliberate focus and capability rooted in UNCDF’s unique investment mandate to support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the realization of the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed countries, 2022–2031. As per its Strategic Framework, UNCDF works to deploy its functions as a hybrid development organization and development finance institution. UNCDF responds to Member States requests for assistance by providing targeted technical and financial advisory services on investments for development outcomes, designing bespoke financial structuring solutions, undertaking financial derisking of investments, and enhancing investment readiness of SDG aligned projects in partnership with private sector, United Nations Organizations, International and Local Finance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions as well as Foundations and Philanthropy, among others. UNCDF works to develop local financial systems, new markets and mobilize and crowd in capital from public and private sources. UNCDF is driven by a partnership mindset which enables it to deploy its different capital capabilities in highly tailored and responsive ways in order to mobilize investments flows from other sources, in particular from the private sector. By structuring transactions which are highly impactful, but also recognize the need for multiplying the impact of its own capital, UNCDF seeks to position itself as a preferred partner for different stakeholders. UNCDF’s work is focused on three priority areas, including: • SME Finance • Sub-National Finance • Digital Finance UNCDF’s organizational set up includes an Investment and Implementation Division (IID), Investment and Finance Oversight Division (IFOD), Operations and Oversight Division (OOD) and a Directorate of the Executive Office. UNCDF staff and personnel are located in regional hubs based in Dakar (Senegal), Nairobi (Kenya) and Bangkok (Thailand) with sub-regional presence in a number of locations in the Caribbean and Pacific Regions. UNCDF is led by an Executive Secretary based out of New York, USA. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 2321(XXII, para 1.a), the Administrator of the UNDP performs the function of the Managing Director of UNCDF. UNCDF is overseen by an Executive Board comprised of UN Member States. As part of the Directorate, the Strategic Intelligence and Analytics unit, generates actionable intelligence, designs UNCDF’s foresight and policy agenda, and translates data and analytics into organizational strategy, investor engagement, and external positioning. It connects data, policy, and finance—analyzing global and regional capital flows, identifies emerging opportunities and risks, and translates them into actionable strategies for UNCDF’s leadership, front-office teams, and partners to ensure UNCDF remains a thought leader and catalyst for private investment in least developed and frontier markets. Scope of Work The Strategic Intelligence and Analytics Specialist supports UNCDF’s mission by turning data and market signals into actionable intelligence that guides investment strategy, policy engagement, and partnership development. The Specialist analyzes global and regional investment trends—across digital finance, MSME finance, and subnational infrastructure—to identify where UNCDF’s de-risking instruments can unlock private capital in least developed and frontier markets. This includes mapping investor behavior, assessing barriers to market entry, and producing evidence-based insights that inform both operational design and strategic decision-making. In addition to analytics, the Specialist plays a central role in bridging foresight, policy, and communication. They advise regional investment teams on project design aligned with emerging market opportunities, prepare policy briefs and foresight notes for global engagements, and translate complex analysis into clear, compelling products for internal and external audiences. Through collaboration with thematic leads, the Impact Measurement, Verification and Learning (IMVL) Unit, and the Strategic Engagement team, the Officer ensures that intelligence feeds directly into UNCDF’s pipelines, partnerships, and advocacy efforts—strengthening its position as a credible, data-driven actor in catalytic finance.

Requirements

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Public Finance, Development Finance Public Policy, Politics, Development Studies, or related field is required, or
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
A minimum of 7 years (with a master’s degree) or 9 years (with a bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in data analytics and market intelligence.
Demonstrated experience in developing and aligning intelligence and analytics frameworks with organizational strategy and planning.
Demonstrated experience in translating complex analytics into actionable policy or investment guidance.
Experience in synthesizing market intelligence and communicate findings to diverse audiences.
Experience in international development finance, blended finance, capital mobilization in LDCs/SIDS.
Experience producing high-level reports and presentations.

Nice To Haves

Experience with AI-driven analytics.
Experience with digital finance solutions.
Proven track record of experience in building partnerships with research institutions, think tanks, or technology firms.
Experience engaging with high-level stakeholders.
Published work or thought leadership in strategic foresight, development finance or analytics.
Experience within the UN development system, familiarity with UNCDF.

Responsibilities

Analyze global, regional, and sectoral investment trends to identify catalytic entry points for UNCDF’s instruments, with emphasis on UNCDF’s capabilities: MSME finance, subnational finance and digital finance.
Map investor patterns across developed, emerging, and South–South markets to highlight capital gaps, barriers, and entry points for UNCDF interventions.
Generate insights on emerging market opportunities by country, sector, and investor group (including asset managers, family offices, and development finance institutions).
Support the development of evidence-based strategies to attract co-investment from public and private partners.
Identify systemic constraints and diminishing returns in last-mile markets, and propose ways UNCDF can address them.
Translate complex data analytics (e.g., MDB/DFI portfolios, risk benchmarks) into intelligence that informs programming.
Advise regional investment and programme teams on structuring initiatives and projects aligned with identified opportunities and intelligence outputs.
Guide the design of project-level interventions to ensure coherence between strategic foresight, private sector trends, and UNCDF’s financial instruments.
Collaborate with thematic leads (digital finance, energy, climate, MSME, and nature) to integrate data-driven insights into country programmes.
Incorporate scenario planning into the design of project-level interventions.
Develop framing questions that help colleagues pivot from legacy approaches to the new Strategic Framework focus.
Produce policy briefs, foresight notes, and strategic papers on market dynamics affecting private investment in LDCs and SIDS.
Develop content for high-level engagements (e.g., G20, World Bank/IMF Spring and Fall Meetings, SDG Investment Forums) showcasing UNCDF’s intelligence-driven approach to development finance.
Contribute to shaping UNCDF’s positioning as a thought leader in investment intelligence, catalytic capital, and de-risking.
Conduct foresight analysis on trends shaping finance for LDCs, SIDS, and fragile states.
Translate analytical findings into accessible formats for policymakers, investors and UNCDF staff (briefing notes, dashboards, presentations, infographics, webinars, newsletters)—that reinforce UNCDF’s positioning.
Work with IMVL colleagues to capture lessons from UNCDF’s portfolio and communicate evidence of impact.
Contribute to UNCDF’s knowledge platforms and outreach events to strengthen external visibility and investor confidence.
Establish a rhythm of outputs (e.g., 1-2 knowledge products every quarter, quarterly newsletter/intelligence notes and Directorate briefings).
Leverage journalistic/storytelling techniques to improve accessibility and impact.
Collaborate with the Strategic Engagement Unit to align narratives for partner outreach based on market data and investment analytics.
Liaise with regional IMVL staff to ensure coherence between data collection, monitoring, and strategic analysis.
Provide regular updates to the Directorate and front-office teams on key investment insights and trends.
Coordinate with external partners, including MDBs, DFIs, institutional investors, and private sector alliances, to validate intelligence outputs and co-develop market entry strategies.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.