Job description

Background

UNDP / UNCDF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP / UNCDF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Organizational Context

The UN Capital Development Fund makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 Least Developed Countries (LDCs). UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

UNCDF’s financing models work through three channels: (1) inclusive digital economies, which connects individuals, households, and small businesses with financial eco-systems that catalyze participation in the local economy, and provide tools to climb out of poverty and manage financial lives; (2) local development finance, which drives structural transformation of localities through policy and regulatory reform, fiscal decentralization, innovative municipal finance, and project finance to unlock capital flows to the local level, combined local economic expansion and sustainable development; and (3) investment finance, which provides catalytic financial structuring, de-risking, and capital deployment to drive SDG impact and domestic resource mobilization.

UNCDF’s Local Development Finance Practice (LD) aims to be center of excellence and innovative fund for local government finance and local economic development finance in the world’s 46 LDCs. LD promotes and supports transformative investments through local governments and domestic financial institutions (banks, pension funds) in LDCs by piloting and scaling up innovative financing mechanisms and policies in the public and private sectors. UNCDF’s work in Local Development Finance is best understood as an appreciation that the local dimension to development is essential for least developed countries (and least developed regions in all developing countries) to transform their economies and societies into an inclusive, diverse and sustainable system for human realization and planetary health. Local development is clearly defined not just as a local initiative, because everything happens somewhere, but as an initiative that draws from local assets to add value that is inclusively shared locally: infrastructure, services, value chains and environmental value – in other words an initiative with transformative impact.

The Local Finance Initiative (LFI) programme is designed to unlock the flow of capital to invest small and medium-sized infrastructure projects that are required to accelerate local economic development and private sector development. It is a UNCDF front office capacity that help to deliver local economic development in collaboration with national institutions, local authorities and SMEs in developing countries.

The UNCDF is seeking to hire an experienced Investment Officer to support its global technical secretariat based in Tanzania together with the work of Tanzania Country Progroamme. The Investment officer will be based in Tanzania and work under the direct supervision of the Global LFI Manager based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary Of Key Functions

Organization and facilitation of project development and financing activities related to Tanzania Country Programme pipeline of investments and technical assistance – 40%;
Organization and facilitation of key global LFI activities related to commercially viable investments, project development, transaction structuring and financing – 40%;
Capacity development of key stakeholders of the programme in the areas of commercially viable investments: 20%
Organization and facilitation of project development and financing activities related to Tanzania Country Programme pipeline of investments and technical assistance: 40%
Manage a portfolio and provide specialized project development and due dilligience support that will lead to the financial closure of transformative investment projects.
Prepare project financing documentation to present to investment committes, potential lenders and investors having clear, transparent and relevant information that is in accordance with international project finance standards.
Interact with local stakeholders (such as central and local government officials, private sector banks, equity investors, project sponsors, development partners, etc.) during investment identification, project development life cycle and during external financing stages.
Integrate and work efficiently and effectively with a team of local and international consultants supporting project pipeline development.
Provide reports in the format agreed upon and other adhoc and periodic reporting.
Timely planning, budgeting and reporting in accordance with the guidelines of UNCDF and Global LFI Secretariat.

Organization and facilitation of key Global LFI activities related to commercially viable investments, project development, transaction structuring and financing: 40%
Provide specialize knowledge of structuring innovative and alternative financing instruments such as bonds, debt, equity and risk mitigation instruments.
Perfom Peer Review of the investments managed by the network of Global LFI investment officers including the Tanzania country programme pipeline.
Supervise the work of associate investment officers and consultantsl
Provide targeted technical support to municipal project sponsors to prepare their projects to be investment ready for PPPs and municipal bonds. This includes review of technical feasibility studies, collection of relevant data to enhance business plans and confirm project bankability, technical due diligence market assessment, and advisory services;
Provide support to the public partners in the areas of legal, policy, regulatory, risk management etc and other areas of the enabling environment;
Facilitate the required technical studies under guidance of the Global LFI Secretariat by engaging the project sponsors, consultants, local authorities and communities as appropriate, including the development of TORs that reflect project finance requirements and support of the procurement processes;
Prepare and facilitate technical missions for investment projects validation and pipeline development;
Liaise closely with UNCDF local development finance investment committee and impact teams responsible for measurement of transformative impact of investment projects, including in climate change, food security, women’s economic empowerment and local economic development. Exchange data and information to ensure that selected projects meet the criteria for transformational impact.

Capacity development of key stakeholders of the programme in the areas of commercially viable investments: 20%
Provide support and awareness training to key stakeholders including the local governments, capital markets, private sector and relevant ministries, ensuring programme knowledge generation and dissemination, including support to the development of LFI tools and toolkits, case studies, briefs, research documents, and client impact evaluations.
Support the development of training materials and workshops related to the work of Global LFI.
Provide specialist input in the development and application of innovative and alternative financeing approaches and tools to facilitate knowledge transfer, training, and development of capacities of local stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

Competencies

Job Knowledge and required technical expertise
Client Orientation
Building Partnerships
Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
Self-development, initiative-taking
Acting as a team player and facilitating team work
Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
Creating synergies through self-control
Managing conflict
Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
Informed and transparent decision making

Required Skills And Experience

Education:

Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Masters in accounting, finance, economics, or relevant field is required. In addition, a Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, economics, engineering or a related field of the position with additional years of experience is also acceptable.
A Certified Financial Analysit (CFA) and or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) qualification is an advantage

Work And Experience

Minimum two years of relevant experience in structure project finance including the provision of technical assistance to public and private sector project sponsors.
Demonstrated experience of developing and financing commercially viable investments from both the public and private sector.
Demonstrated experience of creation and evaluation of advanced and complex financial models;
Demonstrated experience of employing quantitative (analytics, statistics and mathematics) strategies to help companies in making business and financial decisions.
Business development, evaluation, due diligence, credit/investment proposal preparation and presentation, negotiation and portfolio monitoring of suitable transactions.
Practical experience of carrying out independent research on the investment climate for municipal investment finance, project sponsors, management, and economic, financial, marketing, technical, environmental and legal aspects of the project.
Demonstrates ability to engage across multiple stakeholders, including project sponsors, government partners and financial institutions.
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Language

Fluency in English and national language of duty station (Swahili) required;
Ability to written and spoken English is required.

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the National Officer (NO) categories are subject to local recruitment.

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