Local Finance 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

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. UNDPs 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 peoples 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: 1) Public Finance for the SDGs; 2) Private Finance for the SDGs; and 3) Global & Country Financing Policy Frameworks.

SFH Public Finance for SDGs (PF4SDGs) portfolio supports governments to strengthen public finance systems for sustainable development. Operating across 99 countries with a portfolio exceeding $200 million the portfolio provides integrated technical assistance across three core pillars: (1) Fiscal Policy Coherence (2) Tax Systems for Sustainable Development and (3) Public Expenditure Management. The portfolio works with Ministries of Finance Planning and line ministries to align fiscal policies tax systems debt strategies and public expenditure with national development priorities and the 2030 Agenda. UNDPs comparative advantage in public finance stems from its unique position at the nexus of fiscal policy and development outcomes. Rather than focusing on isolated technical reforms UNDP empowers governments to adopt whole-of-government and whole-of-society strategies that link fiscal instruments directly to sustainable development impact. This includes facilitating cross-ministerial policy dialogue building coalitions for reform integrating governance climate gender health and resilience priorities into fiscal frameworks and supporting countries in translating SDG ambitions into fiscally viable implementation pathways.

Position Purpose

The Local Finance Specialist will serve as the lead technical advisor on subnational public finance within the SFH UNDPs Public Finance for the SDGs portfolio working at the intersection of PF4SDGs pillars the INFFs and UNDPs leadership of the Local2030 Coalition playing a strategic integrator role across these agendas to ensure integrated whole-of-government fiscal policy support to countries.

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Public Finance for the SDGs the incumbent will guide the design implementation and monitoring of subnational fiscal policy coherence efforts including leading the application of the cost of fiscal incoherence methodology at the local level and supporting the integration of fiscal redistributionincorporating work on High-Net-Worth Individual (HNWI) taxationinto coherent fiscal frameworks that translate national reforms into territorial SDG outcomes. The Specialist will also drive thought leadership and knowledge sharing on subnational public finance represent UNDP in global fora and build Specialist will work closely with Country Offices (COs) Regional Bureaux (RBx) and specialists across the PF4SDGs team to strengthen UNDPs integrated offer on local finance for SDG delivery.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This reflects the interconnected nature of development risks and crises and the need for integrated and systemic responses. Accordingly UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues units functions teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance horizontal collaboration and strengthen UNDPs service offer on public finance for the SDGs at both national and subnational levels.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provide high levelpolicy advisory support

• Provide strategic and technical leadership in the application of the fiscal policy coherence approach including the cost of fiscal incoherence methodology at subnational level working closely with other thematic advisors regional specialists RBx COs other teams across the Global Policy Network (particularly with the Local Hub and Prosperity team) and the SFH to provide integrated support.
• Work closely with the Head of Public Finance for the SDGs and the INFF team to act as a technical bridge between PF4SDGs ILFFs and the Local2030 Coalition integrating subnational fiscal policy coherence considerations into national financing strategies and territorial implementation in line with the Local2030/SDG Fund Agenda and the Bilbao Blueprint.
• Integrate fiscal redistribution (including the HNWI SPA agenda) into public and subnational finance reforms through a fiscal policy coherence approach to support equitable SDG-aligned local investment outcomes.
• In coordination with the Public Finance Specialists and SFH Regional Advisors lead and support country-level analytical diagnostic and implementation work on subnational public finance and fiscal policy coherence reforms across the PF4SDGs portfolio ILFFs and broader SFH initiatives including technical backstopping and support to programme design monitoring and reporting.
• In coordination with the SFH Regional Advisors facilitate policy dialogue and coalition-building with national and subnational governments UN system entities International Financial Institutions development partners civil society and the private sector to advance shared reform agendas on local public finance fiscal policy coherence and equitable development..
• Lead the research and analytical work required to guide the identification of local public finance reforms in support of strengthened fiscal policy coherence at subnational level including fiscal redistribution drawing on PF4SDGs analytical tools (including the cost of fiscal incoherence methodology).
• Facilitate dialogue and coalition building with relevant country-level stakeholders including government donors civil society and the private sector to define and implement shared reform agendas.
• Develop new and/or refined frameworks methodologies guidance and tools to facilitate the implementation of the fiscal policy coherence approach at subnational level ILLFs Local 2030 processes and fiscal redistribution.

Drive thought leadership knowledge and learning

• Conduct horizon scanning and policy-relevant analysis on subnational public finance and fiscal policy coherenceincluding the cost of fiscal incoherenceas well as fiscal decentralization local financing strategies and fiscal redistribution and assess the application of the ILFF approach to inform PF4SDGs pillars the INFF portfolio and Local2030 processes.
• Lead the production of policy-oriented knowledge productsincluding policy papers technical notes and case studieson subnational fiscal policy coherence (including the cost of fiscal incoherence) ILLFs intergovernmental fiscal relations and fiscal redistribution tailored to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Support UNDP and SFH thought leadership and global policy dialogue on public finance for the SDGs by contributing to flagship publications and participating in UN inter-agency processes the Financing for Development (FfD) agenda and Local2030 Coalition platforms with a focus on territorial finance and equity.
• Ensure systematic documentation of lessons learned innovations results and impact from fiscal policy coherence ILFF interventions and Local 2030 processes across countries and promote their uptake globally.
• Support the management of communities of practice facilitating knowledge exchange among practitioners on topics related to fiscal policy coherence at subnational level ILFFs Local 2030 processes and fiscal redistribution.
• Support the design of training materials e-learning modules and capacity-building resources that institutionalize the policy coherence approach at the local level ILFFs Local 2030 processes and fiscal redistribution connections and deliver related trainings as required.
• Facilitate South-South and triangular cooperation enabling peer learning on fiscal policy coherence ILLFs Local 2030 processes and fiscal redistribution across subnational governments and regions.

