Background

UNDP has been working in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development. Together with the Government of India and development partners, we have worked towards eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, strengthening local governance, enhancing community resilience, protecting the environment, supporting policy initiatives and institutional reforms, and accelerating sustainable development for all.

With projects and programmes in every state and union territory in India, UNDP works with national and subnational government, and diverse development actors to deliver people-centric results, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. As the integrator for collective action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the UN system, we are committed to supporting the Government of India’s national development vision and priorities and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs for the people and the planet.

UNDP India’s new Country Programme (2023-2027) builds on our prior work and aims to provide an integrated approach to development solutions in three strategic portfolios:  

•     Strong, accountable and evidence-led institutions for accelerated achievement of the SDGs.
•     Enhanced economic opportunities and social protection to reduce inequality, with a focus on the marginalized.
•     Climate-smart solutions, sustainable ecosystems and resilient development for reduced vulnerability.

South-South cooperation, gender equality and social inclusion are promoted across the pillars. The programme is supported by a framework of renewed partnerships and blended finance solutions, strategic innovation and accelerator labs, and data and digital architecture.

You are invited to join a team of future-smart development professionals to support India in achieving the national and globally agreed goals. As part of the UNDP team, your focus will be to work with diverse stakeholders to find country-specific solutions that lead to sustainable development and reach those furthest behind first.

UNDP’s Strategic Plan is founded on six signature solutions: keeping people out of poverty, strengthening effective governance; enhancing national resilience; promoting nature-based solutions; closing the energy gap; and strengthening gender equality, where finance development is a critical enabler. 

The challenge to finance the SDGs is not the lack of funds, the issue is systemic and much deeper than closing any financial gap. It demands the re-orientation of how government, businesses and investors interact with each other to create a system to achieve results in the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. Whilst there is growing mainstreaming of SDG and climate-responsive budgeting and positive disruptions to the financial system with the increasing importance of innovative financing instruments underpinned by new inclusive and sustainable business models, the growing blending of public and private resources, crowdfunding, ESG investments, these are not yet at scale. 

UNDP India Country Office is looking to strengthen this momentum through its offer of integrated support on SDG and sustainable financing to state governments and has developed a project Sustainable Finance Facility (SFF). The Facility will provide technical assistance to catalyze sustainable finance instruments that can enable direct capital towards the creation of an equal, inclusive, and resilient economy. The facility will also aim operationalize the recommendations by G20 SFWG, particularly focus areas pertaining to scale up social impact investment instruments and the mobilization of climate finance through blended finance and innovative instruments as well as cross-cutting focus of capacity building of stakeholders. The Sustainable Finance Facility platform aims to provide assistance around early-stage design support for the development of blended and innovative financing structures (largely sub-national) with a focus on catalysing investments for social, environmental and climate goals while mainstreaming gender considerations for such interventions. 

Despite growing interest in innovative finance instruments, many investors have cited the challenge of having a limited pipeline of quality sustainable finance projects. At the ground level, there is a lack of bankable projects with limited scalability. Hence the need for a dedicated technical assistance window that supports the design of financing instruments is key. This includes technical assistance for feasibility and proof of concepts for instruments as well as targeted capacity building sessions and development of knowledge products to facilitate uptake of innovative financial instruments for government aligned climate objectives.

In addition, the overall portfolio of UNDP’s work with state governments also includes support for strengthening government’s institutional and administrative frameworks to be able to better deliver integrated programming, promote mainstreaming of climate risk and SDG alignment in public budgets and investments of the private sector, and account transparently for climate related services, while also strengthening parliament and civil society’s advocacy and accountability roles. There is an increasing urgency to ensure that policies, frameworks, and strategies are responsive to the needs, priorities, and interests of all people, including women, the poor, youth, and minorities and those most vulnerable and that they participate in the governance of a climate change response, i.e., in all stages of policy formulation, programme implementation and processes. 

The Project Manager will work under the supervision of the Chief Advisor – SDGs with matrix reporting to the Advisor, Sustainable Finance.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting To: Chief Advisor, SDG Acceleration and Finance, with matrix reporting to Advisor, Sustainable Finance. 

Reportees to this position (if applicable): Project Officer- Sustainable Finance, NPSA 9 and Project Associate - Finance and Admin, NPSA 7

A. Main Purpose:

The Project Manager will be expected to manage and lead the Sustainable Finance Facility. The Sustainable Finance Facility (SFF) platform is envisioned to be anchored with the Department of Economic Affairs and aims to provide support for the design of early-stage blended and innovative financing structures (largely sub-national) with a focus on catalysing investments for social, environmental and climate goals while mainstreaming gender considerations for such interventions. The Facility will provide technical assistance to catalyze sustainable finance instruments that can enable direct capital towards the creation of an equal, inclusive, and resilient economy. The role also includes coordination and close working relationships with other UNDP teams. 

The role involves strategically leveraging expertise in SDG integration, advanced analytics, and multi-stakeholder engagement to help conceptualise, design, implement, and rigorously track innovative financing instruments that strategically catalyse targeted investments addressing complex social, environmental, and climate challenges across diverse regional contexts.

The Project Manager will lead monitoring activities, including data collection and performance tracking, to ensure that the financing instruments are achieving the desired outcomes in alignment with SDG targets.

