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. UNCDFs 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. 

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.

UNCDF’s new structure includes a Strategic Funds Unit (SFU) to augment its capacity to deploy grants, loans, and guarantees to crowd-in finance for the scaling of development impact.  The SFU is dedicated to developing and overseeing trust funds, in partnership with UN agencies and other partners, that deploy blended finance approaches to leverage investment and sustainable revenue streams to mobilize capital at scale, expand pipelines of investable solutions, and strengthen alignment with global climate, biodiversity, and SDG commitments. The SFU integrated secretariat services, include:

  • Provision of technical and administrative support to Strategic Funds Steering Committees ;
  • Management of day-to-day operations of funds; 
  • Development the funds’ resource mobilization strategies  and engages with contributing partners;
  • Provision logistical and operational support to the respective funds’ steering committees;
  • Ensure the monitoring of the operational risks and Funds performance;
  • Support the development of high-quality proposals  and facilitate collaboration and communication between partner UN agency and other partners to ensure programmes are implemented effectively;
  • Management of calls for proposals and appraisal processes;
  • Consolidation of annual and final narrative reports;
  • Liaising with the administrative agent on fund administration issues, including issues related to project/fund extensions and project/fund closure.
     
Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of the External Relations Advisor, the intern will work closely with SET Team, and support the ongoing workplan and goals of the unit, including but not limited to institutional positioning, resource mobilization, and engagement with Member States and other partners.

The intern will support the work of the Strategic Engagement Team across the following areas:

1. Strategy and Partner Engagement Development:

  • Support preparation of briefing notes, talking points, background materials, and engagement documents for senior management.
  • Assist in developing partnership notes and tailored materials for donors, UN entities, multilateral partners, and private sector stakeholders.
  • Support in conducting research and analysis on donor priorities, development finance trends, and evolving global policy processes.
  • Support the team in refining UNCDF’s value proposition and positioning across priority countries and thematic areas.
  • Support coordination of inputs across teams to ensure consistent and coherent messaging.
  • Provide analytical support for high-level meetings and consultations.

2. Resource Mobilization:

  • Collect background research and donor intelligence to support core and non-core resource mobilization efforts.
  • Assist in preparing presentations, briefing decks, and outreach materials for donor meetings.
  • Support mapping of partnership opportunities, including with non-traditional and private sector actors.
  • Contribute to tracking donor trends, policy shifts, and funding landscapes relevant to UNCDF.

3. Investment Committee Secretariat and Gender Strategy:

  • Support secretariat functions of UNCDF’s Investment Committees, including meeting preparation and follow-up.
  • Assist in reviewing and organizing investment memos and briefing materials.
  • Support preparation of presentations and summaries for internal decision-making processes.
  • Help maintain internal trackers and dashboards related to the investment pipeline.
  • Support the Corporate Gender focal point through research and partnership support to advance women’s economic empowerment priorities.
  • Contribute to analytical work related to portfolio oversight and institutional learning.

Competencies
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
  • Strong planning and organizational skills 
  • Proactive problem-solving skills and a results-oriented drive to meet deadlines
  • Ability to translate complex and abstract ideas into clear visual concepts
  • Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and international environment.

Required Skills and Experience

Field of Study required: International Affairs, International Development, Economics, Finance, Business Administration, Public Administration, or another related field.

Eligibility: Applicants to the UNCDF internship programme must at the time of application meet one of the following requirements:

  • Be enrolled in a postgraduate degree programme (such as a master’s programme, or higher);
  • Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (such as bachelor’s degree or equivalent);
  • Have recently graduated with a university degree (as defined in (a) and (b) above) and, if selected, must start the internship within one-year of graduation;
  • Be enrolled in a postgraduate professional traineeship program and undertake the internship as part of this program.

Desirable Skillset & Experience:

  • Strong ability to develop high-quality PowerPoint presentations, Excel analyses, and written products that translate complex concepts into accessible language is highly desired.
  • Knowledge of and/or familiarity with sustainable finance and international development is highly desired.
  • Prior experience or internship exposure in a UN entity, multilateral organization, development finance institution, consulting firm, or banking/financial services environment is an asset.

Languages:

  • Fluency in English required.
  • Fluency in French very desirable; knowledge of other UN languages will be considered a plus.
     

Main Internship Conditions

  • Interns must provide proof of enrolment in health insurance plan
  • UNCDF accepts no responsibility for costs arising from accidents and/or illness or death incurred during the internship
  • Interns may be given a stipend according to the Internship Policy: the stipend is to help cover basic daily expenses related to the internship, such as meals and transportation at the duty station
  • Interns are not staff members and may not represent UNCDF in any official capacity.
     
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: 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.

Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 
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