Foundations, Philanthropies and Private Sector Specialist

Background

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. UNCDF’s vision is to help mobilize and catalyze 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.

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 six priority areas, including:

•                     Sub-national and local infrastructure financing
•                     Women owned enterprise financing
•                     Nature and climate financing
•                     Energy and decarbonization finance
•                     Sustainable food systems financing
•                     Inclusive digital finance
 
Following a recent restructuring, 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 the Executive Board of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and performs the function of the Executive Board of UNCDF.

UNCDF is undergoing an organization refresh. The main objective of UNCDF is to crowd-in “private capital” alongside ODA (official development assistance) into the developing economies, especially the world’s least developed countries. There is a clear need from member states and philanthropies to work with each other partners to leverage each other’s resources, especially in an era of declining ODA. Additionally, there is a role for the UN to work with philanthropies/foundations as well as their “Endowments” to be “mission aligned,” which presents a unique engagement opportunity.

The Foundations, Philanthropies and Private Sector Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Head of External Relations to assist UNCDF in engaging philanthropies, HNIs (High Net-worth Individuals), endowments, and corporates (referred to hereafter as “Private Sector”). This involves: Developing strategic partnerships with foundations, private sector and HNI; Relationship management; Analysis, planning and positioning; and Corporate outreach, partnership efforts and knowledge management.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Strategic Partnership Development with Foundations, Private Sector and HNI

• Lead ongoing global market assessments of potential partners, with a focus on emerging philanthropic centers.
• Lead on the ongoing development, testing and pitching of partnership models and frameworks (e.g., joint initiatives, co-funding, strategic alliances) that are suited for each market
• Regularly define and refine the strategic offerings to be presented to each target entity, while identifying gaps in the current UNCDF offer and working with teams across the organization to close those gaps
• Establish and maintain a clear timeframe for outreach and partnership development, ensuring alignment with resource mobilization goals and success criteria
• Develop and update pitches and proposals tailored to the needs and interests of targeted philanthropies, corporates, and HNIs
• Lead on the development of strategic documents, including impact reports, value propositions, and partnership models, to showcase UNCDF’s strengths and initiatives
• Support the continuous development of case studies, testimonials, and success stories that highlight successful partnerships and their impact on UNCDF’s mission.

2. Relationship Management

• Lead ongoing intelligence gathering on key potential partners, and regularly develop and refine customized outreach strategies for each region and partner type.
• Lead outreach campaigns aimed at initiating conversations, fostering interest, and creating formal engagement pathways with UNCDF.
• Work with wider teams to develop tailored content and materials for outreach efforts, including concept notes, pitch decks, and strategic presentations.
• Identify and cultivate partnerships with networks that can drive scaled access to the private sector.
• Organize and facilitate networking and other face to face opportunities, such as roundtables and webinars focused on fostering dialogue between UNCDF and potential partners – in the USA, Europe and in emerging markets such as India, Singapore, and the UAE. Prepare and refine event materials, including speaking points, presentations, and follow-up communication strategies.
• Collaborate with UNCDF Goodwill Ambassadors to co-create pitch materials and provide other necessary materials on an ad hoc basis. Leverage UNCDF Goodwill Ambassador testimonials or endorsements in proposals, pitches, and outreach campaigns to bolster credibility and relevance.

3. Analysis, Planning and Positioning

• o Lead ongoing regional intelligence updates to position UNCDF for resource mobilization beyond the USA and Europe, focusing on key regions such as:
  • India: Continuously analyze key philanthropic drivers, sectoral focuses, HNI giving patterns, and emerging corporate giving trends.
  • Singapore: Identify and track strategic opportunities in the region’s growing focus on impact investing and philanthropic networks.
  • UAE: Explore and assess opportunities linked to government-supported philanthropic initiatives and emerging family foundations.
• Evaluate the regulatory, cultural, and economic conditions that continuously impact private sector engagement in these regions.
• Map out existing partnerships in each region and consistently identify potential new partners aligned with UNCDF’s goals.
• Establish and update key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress against goals, including resource mobilization targets, engagement levels, and partnerships secured.
• Develop and maintain a pipeline framework for tracking and reporting progress against established success criteria.
• Partner with Ambassadors to launch targeted social media and communication campaigns aimed at raising awareness and sparking interest from philanthropies, HNIs, and corporate partners.
• Facilitate ongoing interactions between Ambassadors and high-level prospects to build trust and foster dialogue around potential collaborations.

4. Corporate outreach, partnership efforts and knowledge management

• Contribute on ad hoc basis to outreach, partnership and other engagement opportunities as they arise.
• Contribute on ad hoc basis to knowledge management opportunities as they arise.

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

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 & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies) 

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 Direction and Strategy: Entrepreneurial Thinking

• Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate

Business Development: Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need

Business Development: Integration within the UN

• Ability to identity, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations

Business Management: Partnerships Management

• Ability to 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

Business Management: Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity;
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

Partnership Management: Resource Mobilization

• Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements

• Master’s degree in economics, finance or related area of study. First-level university degree in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience. 

Min. years of relevant work experience

• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree or equivalent) or 9 years with first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Required skills

• Experienced in engaging with philanthropies, endowments and foundations including experience of creating outreach and communication strategy;
• Experienced in branding/rebranding of legacy institutions as well as business development/resource mobilization;
• Demonstrated experience in excellent analytical, communication, writing and presentation skills;
• Experienced in working directly with and supporting multilateral institutions. 

Desired skills (in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section)

• Experienced creating branding elements targeted for philanthropies, investors, high-net wealth individuals and family foundations;
• Management or project experience in the UN, World Bank or other multilateral agency, and proven ability to engage at a senior level with donors and member state;
• Knowledge of other UN languages is highly desirable

Required Language(s)

• Excellent command of written and spoken English. 

Professional Certificates

• N/A.