The role will be housed within the SDG Acceleration and Finance Unit at the UNDP India Country Office. The Project Manager will work under the direct supervision of Chief Advisor, SDG Acceleration and Finance Unit. The Project Manager will be expected to work closely with the Advisor, Sustainable Finance.

B. Duties and Responsibilities:

Project Management & leading technical support on financing instruments for the Sustainable Finance Facility

• Identify, develop and maintain information and detailed guidance on long list of financing instruments that can be applied at the national and sub-national level. 
• Lead due diligence, evaluating regulatory constraints (if any), market opportunities and determining overall financial and social attractiveness for innovative financing mechanisms
• Using current available information to map, analyze and interpret current and future potential for innovative finance instruments – including identifying trends and areas of growth. Develop and lead implement strategy for outreach accordingly
• Ideate on and develop business models for UNDP’s engagement on financing instruments at sub-national level 
• Iterate and refresh clear country offer for services on financing that can be delivered through state offices 
• Identify and disseminate lessons and good practices 
• Lead technical consultations with national and state governments to align sustainable finance frameworks with existing policies and priorities.
• Support state governments in the rollout of sub-national financing frameworks and assessments, ensuring alignment with national goals and priorities.

Forge partnerships and lead demand generation on financing instruments and mechanisms, support Cos overall offer on sustainable finance 

• Provide technical advisory support on innovative finance to state offices, UNDP teams and government partners as needed. 
• Strengthen partnerships with government representatives specifically finance and planning departments across states and UTs with a view to create demand for support on financing instruments. 
• Lead on conceptualisation, development of concept notes, presentations and other collateral, as needed to position the Sustainable Finance Facility
• Forge partnerships with expert agencies/ blended finance intermediaries, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), Banks, Financial Institutions, Impact Investors and other stakeholders to support convenings and capacity building on sustainable finance. 
• Design and implement capacity building workshops based on government requests

Lead workstreams on SDG financing frameworks 

• Lead the offer development and rollout of services on SDG/ Climate Budgeting, Costing and Tagging for states and government counterparts. 
• Lead the incorporation of gender equality and human rights-based approaches in financing strategies and programming work;
• Develop concept notes, presentations and pitches, as appropriate. 

Lead the design, implementation, and oversight of comprehensive Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) frameworks for the Sustainable Finance Facility, ensuring alignment with UNDP strategic objectives, national priorities, and SDG targets.

• Design robust M&E systems to assess the performance and impact of sustainable finance mechanisms, including public and innovative financing instruments.
• Establish indicators, baselines, and targets; lead data collection and analysis to generate evidence for adaptive management and decision-making.
• Plan and execute evaluations to assess effectiveness and sustainability; synthesize findings into actionable recommendations and lessons learned.
• Collaborate with government counterparts, donors, and internal teams to build M&E capacities and promote data-driven learning and accountability.
• Facilitate learning and adaptive management, ensuring continuous feedback loops that integrate M&E evidence into the design and refinement of interventions, including course correction, and policies in coordination with the donor.

Project Management related responsibilities 

• Lead preparation of periodic (quarterly/ semi-annual) progress reports for donors/ partners
• Develop, review and finalise annual work plans as needed
• Curate and coordinate various meetings, convenings and workshops as needed
• Implements project work plan and monitor that the project remains within the tolerance level of the approved work plan
• Provide technical guidance to project consultants and project executing partners who should provide similar outputs
• Lead in providing technical input to working documents, studies and technical reports as required in project activities

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management:

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy    

• Strategic Thinking: Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight
• Effective Decision Making: Take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources and take into consideration potential wider implications
• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

2030 Agenda: Partnerships    

• SDG Finance: Blended Finance for the SDGs

2030 Agenda: People    

• Climate: Climate Strategies and Policy: Financing Strategies, Plans and Investment Frameworks

Partnership management    

• Relationship management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
• Private sector resource mobilization: Ability to identify, develop and manage partnerships that leverage private sector technical expertise and resources.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in finance, management, development, climate or related field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in strategy consulting firms, international development organizations, impact investing, financial services, public finance, corporate finance, debt markets, climate finance, development finance or sustainable finance. 

Required skills:

• Experience in working with development partners, government or private sector on programming in relation to sustainable development, climate change finance, SDG finance, financing instruments, debt financing, public finance or development finance
• Experience in Project Management with development organizations, International Financial Institutions (IFI) or government.
• Demonstrated skill in providing project advisory services, monitoring and evaluation 

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

• Demonstrated experience in public finance, public financial management, climate change finance, sustainable finance, impact investing, or investment strategy is desirable.
• Proven experience working with governments, international financial institutions (IFIs), multilateral development banks (MDBs), development partners, the private sector, and academic institutions on climate and sustainable finance is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in project management across areas such as climate change, natural resources, energy, sustainable finance, and the green economy is desirable.
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement, including the ability to work effectively with diverse groups and multidisciplinary, multicultural teams is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience working independently with minimal supervision while managing multiple responsibilities is desirable.
• Proven experience in organizational and management functions, including the ability to meet deadlines and deliver high-quality outputs under pressure is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience using computer and office software (e.g., MS Word, Excel) with advanced proficiency in spreadsheets and database tools is desirable.
• Proven experience in preparing briefs and concept notes within short turnaround times, along with strong analytical, communication, networking, conflict resolution, and team-building skills is desirable.

Required Language:

• Fluency in English is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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