Investment Specialist [Open to Tier 0, 1 & 2 applicants]

Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

• Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
• Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
• Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
• Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

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.  

Within UNCDF’s thematic are of nature, climate and energy financing, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Sustainable Energy 2 program, a 5 year program funded by the Central African Forestry Initiative (CAFI) and Fonds National de REDD+ (FONAREDD DRC), aims to scale up clean energy solutions to reduce deforestation and emissions, through building a diversified investment portfolio across clean fuels, renewable electrification, and sustainable biomass.  

To continue driving these objectives, UNCDF seeks to hire an Investment Specialist to lead investment-related activities, assess opportunities, liaise with UN-partner agencies under this project, and manage financial instruments that drive reduced deforestation through investments in clean energy technologies and solutions.

The Investment Specialist will lead investment transactions appraisal and structuring for both energy private sector companies (direct transactions), as well as on-lending and risk-sharing transactions with financial institutions and intermediaries in the liquid petroleum gas (LPG), electrification, high-tier improved cookstoves, and sustainable charcoal sectors for the Sustainable Energy 2 Program and the regional Pro-Congo Program. 
 

Duties and Responsibilities

The Investment Specialist will be responsible for originating, assessing, structuring, and monitoring the below processes:

(i) sourcing and screening investment opportunities, including through competitive Calls for Proposals / Expressions of Interest (EOI) based on market conditions as developed in baseline analyses, stakeholder engagements, and other sector reports; 
(ii) undertaking market assessments of financial institutions (banks, MFIs, funds) to identify viable partners and design fit-for-purpose on-lending and/or risk-sharing arrangements; 
(iii) liaising with financial institutions on the design and implementation of credit products to the sustainable energy sector value chain; 
(iv) leading investment structuring, appraisal and underwriting support for local financial institutions which could on-lend to associations of producers, cooperatives and MSMEs; 
and (v) coordinating closely with UNCDF and partner technical teams (and other UN agencies/Government counterparts, as relevant) in the Congo Basin region to ensure alignment between the investment component and technical assistance interventions (without leading or delivering technical assistance activities).
 

Key Responsibilities

1.    Lead Investment Underwriting & Due Diligence:

• Lead the identification, sourcing and management of a high-quality transaction pipeline in line with UNCDF’s investment mandate, target sectors in the Congo Basin and eligibility criteria.
• Conduct preliminary screening of investment opportunities and prepare concise pre-assessment documentation (e.g., PAM) to support internal decision-making and prioritization.
• Lead and/or coordinate due diligence on shortlisted counterparties and transactions (financial, operational, legal, integrity and ESG), ensuring completeness and consistency with UNCDF investment policies and risk appetite.
• Develop, validate and refine financial models and credit analyses (cashflow projections, sensitivities, repayment capacity, leverage/DSCR where relevant) to assess viability, risk-adjusted performance and scalability.
• Identify key risks (credit, operational, market, legal, ESG) and propose practical mitigation measures, including transaction structuring features, conditions precedent, covenants, reporting and monitoring requirements.
• Prepare high-quality investment memos and recommendations for submission to UNCDF internal investment governance bodies (as applicable), and coordinate responses to review comments from Risk, Legal, Finance and Programme teams.
   

2.    Lead Pipeline Sourcing via Calls for Proposals / Expressions of Interest (EOI)

• Lead baseline data collection, including analysis of the investment landscape across Congo Basin countries for the thematic areas across energy and nature-based solutions, to identify currently available investment services and new stakeholders.
• Work with CAFI, UNOPS, and other donors to coordinate the pipeline and prepare equivalence assessments as necessary.
• Design and manage regional or country-specific competitive Calls for Proposals / EOIs as a structured sourcing mechanism, including drafting the call package, defining eligibility criteria, evaluation methodology, scoring tools, and ensuring transparency, documentation and audit trail.
• Coordinate outreach and dissemination through relevant channels in the Congo Basin region (industry associations, chambers, incubators/accelerators, DFIs, UN and Government networks) to maximize market coverage and quality of submissions.
• Manage the end-to-end selection workflow (screening, scoring, clarification process, committee review, decision documentation) and maintain an up-to-date pipeline tracker.
• Produce an EOI/CFP evaluation report with a ranked shortlist and clear justification, identifying key risks, gaps and proposed next steps for each shortlisted applicant.
   

3.    Conduct Market Assessment & Engagement of Financial Institutions (FIs):

• Conduct market assessments of financial institutions relevant to the project/region to identify viable partners and constraints/opportunities for serving target segments and value chains in the Congo Basin region.
• Analyze FI products and operating practices (credit processes, collateral requirements, pricing, tenor constraints, portfolio performance, sector exposure), and assess institutional capacity (underwriting, risk management, MIS, ESG systems, reporting).
• Develop and maintain an FI mapping/database and a shortlist of priority FI partners in the Congo Basin, with an engagement plan and sequencing for partnership development.
• Recommend partnership modalities and fit-for-purpose financial arrangements (on-lending facilities, risk-sharing/guarantees, blended structures, portfolio approaches), aligned with UNCDF fiduciary, risk and impact requirements.
• Support FI engagement and partnership development, including contributions to term sheets, partnership memos and relevant due diligence inputs (KYC/AML, integrity, ESG screening, operational capacity).
   

