Research Clerk

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD) is the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) global organization mandated to leverage the role of the private sector in development. The IICPSD was established in Istanbul, Turkey on the basis of the Partnership Framework Agreement signed between the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the United Nations Development Program in March 2011. The Center is one of the five global thematic centers of UNDP, advocating and facilitating the contribution of the private sector to human development and inclusive growth through the following thematic priority areas:

• Inclusive Business Models;
• Role of the Private Sector in Skills Development;
• Impact Investment; 
• Private Sector Resilience and Crisis Response.

Furthermore, the Center supports the UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) by leading UNDP’s strategic offer to partner and work with the private sector.

Under its impact investment thematic area, IICPSD and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) established the Global Islamic Finance and Impact Investing Platform (GIFIIP) in 2016 to position Islamic finance and impact investing as leading enablers of SDG implementation around the world. Bringing together the private sector, governments and key stakeholders operating in the Islamic finance and impact investing markets, the platform aims to promote market-based solutions to sustainable development challenges. It focuses on enabling the private sector, using Islamic finance in tandem with impact investing to achieve SDGs on a global scale.

Recognizing that the principles of Islamic finance and impact investing, with their rigorous moral and social criteria, their emphasis on inclusiveness and broader understanding of business-society relations, complement each other, GIFIIP and IsDB initiated the “Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)” project to establish an online training platform to build expertise on Islamic finance for UNDP staff in Country Offices spanning all 57 IsDB Member Countries (MCs) and the broader community of development professionals, and bring UNDP’s innovative best practices to government bodies and other stakeholders who collect, manage, and disburse Islamic finance.

The online training platform would include modules such as (1) The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Role of Islamic Finance, (2) Modes of Islamic Finance, (3) Impact Investing and Islamic Finance for Sustainable Development, (4) Engaging Islamic Finance Within the Policy Frameworks of Development Organizations, and (5) Case Studies of Islamic Finance for the Sustainable Development Goals.

Under the guidance of and reporting directly to the UNDP IICPSD Deputy Director, the Research Clerk will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following key functions:

1) Provides research and knowledge generation support on the role of :

• Support qualitative and quantitative background analyses;
• Provide support during the implementation of knowledge management activities of IICPSD in the Islamic finance area.
• Other research and information collection tasks related to Islamic finance area as required by IICPSD.

2) Provides administrative and logistical support, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Provide organizational support to the events including; identifying and securing the venue, speakers and guests; outreach and drafting-distribution of invitations; managing event registration; and other related tasks;
• Support preparation of the document set for event participants, i.e. press kit, logistics note, and any other document deemed necessary;
• Prepare the logistics plan for each event and ensure its proper implementation in coordination with the travel agencies, hotels and other partners;
• Provide research support in line with the subject topic of the events;
• Administrative support to organization of other national and international conferences, workshops, retreats,
• Preparation of informal translations.

3) Provides support to management coordination, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Assist in the preparation of notes, summaries, presentations for events and advisory activities;
• Participate in project meetings, as required;
• Support the senior management with collection and compilation of information;
• Supporting development of knowledge management products (methodologies, reports, briefs, etc.).

4) Provides support to the communication activities related to Islamic finance on IICPSD and GIFIIP web sites, social media and other media:

• Supporting the maintenance of the IICPSD and GIFIIP web sites based on corporate requirements, in cooperation with the UNDP HQ;
• Updating IICPSD social media accounts on a regular basis with relevant material, highlighting key events and achievements.

Core

Innovation 

Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow

People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

Delivery

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Technical/Functional

Primary:

Knowledge Management

Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge

Managing Data

Collect, compile, interpret data and draw conclusions

Planning Organizing and Multitasking

Organizes and accurately completes multiple tasks by establishing priorities while taking into consideration special assignments, frequent interruptions, deadlines, available resources and multiple reporting relationships

Operational Effectiveness

Good knowledge of administrative rules and regulations

Managing Documents, Correspondence and Reports

Edits, formats and provides inputs to correspondence, reports, documents and/or presentations using work processing, spreadsheets and databases meeting quality standards and requiring minimal correction

Secondry:

Visibility

Has knowledge on visibility standards and rules of UNDP

Managing social media accounts

Support the update of IICPSD social media accounts on a regular basis with relevant material, highlighting key events and achievements.

Education:    

High School education OR Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, economics, international relations, business administration is required.

Experience:

1. High school education with 3 years of research experience OR Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, economics, international relations, business administration is required with at least 1 year relevant work experience in research and knowledge generation support
2. Knowledge on Islamic finance will be a strong asset;
3. Knowledge on economics and finance research, preferably with a perspective on Islamic finance, would be an asset.
4. Knowledge of the UN system would be an asset.

Language Requirements:  

• Fluency in English and Turkish is required.

Other:

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

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.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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