Consultancy, Innovative Finance Consultant ,2/3 days a week over 4 months, up to 52 days total, NYHQ or Remote

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, innovate

UNICEF is seeking to complement its current efforts to accelerate results for children through the use of new financial structures (e.g. blended finance, guarantees, impact investing) that can leverage additional resources for children (as well as make the use of existing resources more efficient and results-oriented). The Office of Innovation is a creative, interactive, and agile team in UNICEF. We sit at a unique intersection, where an organization that works on huge global issues meets the startup thinking, the technology, and the partners that turn this energy into scalable solutions. The Innovative Finance Consultant is placed within the Office of Innovation, reporting to the Innovative Finance Lead. He/she will work closely with other divisions on innovative finance, including PPD, PFP, DFAM, PD and SD.

How can you make a difference?

The objective of the Financial Innovations Team is to enable the use of financial instruments and financial engineering to help enable UNICEF to meet its programmatic requirements and fulfill its mission for children, youth and women. This would be done through the implementation of new financial structures (e.g. blended funds, loans/guarantees, impact bonds) that can leverage additional resources/financing for children (as well as make existing resources more efficient and results-oriented). The Innovative Finance Consultant will take a technical support function to the Innovative Finance Team Lead, as it relates to the development and implementation of innovative finance frameworks and initiatives. Specifically, they would be leading the development of blended financing and impact investing strategies with European Financing institutions.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Support and contribute to the design, plan and establishment of the Innovative Finance Hub – including early transition stage resources, recruitment processes, governance structure, and strategic partnership engagement.
• Serve as a focal point for potential entry points for the IF Hub to identify UNICEF programmes/projects and build capacity around existing Office of Innovation innovative financing initiatives.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in in Public Policy, Business Administration, Development, or related field.

*A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in at national and international levels in project management, consulting, research, budget, development, or equivalent education experience.

• Experience working with innovative finance or related field is required, including solid understanding of the innovative finance landscape.

• Strong capacity to work effectively in inter-divisional teams.
• Strong capacity to distill and translate multifaceted and critical issues for organizational attention.
• Experience in/knowledge of the UN system and knowledge of UNICEF’s work would be an asset.
• Highest strategic and global thinking and analytical skills.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communications skills.

• Ability to conceptualize, plan and execute ideas as well as to manage projects.

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and inclusion
• Integrity

Core competencies

• Communication (II)
• Working with People (III)
• Drive for Results (III)

Functional Competencies:

• Planning and Organizing (III)
• Leading and Supervising (II)
• Relating and Networking (II)
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts (III)
• Analyzing (III)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Payment details and further considerations

• Monthly payment, based on monthly tasks and progress reports, approved upon monthly review with supervisor.
• Consultant is responsible for his/her own health and travel insurance
• Consultant is eligible for standard DSA for all work-related travel

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.