Champion advocacy engagement and partnerships

• Represent UNDPs work on subnational fiscal policy coherence (including the cost of fiscal incoherence) ILFFs and fiscal redistribution in international conferences expert meetings technical workshops and policy dialogues articulating UNDPs value proposition in linking national and subnational finance for SDG delivery.
• Support senior leadership in global and regional engagementincluding Local2030 Coalition Financing for Development (FfD) fora and SPA-related dialoguesby preparing background papers briefing notes talking points and technical inputs.
• Contribute to UNDPs leadership of the Local2030 Coalition Finance Working Group and the collaboration with the SDG Fund by coordinating analytical inputs supporting meetings and events and fostering alignment across UN agencies and partners working on local and territorial finance.
• Build and sustain strategic partnerships with International Financial Institutions UN entities bilateral donors local government networks civil society and research institutions including through technical inputs to resource mobilization donor engagement and communications related to local public finance fiscal policy coherence at subnational level ILFFs and redistributive fiscal policy.

Ensure effectiveprogramme management and results-based delivery

• Contribute to results-based management of the PF4SDGs portfolio those linked to ILFFs and redistributive fiscal policy and related SFH initiatives through indicator tracking performance monitoring and systematic documentation of results in coordination with M&E focal points.
• Prepare technical inputs for reporting reviews and portfolio analysis related to subnational public finance and fiscal policy coherence ILFF implementation and redistributive fiscal policy reforms including contributions to donor reports internal reviews and corporate reporting processes.
• Support coordination across SFH teams Regional Bureaux and Country Offices to ensure coherent design and implementation of PF4SDGs ILFFs and fiscal policy coherence initiatives including the cost of fiscal incoherence methodology at national and subnational levels.
• Support operational delivery and programme management including coordination of consultants and experts roster development and other implementation tasks required to advance subnational PF4SDGs ILFFs and redistributive fiscal policy priorities and respond to evolving organizational needs.

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

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: None

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 & Strategy - Strategic Thinking:

• Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDPs mission and objectives based on the systemic analysis of challenges opportunities and potential risks;
• Link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions;
• Learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

Business Direction & 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 Management - Portfolio Management:

• Ability to select prioritise and control the organizations programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment.
• Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project programme and portfolio management.

Business Management - Partnerships Management: 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:

• Public Finance for the SDGs
• SDG-aligned Fiscal and Debt Instruments
• International Financial Institutions

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in Economics Law or Public Administration or related discipline is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelors degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Masters degree.
• A PhD or equivalent advanced research qualification in a relevant field (e.g. public finance political economy development studies) is an asset.

Experience:

• Minimum of seven (7) years (with masters degree) or nine (9) years (with bachelors degree)of relevant professional experienceproviding policy advice in public finance fiscal policy or related fields including at least three (3) years at the international level is required.
• At least five (5) years of experience supporting Ministries of Finance and/or Parliaments in developing countries on public finance policy and reform processes is required.
• At least five (5) years of demonstrated experience working on subnational public finance including fiscal decentralization or local financing strategies for development outcomes which may include policy advisory roles analytical work and/or relevant academic teaching experience is required.
• Demonstrated applied knowledge and hands-on experience providing policy advice and technical assistance to national and subnational governments on fiscal policy coherence (including the cost of fiscal incoherence methodology) ILFFs (including in the context of the Local2030 Coalition and Joint SDG Fund) and fiscal redistribution is required.
• Demonstrated experience in high-level policy engagement with Ministries of Finance and other government institutions on tax expenditure and/or debt frameworks including facilitating dialogue with senior officials and development partners is desired.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with multilateral or UN system initiatives on local finance including the Local2030 Coalition with contributions to Working Group 2 and Working Group 1 and experience advising on the design of bankable project pipelines and financing instruments through Joint SDG Fund or similar initiatives is desired.
• Demonstrated expertise in fiscal redistribution initiatives (such as progressive taxation and fiscal equity) including analysis of distributional impacts and linkages to development outcomes; experience related to High-Net-Worth Individual (HNWI) taxation and engagement with relevant global initiatives (e.g. Seville Platform for Action) is desired.
• Experience working with the UN system multilateral organizations and/or International Financial Institutions (IFIs) is an asset.
• Experience in programme development resource mobilization donor engagement or partnership development related to public finance or SDG financing is an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in English both written and oral is required.
• Knowledge of any other official UN language is 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.

Probation

For all new UNDP fixed term appointments (FTA) including for staff members being transferred or seconded to UNDP under the Inter-Organization Agreement concerning Transfer Secondment or Loan of Staff on an appointment of more than one year continuation of the appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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.

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