Project Specialist, NPSA 10, Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea (UNCDF) - [Open to Tier 1 & 2 applicants]

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:

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

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 catalyse 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, UNOs, 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.

Background:

The United Nations’ Highlands Joint Programme Phase 2 (HJP2) represents a coordinated, multi-agency effort to address the underlying drivers of conflict, fragility, and underdevelopment in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands region, with a particular focus on Hela, Southern Highlands, Enga, and Western Highlands provinces. Building on the lessons and achievements of Phase 1, HJP2 adopts an integrated, area-based approach that combines peacebuilding, governance strengthening, and socio-economic development to foster resilience and stability. The programme is closely aligned with Papua New Guinea’s national development priorities and contributes directly to Outcome 2 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), focusing on governance, peace, and social cohesion.

Within this framework, the Livelihood Enhancement and Economic Diversification (LEED) programme, jointly implemented by UNCDF, FAO, and ILO, serves as a core economic pillar of HJP2. LEED is designed to complement governance and peacebuilding interventions by addressing the structural economic drivers of conflict, particularly youth unemployment, limited access to livelihoods, and exclusion from economic and decision-making processes. Drawing on lessons from HJP1 and other UN-led Gender, Youth and Peacebuilding Initiatives (GYPI), LEED adopts a market systems approach to strengthen livelihoods, expand economic opportunities, and enhance the resilience of communities.

Specifically, LEED focuses on enhancing productivity and market access in selected agricultural value chains, while simultaneously strengthening financial inclusion and access to finance (led by UNCDF), promoting skills development and employment pathways for youth (led by ILO), and improving value chain efficiency and agricultural productivity (led by FAO). By integrating these interventions, the programme seeks to create sustainable income-generating opportunities, particularly for women and youth, while supporting the development of functional local markets and financial ecosystems.

In doing so, LEED contributes directly to peacebuilding objectives by providing viable economic alternatives to conflict, strengthening community cohesion, and promoting inclusive participation in local governance and decision-making structures. The programme also places a strong emphasis on gender equality, youth empowerment, and equitable access to resources, ensuring that marginalized groups are actively engaged as agents of change. Through this integrated approach, HJP2 and its LEED component aim to deliver long-term, sustainable solutions that address both the economic and social dimensions of fragility in the Highlands region.

Under the supervision of the UNCDF Country Lead, and in close collaboration with other colleagues in the front and middle offices, the Project Specialist will specifically work under the following scope:

• Support the day-to-day implementation of UNCDF-led activities under the LEED Joint Programme in the Highlands region, in line with approved workplans and budgets.
• Prepare budget estimates and expenditure forecasts to ensure sufficient resources are available for the achievement of planned results and fulfilment of workplans. Anticipate delays and recommend solutions to rectify implementation challenges.
• Coordinate and oversee field-level execution of activities related to access to finance, digital financial services, risk mitigation instruments and blended finance.
• Ensure timely delivery of activities in collaboration with project partners, including MFIs, financial institutions, cooperatives among others.
• Support beneficiary targeting and outreach, ensuring inclusive participation of youth, women, persons with disabilities, and conflict-affected communities.
• Maintain regular field presence to monitor progress, troubleshoot operational issues, and provide hands-on implementation support.
• Support the deployment of financial instruments and ensure regular follow up with the investees to ensure portfolio compliance.
• Serve as the primary UNCDF field focal point in the Highlands, liaising with local authorities, partners, and communities.
• Facilitate coordination with FAO, ILO, HJP2 field teams, and relevant provincial and district government counterparts to ensure coherent joint implementation.
• Support the establishment, strengthening, and maintenance of partnerships with financial service providers, cooperatives, mobile network operators, and private-sector actors.
• Participate in provincial-level coordination meetings, joint project reviews, and community consultations.
• Conduct community needs assessment on gaps to accessing and utilising financial services among youths and farmer groups and value chain actors
• Represent UNCDF in relevant field-level forums, working groups, and stakeholder engagements as delegated.
• Provide operational and technical support to the rollout of financial inclusion interventions, including digital finance pilots and tailored financial products.
• Support partners to implement UNCDF instruments such as guarantees, risk-sharing mechanisms, or insurance pilots, in line with approved designs.
• Assist implementing partners in understanding and complying with UNCDF and UN operational, financial, and procurement procedures.
• Support the development of financial literacy training packages to suit the youth and farmer groups context in partnership with financial institution providers
• Support due diligence processes, field-level assessments, and operational readiness of partners.
• Oversee the development of parametric insurance packages to youths, women and farmers or farmer groups
• Identify operational risks and constraints and proactively propose practical solutions to ensure continuity of implementation.
• Support the collection and verification of field-level data, results, and beneficiary feedback in coordination with M&E colleagues.
• Contribute to progress reports, donor updates, and joint programme reporting, including narrative inputs and documentation of results.
• Identify, document, and share lessons learned, good practices, and success stories from field implementation.
• Support monitoring visits, joint reviews, evaluations, and audits as required.
• Ensure implementation adheres to Do No Harm principles, conflict sensitivity, gender equality, disability inclusion, and UNCDF social and environmental safeguards, promptly flagging risks or incidents.
• Ensures provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results

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

• 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

Thematic Area | Name | Definition

Business Direction & Strategy | Systems 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 Direction & Strategy | Strategic Thinking | Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNCDF.

Finance | Development finance expertise | Ability to develop and work with innovative financing mechanisms and instruments, e.g. social/development impact bonds, guarantees, climate finance, etc.

Finance | Due diligence management | Ability to conduct a comprehensive appraisal of an organization or opportunity to be undertaken by a prospective investor or partner, especially to establish its assets and liabilities, as well as evaluate the potential opportunity and its related risks.

Partnerships management | Private Sector engagement | Ability to identify, conduct outreach and manage relationships with the private sector

Education:

• An Advanced (Master’s degree or equivalent) in development, business administration, finance, marketing, economics, accounting, social sciences or related fields is required.
• 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.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years (with a Masters’ Degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s Degree) of relevant work experience in project implementation in financial inclusion, rural development livelihoods or private sector development or a related field is required.
• Demonstrated experience working in fragile, conflict-affected, or remote contexts.
• Experience in at least one, but preferably several, of the following areas: Agricultural SMEs, Clean energy SMEs, SMEs promoting digitalization in the context of financial inclusion (FINTECH), Project finance, Micro Finance Institutions, Guarantee instruments within the space of development finance
• Experience in project preparation and/or in development of investment opportunities, especially for investment projects with social objectives in developing countries.
• Strong project coordination and field implementation skills
• Ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders, including community groups and government counterparts.
• Computer literacy, including proficient use of research and applied software.
• Experience working in project management, implementation and M&E at the national level. Experience working on GBV or peacebuilding or related issues would be an asset.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team is an advantage.
• Strong reporting, documentation, and communication skills are desirable.
• Ability to work independently in remote field locations with limited supervision is an advantage.
• Sensitivity to gender, disability inclusion, and peacebuilding contexts is an asset.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and to demonstrate gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes is desirable.

Language:

• Written and spoken fluency in English and Tok Pisin is required;

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.

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.

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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