Investment Officer

Mission and objectives

The UN Volunteer (Investment Officer) will support UNCDF in originating, assessing, structuring and monitoring blended finance and investment operations that catalyse private sector participation and strengthen access to finance for sustainable energy value chains in the DRC. The assignment contributes to building a pipeline of impactful investments, strengthening partnerships with financial institutions and private sector actors, and ensuring coherence between investment deployment and technical assistance activities led by partner teams.

Context

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is the United Nations’ flagship catalytic finance entity for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), mandated by the UN General Assembly to mobilize and catalyze capital flows for sustainable development impact. UNCDF deploys grants, loans and guarantees to crowd in public and private finance in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Within its thematic focus on climate, energy and nature-based finance, UNCDF is implementing the Sustainable Energy 2 Programme in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a multi year programme funded by the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) and the National REDD+ Fund (FONAREDD). The programme aims to reduce deforestation and emissions by scaling clean energy solutions across clean cooking, renewable electrification and sustainable biomass value chains. To support the implementation of investment activities under this programme, UNCDF seeks to engage a National UN Volunteer – Expert (Investment Officer) to contribute to investment origination, appraisal, structuring and monitoring, in close coordination with UNCDF programme, technical and partner teams.

Task Description

Under the direct supervision of the UNCDF Regional Investment Specialist (Western and Central Africa and the Caribbean), and in close coordination with programme and technical teams, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: 1. Investment Sourcing, Screening and Appraisal • Support the identification and sourcing of potential investment opportunities aligned with UNCDF’s mandate, target sectors and programme objectives. • Conduct preliminary screening of potential counterparties and investment proposals, and contribute to pre assessment documentation to support internal prioritisation. • Support due diligence processes on shortlisted investees and financial institutions, including financial, operational, integrity and ESG dimensions, in coordination with UNCDF specialists. 2. Calls for Proposals / Expressions of Interest (EOIs) • Support the design and management of competitive Calls for Proposals / EOIs as a pipeline development mechanism, including drafting documentation and evaluation tools. • Assist in outreach and dissemination of calls through relevant stakeholder networks to maximise quality applications. • Contribute to the screening, scoring and evaluation of submissions, and preparation of shortlisting and evaluation summaries. 3. Engagement with Financial Institutions • Support market assessments of banks, MFIs and other financial institutions to identify potential partners for on lending or risk sharing arrangements. • Assist in analysing financial institution products, operating practices and institutional capacities relevant to serving sustainable energy value chains. • Support the development of engagement notes and partnership concepts with selected financial institutions. 4. Blended Finance and Transaction Support • Assist in the structuring of blended finance solutions using UNCDF instruments (e.g. loans, guarantees, grants), ensuring alignment with development impact objectives. • Support preparation of transaction documentation, term sheets and investment notes, under guidance from UNCDF investment specialists. • Contribute to coordination with co financiers, partners and internal UNCDF teams during transaction development. 5. Monitoring, Reporting and Learning • Support monitoring of investment activities and portfolio performance, including review of financial, ESG and impact reporting from investees and partners. • Assist in preparing internal updates, summaries and basic portfolio performance insights. • Participate in field visits for due diligence, verification and monitoring, as required. 6. Coordination and Knowledge Sharing • Coordinate with UNCDF programme and technical teams to ensure coherence between investment activities and technical assistance interventions. • Contribute to documentation of lessons learned and good practices, including short articles or briefs on investment activities in the DRC. • Participate in relevant coordination meetings, forums and working groups linked to the programme.

Competencies and values

Core Competencies • Achieve Results • Think Innovatively • Learn Continuously • Adapt with Agility • Act with Determination • Engage and Partner • Enable Diversity and Inclusion Technical and Cross Functional Competencies • Business acumen • Negotiation and influence • Results based management • Communication • Partnerships management • Integration within the UN system

Living conditions and remarks

DRC is larger than Western Europe, and therefore is very diverse. Living conditions - including the cost of living and the availability of food, the level of accommodation and utilities - vary widely among locations. In most places, the basic infrastructure are available and private accommodation can be rented (power cuts and water can be frequent). The United Nations Volunteers often share their homes. A certain level of medical service is provided in all places of employment on the basis of 24/7. The United Nations Volunteers must be aware that they are exposed to a number of tropical diseases, including malaria. Telephone SIM and recharge cards are widely available. However, there are places of employment in the DRC where mobile networks are not available. In large cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), the United Nations Volunteers are encouraged to open bank accounts in U.S. dollars, while in other places, banks may be absent and the VLA payments will be paid in cash.