Technical Specialist (Home Based) [Open to Internal and External applicants]

About UNDP Careers

As the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnerships and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP’s work is guided by four strategic objectives that together define our contribution to human development: expanding prosperity for all, strengthening effective governance, safeguarding a healthy planet and building crisis resilience. These objectives are enabled by three accelerators that drive transformative impact across our portfolio: digital and AI innovation, gender equality and sustainable finance. Through this integrated approach, UNDP supports countries to deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives and to advance sustainable development at scale.
UNDP, through its Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH), supports partners in promoting financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As an accelerator of the UNDP Strategic Plan, sustainable finance strengthens countries’ ability to mobilize, align and deploy finance at scale for national priorities. UNDP supports international and country level policy reform as a catalyst for system-wide change, stronger policy environments, better-functioning markets and more coherent financing strategies for sustainable development. SFH work is delivered through three interconnected portfolios: Public Finance for the SDGs, Private Finance for the SDGs, and Global & Country Financing Policy Frameworks.
UNDP supports the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD or Taskforce), a global initiative for reporting and managing inequality and social-related risks, opportunities, impacts, and dependencies. The Taskforce is a multistakeholder initiative involving investors, business, labor, civil society, policy makers and regulators, service providers, and academia working together to co-create a global framework for inequality and social-related disclosures, guidance and education and capacity building resources.
It is anticipated the framework will be developed over three years through December 2027, with the production of critical outputs throughout this period and further work on implementation to follow. The Taskforce Secretariat will coordinate and facilitate the Taskforce’s activities according to the direction defined by the Steering Committee and Working Groups.

The Technical Deliverables Of The Taskforce Include

• An integrated and accessible disclosure framework and recommendations, informed by a set of conceptual foundations, to help market actors identify, assess, and disclose their people-related impacts, dependencies, risks & opportunities (IDROs), enabling decisions that improve people’s outcomes.
• A small set of core global metrics for disclosure; and larger set of metrics for discretionary use in disclosure.
• A body of evidence on social and inequality-related IDROs to inform the disclosure framework and support the call for action to address social challenges, inequalities and systemic risks.
• Various types of guidance to help corporates and financial institutions in identifying, assessing and reporting on inequality and social related IDROs, building on existing work in this space.
• Resources to support the building of stakeholder capacity to engage with the taskforce and use the framework effectively.

Position Purpose

The Technical Specialist will conduct research and analysis underpinning the TISFD’s deliverables and contribute to the development of its outputs, in coordination with the Technical Director.
The technical deliverables of the Taskforce involve a number of resources including but not limited to: an integrated and accessible disclosure framework and recommendations, informed by a set of conceptual foundations and a body of evidence on social and inequality-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities; various types of guidance to help corporates and financial institutions in identifying, assessing and reporting on inequality and social related impacts and risks, building on existing work in this space.

Scope of Work

Develop research and evidence

• Identify research needs, gaps and objectives to contribute to mapping the research necessary to inform the Conceptual Foundations and the Disclosure Framework.
• Undertake research to build the evidence base needed to meet TISFD’s objectives, identifying relevant sources, developing methodologies, producing syntheses and summaries.
• Develop TISFD’s Resource Hub (a knowledge base of evidence and supporting materials to be shared publicly).
• Liaise with TISFD’s communications leads, providing evidence and research as input to TISFD’s external communications.

Support networks, partnerships and knowledge sharing

• Identify potential research partners and contributors, building and leveraging a network of research organisations.
• Develop TISFD’s Research Network, including its terms of reference, membership, logistical arrangements and internal communications.
• Engage with research partners to stimulate new research initiatives, provide feedback, and align ongoing and upcoming initiatives with TISFD objectives, messaging, and conceptual frameworks.
• Support TISFD’s relationships with its knowledge partners, including exploring opportunities for collaboration and helping to manage those.

Contribute to technical deliverables

• Play a leading role in drafting TISFD publications related to building the evidence base.
• Contribute to the delivery of the Taskforce’s other technical deliverables, including supporting technical working group discussions, stakeholder engagement and revision processes.
• Keep abreast of developments in relation to voluntary and regulatory sustainability-related disclosure standards and frameworks and research and policy developments in the intersection between business and finance and inequality- and social-related issues.

The incumbent performs other duties within her/his functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the TISFD Secretariat.

Institutional arrangements

The Technical Specialist will work collaboratively with members of the TISFD Secretariat Technical team under the supervision of the Technical Director. TISFD is administratively hosted by UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub.

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

Cross-functional and technical competencies

• BUSINESS DIRECTION AND STRATEGY: 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 information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
• BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and groups, internally and externally, and to design and facilitate activities, to share and exchange knowledge, information and ideas. Knowledge of tools and approaches to stimulate active participation, contribution, and exchange.
• BUSINESS MANAGEMENT: Project management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• BUSINESS MANAGEMENT: Working with evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making.
• PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT: Private sector engagement: Ability to identify, conduct outreach, and manage relationships with the private sector
• 2030 AGENDA: PARTNERSHIPS: SDG Finance: Unlocking private capital and aligning business operations for the SDGs

Minimum Requirements

Min. Academic Education: An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent), in Business, Economics, Finance, Anthropology, Psychology, or another relevant 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 qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Min. years of relevant work experience: Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) and 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience in corporate sustainability and/or sustainable finance, sustainability standards, social impact and risk measurement and/or business and human rights in the public sector, the private sector or academia.
Required skills: Experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research and analysis about social issues in the context of business and finance.
Desired Additional Skills Or Experiences: Track record of successful project management, including planning, organising, prioritising and managing resources. Experience in the field of corporate and/or finance sector sustainability management and/or reporting. Experience with co-creation or consensus-building processes in international and multi-stakeholder settings. Experience translating complex technical information or research to private and finance sector audiences, and to a diverse range of other stakeholders. Experience in building and managing successful knowledge partnerships with external collaborators to achieve shared research goals.
Required Language(s) (at Working Level): Fluency in English 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.

Scam alert

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Key skills/competency

• Sustainable Finance
• Social Impact
• Risk Measurement
• Business and Human Rights
• Research and Analysis
• Project Management
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Knowledge Management
• Policy Reform
• SDG Finance