4.    Blended Finance Structuring & Transaction Design:

• Design and structure catalytic/blended finance solutions using UNCDF instruments (e.g., loans, guarantees, investment grants where applicable), including concessionally logic, risk allocation and alignment with development additionality.
• Support negotiations on investment terms and agreements with investees, financial intermediaries and co-financiers, and ensure consistency of terms with UNCDF policies and governance approvals.
• Ensure investment structures incorporate practical monitoring, reporting and compliance requirements (financial, ESG and impact), and are implementable by counterparties.
• Develop partnerships and support the development of UNCDF's investment portfolio in the DRC, including with other entities supporting the energy sector in the DRC (e.g., SE4ALL, Fonds Mwinda, IFC, etc.).
   

5.    Coordination with Technical Teams (Non-TA Delivery Role):

• Coordinate closely with UNCDF and partner technical teams to ensure coherence between investment deployment and technical workstreams led by those technical teams.
• Translate due diligence findings into clear technical workstream needs (as inputs to technical teams) and reflect agreed actions in transaction conditions, covenants, reporting and monitoring plans.
• Participate in joint planning/review sessions with technical teams and partners to ensure proper sequencing between technical activities and investment milestones, while maintaining separation of roles (technical teams lead TA; the Investment Officer leads investment sourcing/structuring/governance).
   

6.    Ensure Monitoring, Reporting & Impact Measurement:

• Support the development and application of monitoring frameworks to track portfolio performance, compliance with investment terms, ESG requirements and impact indicators.
• Review and analyze investee/FI reporting, flag early warning signals, and prepare concise monitoring updates and portfolio insights for UNCDF management and relevant stakeholders.
• Support onsite due diligence, verification and monitoring missions as required, documenting findings and recommended actions.
• Monitor and control investment transactions in the thematic area and report results to the investment impact portfolio specialist and the deforestation monitoring and evaluation specialist.
• Capitalize on successes and achievements and contribute to UNCDF's institutional communications by providing articles and reports on investment activities in the DRC, in coordination with the communications specialist.
   

7.    Support broader UNCDF operations and facilitate knowledge:

• Contribute to internal advisory support and knowledge sharing on catalytic finance, private sector engagement and mobilization of finance flows aligned with UNCDF objectives (e.g., resilience and peacebuilding, climate/forests, sustainable food systems, jobs and biodiversity).
• Support resource mobilization and partner engagement activities through inputs to concept notes, presentations and investment narratives, as requested.
• Provide surge support to other programmes/initiatives as UNCDF’s portfolio evolves in the region, within the scope of expertise and availability.
• Participate in forums and working groups related to the thematic area of investment.
• Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners. 

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

Institutional Arrangement 
The Investment Specialist will work under the direct supervision of UNCDF Regional Investment Specialist (RIS) for Western and Central Africa and the Caribbean. 
The Investment Specialist may be required to travel for field missions to other regions of DRC such as Kisangani and Lubumbashi.
 

Competencies

Core Competencies - UNDP Core Competencies can be found here.

• 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 - Business Acumen:

• Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome Ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization 

Business Direction & Strategy - Negotiation and Influence:

•  Reach a common understanding/agreement, persuade others, resolve points of difference through a dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions and create ‘win-win’ situations.

Business development - Human-centered design:

•  Ability to develop solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process Knowledge and understanding of human centred design principles
  and practices
   

Business Management -  Integration within the UN:

•  Ability to identity, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work. Knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical
  Situations.

Business Management - Results-based Management:

• Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.

Finance - Investment Management:

• Ability to manage organization’s assets such as equity, bonds, cash, etc. according to the investment guidelines.
   

2030 Agenda: Partnerships - SDG Finance:

•  SDG Investment Project Pipelines

 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Finance, Business Administration, or relevant 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 additional qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
   

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years (with a master’s degree) or 7 years (with a bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in development finance and energy finance (including oil and gas or renewable energy), in LDCs.   
• Experience in emerging market financing and investments in LDCs is required.   
• Experience in providing portfolio de-risking to lending institutions is required.
• Experience in underwriting grants, debt, or guarantees is required.
• Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section    •    Experience with UNCDF/UNDP rules and procedures is an advantage.  
• Experience working with Global Funds, IFIs, UNCDF and/or another UN entity is an advantage.
• Experience working on development finance, energy finance (including oil and gas or renewable energy) is an advantage.
• Experience in emerging market financing and investments seeking to reduce drivers of conflicts, fragility and environmental degradation is an advantage.
• Experience in MSME lending, including credit appraisal and evaluation, financial analysis, financial modeling and forecasting, and loan portfolio management is an advantage.

Language: 

• Fluency in French and English is required 

Professional Certificates:

• Professional Certificates    Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) diploma, ACCA, CPA, PMP, or similar, is a distinct advantage 

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.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

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