Background

UNDP is the United Nations' global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. On the ground in more than 170 countries, UNDP works on solutions to global and national development challenges. As the United Nations' development network, UNDP draws on a world of experience to assist Malaysia in developing its own solutions to the country’s development challenges. Through impact standards, development finance and strategic innovation, UNDP supports Malaysia achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by reducing poverty and inequality, promoting inclusive growth and prosperity, strengthening the rule of law and governance, promoting environmental sustainability and addressing Climate Change. UNDP’s analytical work and policy offerings found uptake from multiple ministries. 

Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will be under the supervision of the Head of SDG Impact and will work closely with the operations team, programme colleagues, UNDP HQ and regional, government counterparts, technical experts, financial institutions, private sector partners, multilateral and bilateral donors and civil society to ensure the successful implementation of UNDP programmes. 

1. Lead projects under the UNDP Malaysia SDG Impact, Finance and Innovation portfolio including public finance components on Climate Change Budget Tagging (CCBT), Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPIER), Risk financing for MSMEs’ resilience with Insurance and Risk Finance Facility, and private financing components on Social Financing, Biodiversity and Climate Blended Financing, technical assistance on sustainability linked financing instruments and SDG Impact Facilitation, Measurement and Management initiatives; 

2. Lead the expansion of strategic partnerships with key private sector and private/public financing institutions, including managing initiatives, engagements and events that position UNDP’s global value proposition to Malaysian stakeholders, focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Establish or strengthen engagement platforms that help identifies opportunities, trade-offs and synergies that exist between different types of public and private financing in support of UNDP’s strategic priorities in Malaysia, leveraging both portfolio depth and cross-portfolio synergies;
• Prepare overviews, products, presentations and other engagement materials that demonstrate UNDP’s value proposition in sustainable financing; 
• Coordinate technical meetings and discussions with key stakeholders with the aim of establishing and facilitating partnership models for the delivery of sustainable and innovative financing instruments
• Develop financing strategy and value proposition packages by bringing different financing considerations together and implement a sequenced, prioritized set of actions and reforms, as determined in the country’s SDG Roadmap, Thirteen Malaysia Plan, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and other social, climate and biodiversity financing recommendations, together with alignment of guidance provided by UN on financing for development. The recommendations are to pave the way for clear and directed public and private sector investment partnerships through both the national and international capital market, banking system and private equity platforms, with the focus on scaling green and social finance.
• Program and pipeline development that translates national priorities into investable opportunities by applying UN SDG Impact Standards, ISO/UNDP PAS 53002:2024 and other UN guidelines, supported by data that highlights the business case and development impact of such investments. Work with private sector, foundations, nonprofits and government to strengthen impact planning, financing, management and measurement, grounded in evidence on development impact and business case.

3. Support knowledge sharing and evidence generation of UNDP tested recommendations to strengthen policy impact and SDG acceleration initiatives specifically on sustainability financing, including through :

• market assessments on financial instruments
• thought leadership and communication on sustainable financing, including producing short policy briefs or thought leadership blogs to share UNDP’s experience and insights on sustainable finance in Malaysia.

4. Support of cross-portfolio synergies, learning and linkages under geo- and target group concentration of UNDP support services as well as supporting CO M&E, reporting and corporate compliance, focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Contribute to office-wide corporate compliance, including project and program reporting/ROAR, IATI etc. 
• Support office-wide intelligence gathering and analysis to further strengthen UNDP’s development impact in terms of key geographical priority areas. 

5. Support to programme operations in line with UNDP corporate rule, regulation and policies, focusing on achievement of the following results: 

• Management of selected projects, implementing activities in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations, ensuring smooth programme operations in line with UNDP corporate rule, regulation and policies;
• Oversee, lead implementation and ensure quality reporting on selected projects; 
• Prepare project concepts, project documents, Annual Work Plans, progress reports and inputs to CO program compliance (QA, ROAR, IATI) and ensure budget execution is in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations; 
• Continuously monitor progress against the approved work-plan; Identify changes in the external environment and promptly agree necessary solutions/actions (ex. related to the planning and implementation of activities, need for new activities) with UNDP office and Project Board; 
• Monitoring expenditure to ensure that it is in line with approved budgets, AWPs and UNDP Programmed/Financial policies; 
• Periodic monitoring of dashboards and exceptions, identification of remedial actions.

6. Other tasks 

• Collaborate with cross-portfolio teams to promote a common understanding and effective application of impact finance mechanisms, project pipeline development, and standard impact measurement and monitoring frameworks and tools, including facilitating training and capacity building.
• Conduct rigorous analytical work grounded in applied economics and finance to inform sectoral strategies and operational decisions, ensuring evidence-based programme delivery.
• Collect and analyze SDG impact data in coordination with partners, apply appropriate frameworks and methodologies, and develop compelling narratives that support SDG impact articulation and guide the design and implementation of new sustainable finance and SDG impact initiatives with national stakeholders.
• Contribute to the establishment and continuous improvement of monitoring and reporting systems for investment and advisory services, aligned with stakeholder expectations and UNDP guidance.
• Oversee the implementation of assigned projects, ensuring timely reporting, financial oversight in compliance with UNDP rules and regulations, while proactively monitoring progress and risks.

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 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
• Learn Continuously: Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
• Act with Determination: Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction and Strategy    

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions. Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP
• 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

Business Development    

• Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

Business Management    

• Partnership Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

2030 Agenda:Partnerships    

• SDG Finance: Innovative Finance, Impact Investment, incl. SDG Impact Finance, Public Private Partnership

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master´s degree or equivalent) in Accounting and Finance, Business or Public Administration, Economics, Public Policy, Investment, Development Studies, or any related field relevant to SDG Impact and sustainable finance is required, OR
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree.

Experience:

• Minimum two (2) years (with Masters’ degree) or four (4) years (with Bachelors’ degree) of relevant experience at the national and/or international level in project/programme formulation, economics, equity and capital, investment, finance, planning and/or similar areas of works.

Required  skills and competencies:

• Demonstrated experience and in-depth knowledge in leading the formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of development programmes and projects, ensuring alignment with UNDP’s strategic priorities and results frameworks. 
• Experienced in conducting financial analysis, preparing detailed reports, and implementing cost-recovery mechanisms to enhance operational efficiency and transparency.
• Possesses strong IT proficiency, with hands-on experience in digital tools that support programme and financial management; practical knowledge of the Quantum system is highly desirable. 
• Experienced in financial and accounting principles, ensuring sound internal control and compliance. 
• Experienced knowledge of the Results Management Guide and Toolkit, and adept at applying results-based management approaches to track progress, assess impact, and drive evidence-based decision-making.

Desired additional skills and competencies:

• Experienced in designing or managing programme budgets, oversee contributions and investments, and manage financial transactions in compliance with UNDP’s financial rules and regulations. 
• Professional experience in development programming, project management or policy development in areas of sustainable finance
• Proven professional knowledge and experience in sustainability, impact investment and standards, development finance and/or public private partnerships
• Demonstrated ability to work with multiple partners including government (especially Malaysian government), private sector, financial institutions, civil society, expert partners to develop value proposition packages and products 
• Proven ability to formulate analytical research and reports in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English and Bahasa Malaysia is required. 
• Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Professional Certificates:

• ESG or SDG Impact and Sustainable Financing related certificates are an asset.

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.

Scam alert

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